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Reconnecting with Nature Symposium
Posted: January 27, 2009

GRINNELL - Reconnecting with Nature Symposium is scheduled for February 11, 12 and 14 at Grinnell College, in Grinnell.

Worldwide, people are increasingly disconnected from the natural world. Seven of 10 American mothers played outdoors as children, but only 31 percent of today's children do. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found American children ages 8-18 spend an average of 45 hours a week watching television and playing video games. Since 1987, visitation to national parks and other public lands has steadily declined.

This symposium is dedicated to evaluating these trends, assessing the significance of the problem, and discussing how to address it. Prominent scholars from the fields of psychology, education, and ecology will present the current state of knowledge about the issue. A panel of local educators and representatives of state government and the private sector will discuss possible solutions.

The symposium on Feb. 11 at 4:15 p.m. will also include a teacher workshop at 7 p.m., on place-based environmental education and a Saturday activity in nature at Grinnell College's Conard Environmental Research Area. The Department of Natural Resource's Aquatic Education Program will offer up to an $80 stipend for teachers wishing to attend the symposium and workshop.

David Sobel, MEd, whose work is cited in Richard Louv's bestselling "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder" will be a keynote speaker. Sobel has been involved in teacher preparation at Antioch University New England for more than 30 years and advocates educational reform using the local environment as a laboratory to teach about science, ecology, and social studies.

Sobel's publications include Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators (2008), Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities (2004), Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education (1999), and Mapmaking with Children: Sense-of-Place Education in the Elementary Years (1998).

For more information about the symposium and/or to register to attend, contact Laureen Van Wyk at vanwyk@grinnell.edu.