Proposed by: a member of James River Garden Club, Zone VII

Richard Louv is the author of Last Child in the Woods, and he coined the term “nature-deficit disorder,” which describes the unfortunate consequences of children spending more time indoors than outdoors. Through his visionary leadership, he co-founded the Children & Nature Network, which supports a global movement to build communities where children play, learn, and grow with nature in their everyday lives. Partly inspired by Mr. Louv’s message, the U.S. Congress passed the No Child Left Inside Act to fund environmental education. He has also been an inspiration to pediatricians and countless families, connecting children and communities with the healing powers of nature. He has profoundly changed conservation education.