Children and Nature Network
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| Children and Nature Network | |
|---|---|
| Name | Children and Nature Network |
| Formation | 2006 |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Capitola, California |
| Leader title | Founder |
| Leader name | Richard Louv |
Children and Nature Network is a nonprofit organization founded to promote children's access to nature and to study relationships among childhood, health, and natural environments. It engages with policymakers, educators, philanthropists, and community organizations to increase outdoor play, nature-based learning, and environmental stewardship. The organization links research, practice, and advocacy across sectors including public health, urban planning, education, and philanthropy.
History
The organization was established in 2006 by Richard Louv after publication of his book Last Child in the Woods, following dialogues with funders and advocates such as the David Suzuki Foundation, The Trust for Public Land, and leaders connected to the National Park Service. Early collaborators included philanthropies like the Kresge Foundation, Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and public agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United Nations Environment Programme. Initial initiatives drew on conservation networks such as Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, and community groups tied to the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA. Influential advisors and partners included academics affiliated with Harvard University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and public figures from National Geographic Society and Smithsonian Institution. Over time the organization interfaced with international entities including World Health Organization, UNICEF, and municipal programs in cities like New York City, London, and Vancouver.
Mission and Programs
The stated mission emphasizes reconnecting children with nature through programs in parks, schools, and neighborhoods, aligning with initiatives from institutions such as Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Education, and the National Institutes of Health. Program models have paralleled efforts by Play England, Forest School Association, and urban greening campaigns run by groups like City Parks Alliance and Trust for Public Land. Signature efforts included convenings, teacher training linked to Wilderness Therapy models, grantmaking in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, and outreach resembling campaigns by Let’s Move! and Blue Cross Blue Shield community health initiatives. Work also intersected with designers and planners from firms and organizations associated with American Planning Association, Landscape Architecture Foundation, and urban experiments in Copenhagen, Barcelona, and Singapore.
Research and Impact
Research activities collated studies from scholars at Yale University, University of Michigan, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and international centers including University of Oxford and University of Melbourne. Findings emphasized links between nature exposure and outcomes highlighted by journals and institutions like Nature, The Lancet, JAMA, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and professional bodies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics. Impact assessments drew on metrics and methodologies common to evaluations by RAND Corporation, Pew Charitable Trusts, Urban Institute, and McKinsey & Company when measuring public health, school performance, and community resilience. Case studies referenced municipal interventions in Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Melbourne, Zurich, and programs at institutions like Chicago Public Schools and Los Angeles Unified School District.
Organizational Structure and Funding
The governance model included a board with leaders from philanthropy, academia, and conservation sectors, comparable to boards at The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Conservation International. Funding combined foundation grants from entities like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, corporate partnerships similar to those pursued by Target Corporation and Patagonia, Inc., and individual donors including family foundations modeled on Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Administrative relationships mirrored nonprofit practices used by Environmental Defense Fund and Audubon Society including program staff, fellows, and regional coordinators who interacted with municipal departments in places such as San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago.
Partnerships and Advocacy
Partnerships extended to school districts, park agencies, health systems, and international NGOs such as Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, and Friends of the Earth. Advocacy work engaged legislators and agencies including state governments in California, New York (state), and Massachusetts, and national policymakers linked to the U.S. Department of the Interior and the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Campaigns often paralleled coalitions like Children’s Defense Fund and public health alliances exemplified by American Public Health Association and World Federation of Associations for School Health.
Criticism and Controversies
Critiques have come from scholars and advocacy groups who question program equity, urban land-use priorities, and the evidence base, echoing debates involving institutions such as Brookings Institution, Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, and academic critics at MIT and London School of Economics. Debates have raised issues similar to controversies around urban greening and gentrification seen in Brooklyn, East London, and Berlin. Other criticisms paralleled disputes over nonprofit influence and accountability observed in controversies involving United Way and high-profile philanthropic efforts led by families like the Gates family and Rockefeller family.