Richard Louv - Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life

I am deeply appreciative of the work of many other writers in this field. In addition to the original material provided in these pages, Vitamin N cites good books, websites, and organizations. These sources are listed in the text or as recommended resources at the end of the book.

My gratitude to the many people who support the organizations and individuals working to reconnect people and the natural world.

Special thanks to the staff, volunteers, and board of directors of the Children & Nature Network, and to those educators, health professionals, and others who have lent their expertise to these pages. Among them, Cheryl Charles, Joseph Baust, Tamra Willis, Herb Broda, Clifford Knapp, and Robin Moore.

Thanks, too, to my editor, Amy Gash, and publisher, Elisabeth Scharlett, and the other great folks at Algonquin Books; and to Jim Levine, Jackie Green, Robyn Bjornsson, and Suz Lipman, and to Matthew Louv who helped mightily with the research; to my wife, Kathy, and older son, Jason, who always offer moral support and insight; to Peter Kaye, who passed during the week that this project came to a conclusion, and to my longtime friend and editor, Dean Stahl, who has stuck by me through all my recent books, both thick and thin.

ALSO BY RICHARD LOUV

The Nature Principle: Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
Fly- Fishing for Sharks: An American Journey
The Web of Life
FatherLove
101 Things You Can Do for Our Childrens Future
Childhoods Future
America II

Note: For a more complete list of excellent books and other resources, see RichardLouv.com .

Acclimatizing, Steve Van Matre (Amer. Camping Assn., 1972).

In Accord with Nature: Helping Students Form an Environmental Ethic Using Outdoor Experience and Reflection, Clifford E. Knapp (Eric Clearinghouse on Rural, 1998).

The Art of Mountain Biking: Singletrack Skills for All Riders, Robert Hurst (Globe Pequot Press, 2011).

Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation, Sharon Gamson Danks (New Village Press, 2010).

Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife, David Mizejewski (Creative Homeowner, 2004).

Backyard Bees, Douglas Purdie (Murdoch Books, 2015).

Backyard Bird Watching for Kids: How to Attract, Feed, and Provide Homes for Birds, George H. Harrison (Willow Creek Press, 1997).

Backyard Livestock: Raising Good, Natural Food for Your Family, George B. Looby (Countryman Press, 2007).

Balcony Gardening: A Beginners Guide to Starting a Beautiful Balcony Garden, Stuart Cooper (Kindle Edition).

Basic Canoeing: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started, Jon Rounds, ed. (Stackpole Books, 2003).

Bay Area Wild: A Celebration of the Natural Heritage of the San Francisco Bay Area, Galen A. Rowell (Sierra Club Books, 1997).

Be in a Treehouse, Pete Nelson (Harry N. Abrams, 2014).

Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education, David Sobel (Orion Society, 1999).

Big Tracks, Little Tracks: Following Animal Prints, Millicent E. Selsam (HarperCollins, 1998).

Biophilia, Edward O. Wilson (Harvard University Press, 1986).

Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life, Stephen R. Kellert, Judith Heerwagen, and Martin Mador (Wiley, 2008).

Birthright: People and Nature in the Modern World, Stephen Kellert (Yale University Press, 2014).

The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids: 101 Ways to Get Kids Outside, Dirty, and Having Fun, Whitney Cohen and John Fisher (Timber Press, 2012).

Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, Douglas W. Tallamy (Timber Press, 2007).

The Bumper Book of Nature: A Users Guide to the Great Outdoors, Stephen Moss (Crown, 2010).

Cabins: A Guide to Building Your Own Nature Retreat, David Stiles and Jeanie Stiles (Firefly Books, 2001).

Camp Out!: The Ultimate Kids Guide, Lynn Brunelle (Workman, 2007).

Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Animals and Nature, Diane Lindsey Reeves (Checkmark Books, 2007).

Catch a Fish, Throw a Ball, Fly a Kite (Three Rivers Press, 2004).

Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators, David Sobel (Stenhouse Publishers, 2008).

Childrens Special Places, David Sobel (Wayne State University Press, 2001).

A Childs Garden: Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents, Molly Dannenmaier (Simon & Schuster, 1998).

A Childs Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellationsand How You Can Find Them in the Sky, Michael Driscoll and Meredith Hamilton (Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2004).

Climbing Back, Mark Wellman and John Flinn (WRS Group, 1992).

The Cloudspotters Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds, Gavin Pretor-Pinney (Perigee, 2007).

Community Gardens: Grow Your Own Vegetables and Herbs, Susan Burns Chong (Rosen Pub Group, 2014).

Compact Cabins: Simple Living in 1000 Square Feet or Less, Gerald Rowan (Storey Books, 2010).

The Complete Book of Kites and Kite Flying, Will H. Yolen (Simon & Schuster, 1976).

The Complete Compost Gardening Guide: Banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing the most flavorful, nutritious vegetables ever, Deborah L. Martin and Barbara Pleasant (Storey Publishing, 2008).

The Complete Mushroom Hunter: An Illustrated Guide to Finding, Harvesting, and Enjoying Wild Mushrooms, Gary Lincoff (Quarry Books, 2010).

Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, Michael Pollan (Penguin Books, 2014).

A Country Called Childhood: Children and the Exuberant World, Jay Griffiths (Counterpoint, 2014).

Coyotes Guide to Connecting with Nature, Jon Young, Ellen Haas, and Evan McGown (OWLlink Media, 2008).

Curious Critters, David FitzSimmons (Wild Iris Publishing, 2014).

The Curious Garden, Peter Brown (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009).

The Dangerous Book for Boys, Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden (William Morrow, 2012).

Diary of a Citizen-Scientist: Chasing Tiger Beetles and Other New Ways of Engaging the World, Sharman Apt Russell (Oregon State University Press, 2014).

Dirty Teaching: A Beginners Guide to Learning Outdoors, Juliet Robertson (Independent Thinking Press, 2014).

Discovering Nature with Young Children: Part of the Young Scientist Series, Ingrid Chalufour and Karen Worth (Redleaf Press, 2003).

The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids: How to Plan Memorable Family Adventures and Connect Kids to Nature, Helen Olsson (Roost Books, 2012).

Drawn to Nature: Through the Journals of Clare Walker Leslie, Clare Walker Leslie (Storey Publishing, 2005).

Early Childhood Activities for a Greener Earth, Patty Born Selly (Redleaf Press, 2012).

Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect