The Nature Principle

Louv is the author of the international bestseller Last Child in the Woods, a nonfiction book about nature-deficit disorder in children. Nature-deficit disorder is a “way to describe the growing gap between children and nature” (3). After writing this book, Louv received a lot of feedback from adults that this was not just an issue for children. The Nature Principle refocuses Louv’s theories for adults.

In a technologically advanced world, Louv is committed to helping people understand how humans need nature now more than ever. The Nature Principle “suggests that, in an age of rapid environmental, economic, and social transformation, the future will belong to the nature-smart” (4). Losing touch with nature will be detrimental to our futuristic society.

Louv calls upon seven precepts in his book: nature is needed to balance technology, Vitamin N (nature) is necessary for health, a balanced use of nature and technology increases creativity and the hybrid mind, human/nature social capital benefits society, natural history is just as important as human history, biophilic design is encouraged, and humans need to conserve and create natural habitats.