SHANGRI LA BOTANICAL GARDENS AND NATURE CENTER
NELDA C. & H. J. LUTCHER STARK FOUNDATION
For Immediate Release
Contact: Michael Hoke
Shangri La Executive Director
(409) 670-9113
Shangri La Welcomes Author and Environmentalist Richard Louv
ORANGE, Texas, September 17, 2007 – The crucial relationship between nature and healthy child development will be the topic of author and environmentalist Richard Louv’s discussion on Thursday, October 4, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. The event, hosted by Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, is free to the public and will be held at Lutcher Theater at 707 Main Street in Orange, Texas.
Louv will discuss themes from his critically acclaimed book Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, featured on the New York Times® Best Seller list. In the book, Louv discusses the ways our plugged-in society unintentionally teaches children to avoid nature and how to change that message with his “Leave No Child Inside” movement. He also explains how a lack of contact with nature can impact ADHD, child obesity, stress, loss creativity, and cognitive functioning.
"There are...certain dangers if nature is removed [from a child's life] – threats to our children's physical, emotional and spiritual health; to the full development of their senses; to their appreciation of beauty and their nascent imaginations; to their understanding of their place in the universe," states Louv.
Louv’s message aligns perfectly with Shangri La’s philosophy to teach everyone the importance of understanding and protecting the environment. According to Shangri La’s executive director Michael Hoke, “A lack of commitment to outdoor experience for kids will have a detrimental effect on their attitude towards nature.” He goes on to explain that this lack of exposure could negatively affect the future of the environment.
With the help of Richard Louv and Shangri La, parents, educators, civic leaders, and anyone involved in a child’s development can learn how to help kids embrace nature and reap the rewards associated with it.
A question-and-answer session will follow Louv’s discussion. He will also sign copies of his book, available through national booksellers. A limited supply will be sold at the event as well.
Richard Louv is the author of seven books about family, nature, and community. A columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune from 1984 to 2006, he has written for the
New York Times, and other newspapers and magazines, and has been a columnist and member of the editorial advisory board for Parents magazine. He is the chairman of the Children and Nature Network (http://www.cnaturenet.org/), and a member of the Citistates Group, an organization of urban observers.
Shangri La, opening in spring 2008, features nine theme gardens containing over 300 species of plants. The Nature Center is home to impressive wildlife and includes Adams Bayou boat excursions with nature “outposts” hosting open-air classrooms. A Visitor’s Center houses a theater, bookstore and gift shop, café, exhibit hall, greenhouses, and more.
For more information, please call (409) 670-9113.
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