Thursday, January 14, 2010

Leader of movement to connect kids to nature comes to Vegas

Richard Louv will help kick off 2010 Our Places Tell Stories Conference

Bestselling author Richard Louv, who sparked the movement to reintroduce children to the outdoors, will be in Las Vegas in February. Louv is the featured keynote speaker for the 2010 Our Places Tell Stories Conference, which will be held February 24-27 at the Springs Preserve.

Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, explores the physical and emotional benefits of children spending time in nature. Louv also serves as chairman of the Children & Nature Network, an organization focused on helping to build the international movement to connect children with nature. He will speak at 4:20 p.m. and sign copies of the new edition of Last Child in the Woods at 5:30 p.m. on February 24.

“We are beyond pleased that Richard Louv will open our conference,” said Allison Brody, conservation education and interpretation manager at the UNLV Public Lands Institute, the conference organizer. “His commitment to nature, family and community will set the tone for this conference and motivate us to create change in Nevada.”

Our Places Tell Stories is an innovative conference for teachers, informal educators, interpreters and others working at public lands, schools, nature centers and museums to gain educational and interpretive techniques to communicate effectively with their audiences. With these tools in hand, educators will foster environmental literacy and inspire their audiences to understand, appreciate and care for Nevada’s environment.

Daily registration is $35 and full conference registration is $100. For more information, visit www.enviroedexchange.org or contact Allison Brody at 702.895.5097 or allison.brody@unlv.edu.