In the recent book by Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods (2005), he suggests that, for the first time in human history, young people today are growing up with little or no meaningful contact with the natural world. Louv cites various causes for this “nature-deficit disorder,” including loss of green spaces to development, parents’ exaggerated fears and over-protectiveness, and our growing addiction to electronic media. In this month’s column, the field editor provides further evidence to support the notion that we are increasingly alienated from nature.