Report by Hereford's Mike Townsend (Woodland Trust) for the 43rd Arboricultural Association National Conference, University of Exeter, 20th-23rd September 2009

When Richard Louv coined ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ (NDD) in his book, Last Child in the Woodsi, he was not describing a new medical condition. He used the phrase to encapsulate a range of maladies he believes result from a lack of connection and direct experience by children of nature. A generation of children spending less time outdoors and, importantly, less time with nature, resulting in health and behavioral problems.