Summit Dates

Feb 11- 12, 2009 University Center, University of Montana, Missoula

BUS Information

Parking is limited and requires a permit. Please use alternative transportation or use the UM Park n Ride!

Missoula Children and Nature Summit

University of Montana, Missoula
Wednesday and Thursday, February 11- 12, 2009

Over the past decade, children have had less and less contact with the natural world than generations of children before them. This loss of connections to the natural world has implications to the health and well-being of our children, as well as the future stewardship of our public lands. Richard Louv, author of the bestseller Last Child in the Woods, calls the condition “nature deficit disorder.” The Missoula Children and Nature Summit aims to raise awareness of this problem and explore solutions.

Introductions and Welcome by City of Missoula Mayor John Engen and James Burchfield, Dean of the College of Forestry and Conservation.

Guest Speaker, Rick Potts, of the National Park Service, will share his personal and professional observations and experiences related to “nature deficit” as a naturalized Montanan and the current director of the Conservation and Recreation Division of the National Park Service. Special Guests: Missoula’s Coyote Choir sings from recently released CD…. Sponsored by the Biomimicry Institutes.