In 2009 Richard Louv published a book called ‘Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder’.  This made quite an impact in the UK.  The author argued that lack of contact with the natural world is causing physical and mental harm to a whole generation of children. Since the 1970’s, the distance from home that today’s youngsters are allowed to play has been shown to have declined by 90% and today less than 10% of children today play in natural places such as woodlands, countryside and heaths, when compared with 40% of children 30–40 years ago.

UK research has also shown that there is also a “disparity in children’s access to high quality natural environments. All children benefit from opportunities provided by access to outdoor space but these benefits
are not equally distributed. Whilst children have universal rights and needs, poverty places severe limits upon the extent to which they can be recognised” (Thomas and Thompson, 2004).  Eadha are working to secure new sites close to neighbourhoods to establish new community woodlands which will provide the local natural refuges of the future.