The basic connection between humans and nature has been continually weakened as we move deeper into a fast-paced and technological age. Children and youth, especially, are bombarded by these advances and are now experiencing "nature deficit disorder." This new term, coined by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, basically describes the "disconnect" from the grounding and interconnectedness humans once experienced with our earth. The simple act of communing with an animal - having a chicken sit happily in a person's lap and not flap away -- having a horse walk across the pasture to hang its head over the fence so it can see a visitor more closely - these are the moments that become "magic," the moments where defenses are let down and the business of healing can begin.
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