Mary Brown, a past member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Pediatrics, writes, “If we stress a connection to [the outdoors thing] . . . we can lessen the [lifelong effects] of a stressful childhood including depression, obesity, behavior problems, drug use and [risk-taking behavior].” Some pediatricians are so impressed by these studies that they’re [plugging] Vitamin N (for nature).

Nature is no [panacea] , but it offers balance. The more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need. Nature-oriented summer camps should be available for [all our little ankle biters], no matter their parents’ income.