Today's elementary schools are generally inflexible and uninspiring places for learning that are disconnected from their community and nature. Facilities and teaching methods do not keep up with evolving workforce needs and varying learning styles (Stanbury 2009). Organized sports, limited free time and standardized testing steal the zest out of childhood discovery once felt by those who grew up with a connection to their surroundings, especially nature. Adverse effects are seen as a result. Nature-deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished...