Eco‑literate children can be stewards of nature. Here's how to boost environmental education

Most of my ecology and evolution undergraduates have never held a pair of binoculars or looked at a bug through a magnifying glass.

They don't know how to use a key to identify a plant or insect, let alone why they should bother.

They struggle to name common garden birds.

They expect to learn about biodiversity from behind the safety of a computer screen.

Fieldwork is considered a luxury or an inconvenience, depending on your tolerance for rain. ...