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Chicago Wilderness is an alliance of more than 230 public and private organizations working together to protect the Chicago region's natural spaces, help conserve the diversity of plants and animals, and enrich local residents' quality of life. Chicago Wilderness launched Leave No Child Inside in 2007 to ensure that all of the  children in the region have an opportunity to be outside in nature, enjoy the health benefits of that exposure, and become stewards of our natural resources.

Richard Louv's 2005 book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, calls attention to the role of nature in healthy child development. The book has mobilized groups across the country into a nationwide movement dedicated to reconnecting kids and nature.

Chicago Wilderness members are uniquely qualified to connect children and families to nature:

• We offer many programs to build this connection, from teacher training to student education programs. For example, the Mighty Acorns program empowers more than 6,000 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders every year to restore their local native environment.
• We have wild places: a network of nearly 360,000 acres of forests, prairies, savannas, wetlands, lakes and other protected open spaces.
• Our members have expertise in place-based environmental education, child development, and conservation psychology, and the ability to reach millions of children.