Noticing: Intimate Encounters With the Natural World

by Richard Louv

The internationally bestselling author of Last Child in the Woods seeks a deeper personal connection to nature during this time of ecoanxiety and upheaval by exploring his own backyard
 
Long beloved for his insightful, inspiring nature writing, Richard Louv returns with his most personal book yet. Noticing is about discovering who you are by exploring the natural world. Louv shows how, by tapping into the thirty or more human senses we have, readers can develop skills––sensory, scientific, artistic, and spiritual––to see and experience the otherworlds of nature.

Through personal essays, rich with descriptions of the California wilderness around his home in the most biodiverse county in the nation, Louv draws on wisdom from influences as far-reaching as neuroscience, nature photography, Indigenous traditions, and mindfulness to foster what he calls "bioenchantment.” He offers a new, deeper understanding of what it means to see a tree, know a fox, and to become fully human.
 

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2026

About the author

Richard Louv, recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal, is the author of seven books, including Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle. The chairman of the Children & Nature Network (www.cnaturenet.org), he is also honorary co-chair of the National Forum on Children and Nature. He has written for the San Diego Union-Tribune, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, and other newspapers and magazines. He has appeared on The Early Show, Good Morning America, Today, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, NPRs Morning Edition, Fresh Air, Talk of the Nation, and many other programs. For more information, visit www.lastchildinthewoods.com.

Reviews

[skip thurnauer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much of Noticing is set around Volcan Mountain, northwest of San Diego. Richard Louv brings together an array of people to explore our relationship with nature. It begins with “deep noticing”…, “an accumulation of old, new, and still developing skills - sensory, scientific, artistic, and spiritual.” He invites people representing these skills and others on his adventure in noticing - “the beginning of wonder.” His guests included a number of artists, writers, naturalists, ecologists, folks who seem to be highly tuned into our natural environment. Many of us are probably limiting our ability to interact with nature, either intentionally or unintentionally, a theme addressed in his earlier book, “Last Child in the Woods”. Many of the people featured in the book display a high level of sensitivity to nature, employing not only the five senses we usually recognize, but others as well like balance, temperature, pain, and proprioception (awareness of body in space), and chronoception (the subjective experience of time passing). How do we apply these senses to the natural world and how do plants and animals experience them? While I enjoy experiencing nature with all of my senses (at least the 5 most of us recognize), I admit, some of the observations stretched my levels of appreciation. “Can slime molds think?” Slime molds can be kept as pets. “Physarum poloycephalum is very easy to keep, it’s harmless and undemanding…” And cheap to feed and no vet bills. “Noticing” is a very touchy-feely book and I suppose that’s part of the message. You don’t have to live near Volcano Mountain to “deep notice” nature. We are lucky here in Colorado to be so close to such a wide array of flora and fauna, but one can commune with nature anywhere. Just unleash your senses and enjoy.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you notice when you're in nature?

The natural world has much to teach us, if we only slow down long enough to pay attention. We can notice seasonal variations, patterns, and so much more.

Throughout this book, Louv interweaves his experiences with parts of the natural world with those of others. He encourages all to slow down, spend time in nature, wonder about what we see, and more. Take time to marvel at the way an insect molts. Watch a butterfly emerge from a cocoon. Listen to the loud chirps of tiny tree frogs.

I love spending time in nature, and this book inspired me. I've been a fan of the author since I read Last Child in the Woods nearly two decades ago.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who values nature, and especially to those who don't.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for ways to connect with nature, Louv shares many great ones in this book. Through both personal stories and practical tips, he shows readers different paths to develop a deeper connection with nature - and to learn more about yourself along the way. It's guidance that's so valuable in this disconnected, digital age and I think many readers will gain something from it (and feel inspired to go meet a tree).

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a self-described tree hugging Forest bather, a certified sylvotherapist, and a lover of nature.. I knew I would enjoy this book! It really is all about slowing down and paying attention. I use the phrase wander and wonder. Throughout the book the author shares personal anecdotes, hints and tips. It can get a little technical at times but overall I very much enjoyed this book!

[Collette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful journey that reframes the way in which we see the world around us, and in turn, ourselves. I was moved to tears at the ending...sadness and hope co-mingling with a renewed commitment to being a good steward of our natural world. What a gift!

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars bc I'm finished and I want to read it again but there is a hold on it (Libby audiobook).

[Mary K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Isaiah Rinaldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. would consider re listening at some point. essays on noticing what is around you and connecting with nature. a bit heavy on references to other work but a good collection.