The purpose of the Foundation is to promote the preservation and sustainability of the environment by:
- Establishing and maintaining an art gallery to perpetuate, protect, enhance and promote the artistic and cultural legacy of nature-inspired artists, including Robert Bateman.
- Supporting or developing educational programs relating to the environment and nature-inspired artists.
Robert Bateman is already aligned with child-in-nature philosophies. He is associated in the public mind with pro-nature education by his work, writings and public speaking. He is widely regarded by the national and international conservation community as a “hero” because of his lifelong support and clearly articulated perspective. He is a natural and gregarious teacher and his artwork is vastly instructive. Finally, Robert Bateman is perceived by many to be one of the voices of reason and hope for healthy, rejuvenated and creative engagement with the natural world:
From the beginning of time we have been connected to nature, but for the first time in history, that connection threatens to be broken for most of an entire generation and perhaps generations to come. When children play in nature – climb trees, build forts and dams in creeks and go exploring – here is what happens: they have less obesity, less likelihood of developing attention deficit disorder, lower rates of depression and suicide, less alcohol and drug abuse, less bullying, plus, they get higher marks…nature is magic.
