Touch of Nature Environmental Center serves Southern Illinois University Carbondale as an outdoor laboratory for experiential learning, as a field site for research, and as a provider of therapeutic recreation, environmental education, outdoor adventure, personal and interpersonal development programs, and conference services.

The mission of Touch of Nature Environmental Center is to enhance learning, promote professional development, encourage personal and interpersonal development, and increase environmental awareness by providing high quality leisure education, outdoor, educational, research, and experiential programs, and conference services and facilities to the University and the larger community.

In 1949, Southern Illinois University President, Dr. Delyte W. Morris, envisioned the establishment of an outdoor laboratory to support the educational mission of the University. In 1951, under the guidance of its first director, Dr. William H. Freeberg, Little Grassy Camp began operating on 150 acres acquired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The initial program, now known as "Camp Little Giant," has the distinction of being recognized as the nation's first university-affiliated residential camping program for people with disabilities.

Today, Little Grassy Camp is known as Touch of Nature Environmental Center. It lies on 3,100 acres of primarily forested land located on the shore of Little Grassy Lake—eight miles south of Carbondale and the University campus, and is bordered by Giant City State Park, the Shawnee National Forest, and the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge.