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2008 Grassroots Gathering


Sense of Purpose Thrives at 2008 Grassroots Gathering

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More than 107 dedicated professionals from over 70 regions and all walks of life gathered in September to attend the second annual C&NN Gathering of Grassroots Leaders. Each year, leaders in the children and nature movement meet to participate in open forums, share information, and network. The theme of this year's conference, “Natural Connections: Tipping Points to Cultural Change,” was at the center of the 3-day dialogue.

One important addition to this year's event was the participation of emergent youth leaders. As part of C&NN's "Natural Leaders™" initiative, they came to the gathering to help develop and define the strategies and solutions for engaging youth and to ensure that their voices and values are a core component of the growing children and nature movement.

“This felt like a place where I could come and listen,” Alexis Sanford told the Natural Leaders, “a place where social change might happen. You guys are like a single nervous system in a powerful new body.”

The "Natural Leaders: Growing Youth Involvement" forum was one of ten break-out sessions that were held during the September conference at the Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska. Other sessions included "Designing and Building Naturally Better Play Spaces," "Connecting with Health Care Professionals," "Natural Allies: The Parent's Campaign," "Nature Clubs for Families," "Shinning a Light with More and New Allies," "Implementing the C&NN Community Action Guide".

On the final day of the gathering over 40 participants made a deeper commitment to participating year-round as members of the C&NN Grassroots Leadership Team Working Groups. These groups are dedicated to continuing the discussion and turning the ideas and recommendations proposed over the three day event into tools, strategies, resources, and new campaigns to support, inspire and fuel the children and nature movement.

Natural Leaders: Growing Youth Involvement

“We’ve got to get kids bringing in other kids. I have a daughter, and the kids at her school – if they think something is cool, then she’ll do it. I think we need some sort of ‘kids circle’, not us trying to get them involved, but the kids leading the effort.

imageWe need something that is run by youth, facilitated by youth, Let’s take kids who are already involved. Ask them to ‘map your bike trails, map your skiing trails.” -- Kina Murphy

Designing and Building Naturally Better Play Spaces

"A skinned knee or a twisted ankle in a challenging and exciting play environment is not only acceptable, it is a positive necessity to educate our children and to prepare them for a complex, dangerous world…as safe as necessary not as safe as possible…" -- Tom Mularkey, Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, United Kingdom.

Session participants made several recommendations for building better play spaces. Fight back the legislators, lawyers and standard setters. Risk assessment must be sensible. Better to put up with the occasional skinned knee or broken bone than obesity or diabetes. Long-term assessment must be built in better. Learning 'your limits' is an essential element of a child's learning.

Connecting with Health Care Professionals

"We need a list of “sneezers,” people in the community who will widely and quickly disseminate information."

Attendees listed what they would like to have in a tool kit for connecting with healthcare professionals. In addition to lists of "sneezers", the tool kit could contain; posters for MD offices, waiting rooms, or nature TV, in pdf format, with a place to add additional agency logos. lists of contacts that open doors – government, health, insurance, education, parks and recreation departments, and resource agencies; Power Points presentations; a best practices manual for a layperson for outdoor-healthy programs; a list of potential research/funding partners.

Nature Clubs for Families

“We talk about encouraging families to 'do it now, do it yourself.' How best to approach this? Shall we do how-to videos, or tool-kit on the Web site?" -- Richard Louv, C&NN chairman, opening the Insights and Ideas discussion session

Chip and Ashley of Roanoke, Virginia, described their introductions to nature and their family’s launch of "Kids in the Valley, Adventuring!" KIVA’s strategy to help families share excursions into the outdoors is an inspiration for C&NN’s Nature Clubs for Families initiative. “Our outcome, what we’re looking for, is. ‘Did everyone get home OK, and did they have a good time?’ ” -- Chip Donahue

Shining a Light with More and New Allies

Which networks do we need to engage to reach the tipping points for cultural change? “Family” networks to establish best practices and sharing information; outreach networks to get more people involved; networks for funding and finding financial support; networks for political influence.