Media & Culture News
International | Campaign/Initiative
Persil – July 18, 2008
Persil Promotes Free Play in UK Campaign
Persil, a well-known maker of laundry detergents in the UK, is touting the benefits of unstructured outdoor play in a new national campaign aimed at parents. The company surveyed mothers, a majority of whom agreed that society had lost sight of the importance of play in a child’s learning process. The “every child has the right” campaign includes a television commercial in which a robot becomes a boy when it ventures outdoors and a website with tips to help families make free play a priority once again.
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National
National Wildlife Federation
Great American Backyard Campout Set for June 28
With high gas prices keeping families closer to home this summer, it seems likely that fewer children will be chasing fireflies and sleeping under the stars. That fact alone gives the National Wildlife Federation’s fourth annual Great American Backyard Campout added relevance. 
The event, in which more than 40,000 people participated last year, is scheduled for June 28.
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Allies | Leadership
BassPro Video Game Trade-in; 15% off to Get Kids Out
By BassPro
BassPro announces one of the most innovative strategies we've seen to date for getting kids outdoors. This week, all around the country, kids and adults will be turning in their video games for a 15% discount off fishing gear, water sports items, tents, sleeping bags and footwear.
"One of the most exciting and invigorating places to go this summer is just beyond your front door," said Larry Whiteley, Bass Pro Shops Manager of Communications. "Bass Pro Shops is committed to helping adults and children across the nation put away their laptops, video games, PDAs and cell phones this summer and head outdoors.
Commentary
The Christian Science Monitor – May 22, 2008
Free-range kids
By Gloria Goodale
Journalist Lenore Skenazy has sparked a dialogue that's touched a nerve in the national psyche. Are American parents raising children who are never allowed to take risks, or are they simply protecting them? For a complicated mix of reasons there is an urgent and growing desire among families to reassess their lifestyles and consider a more balanced form of parenting, one that allows for more independence and risk-taking.
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Commentary
QUEST series focuses on Nature Deficit Disorder
On May 12, San Francisco's KQED Public Television series QUEST aired this special report on why we need nature, and efforts to encourage children to play outdoors.
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Commentary | Leadership
(Tacoma) News Tribune – March 13, 2008
Novel Ideas for Funding Nature Education
By Jeffrey P. Mayor
A conversation with Richard Louv prompted a Washington State journalist to consider new ways to fund nature education. One of methods proposed by columnist Jeffery P. Mayor is earmarking a portion of the fees generated by specialty license plates for a Washington Nature Education Fund. Another proposal would provide REI members with a simple way to donate all or some of their annual dividend checks to the education fund.
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National | Campaign/Initiative
National Wildlife Federation – March 14, 2008
National Wildlife Week’s 70th Anniversary
The National Wildlife Federation’s longest-running education program celebrates its 70th anniversary April 19-27. National Wildlife Week provides an opportunity for people of all ages to explore the outdoors by joining in the Nature Quest Wildlife Watch, an effort that involves searching for and identifying local plants and animals, then sharing news of those discoveries with others across the country. [+]
National
U.S. News & World Report – February 13, 2008
U.S. News & World Report Features Children & Nature
By Adam Voiland
In response to the recent Nature Conservancy report on the decline in outdoor recreation over the past few decades, U.S. News & World Report asked Richard Louv to discuss the reasons behind this trend and why reversing it is important. Also discussed in the interview are the benefits to children of spending time outdoors and how parents in urban areas can help their children connect with nature.
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National | Resource
Scientific American News – February 05, 2008
Scientific American: Are We Afraid of the Outdoors?
By David Biello
A new report on outdoor recreation trends is sending shock waves through the environmental community. The report, funded by the Nature Conservancy and just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, traces a steady decline over the past two decades in visits to national and state parks, in the number of people camping, and in the issuance of hunting and fishing licenses. Similar data on park visits in Japan and Spain suggest that this is an international problem.
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State | Resource
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle – December 19, 2007
New York Launches Outdoor Magazine for Kids
By Dan Osburn
Fourth-graders in New York State are the target of a new campaign to connect children with nature. As part of the state’s No Child Left Inside program, a magazine has been created that will eventually be distributed free to all of fourth-graders in public schools across the state. The premier issue, published this month, features an article on being a winter wildlife detective and a guide to animal tracks.
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Commentary
Idaho Statesman – December 23, 2008
Gift Ideas to Get Kids Outdoors
By Peter Zimowsky
Rather than waiting in line for the latest electronic gadget, parents should consider giving their children toys that encourage outdoor play. Writer Peter Zimowsky of the Idaho Statesman offers a number of suggestions, including compact binoculars and kid-sized fishing poles. He also reminds parents that giving an outdoors gift means committing to take their children fishing, hiking, birding, or sledding.
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Commentary
The Canadian Press – December 09, 2008
Removal of Nature Words from Dictionary Causes Uproar
A decision by the publisher of the Oxford Junior Dictionary to replace words like “beaver” and “dandelion” with “blog” and “MP3 player” has prompted some to react with outrage. As noted wildlife artist and conservationist Robert Bateman observed, “If you can’t name things, how can you love them? And if you don't love them, then you’re not going to care a hoot about protecting them or voting for issues that would protect them.” [+]
International
(London) Daily Mail – October 27, 2008
UK Parents: Our Children Are Overscheduled
A parenting survey of more than 2,000 British families has found that children’s play there is too structured and that children don’t have enough time to play by themselves. The survey, conducted by Persil’s Free Play Initiative, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents admitted that they always plan their children’s play and entertainment activities, rather than letting their children make up games such as “climbing trees, making mud pies, or simply having an imaginary friend.” [+]
International | Campaign/Initiative
Canwest News Service – August 10, 2008
Canada Launches “Get Out” TV Campaign
By Misty Harris
In an effort to combat nature-deficit disorder in children, Canada’s popular Hinterland Who’s Who television spots will soon feature a new message for kids and their parents. “The message is just to get out and see wildlife. It’s all around us,” says the Hinterland Who’s Who program manager. “We’re trying to get people to understand that it’s not that complicated.”
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International
(Glasgow) Herald – July 21, 2008
A UK Perspective on Computers and Outdoor Play
By Ron Ferguson
Concerns that children today lack sufficient opportunities to play freely outdoors are not limited to the United States. In the UK, more than half of parents surveyed believe that children now are being deprived of childhood. And as Scottish journalist Ron Ferguson argues, thinking that these children are safer indoors on the their computers than outdoors playing amongst themselves may be a mistake.
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National
NBC – July 16, 2008
Richard Louv, Nature Clubs on Today Show
NBC’s top-rated Today Show featured a report July 16 on nature-deficit disorder and one Virginia parent’s efforts to help other families connect with nature. Host Ann Curry then conducted an in-studio interview with Richard Louv, who summarized the benefits that nature can have on children and the Children & Nature Network’s ongoing work to help people form local nature clubs.
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C&NN has designated April "Children & Nature Awareness Month." As part of this effort, we invited network members (like you) to list their April programs and share their strategies for building public awareness. Find out what's happening in your community on the C&NN Movement Map.
As part of our ongoing efforts to build the movement, the Children & Nature Network has published two new resources for leaders, organizers, and participants at the local, national, and international levels:
An annotated bibliography of 20 premier studies focusing on the children and nature connection.
