Access News
National | Resource
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – October 21, 2008
EPA Video Explores the Value of Urban Wetlands
The film focuses on urban and suburban wetlands as valuable resources to be restored, protected, and enjoyed. These places, often the only remnants of the natural world in developed areas, can play a key role in connecting people to nearby nature—thereby improving the health of our children and our communities. [+]
National
PRWeb – June 11, 2008
New Car-Sharing Program Helps Youth Reach Nature
Bay Area Wilderness Training and City CarShare are making it easier and more affordable for youth educators to take groups of kids on outdoor excursions. BAWT recently purchased two all-wheel-drive minivans, each capable of carrying up to seven people, for the City CarShare fleet. The hope is that making these “BAWTmobiles” available for short-term use will help youth educators avoid the legal, administrative, and financial hurdles that often prevent field trips.
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National | Campaign/Initiative
Sierra announces $23 million in support for Military Family Outdoor (MFO) Initiative
The Military Family Outdoor (MFO) Initiative, a joint project of the Sierra Club and The Sierra Club Foundation, today announced a three-year grant of up to $23 million, provided by generous donors to support three organizations that provide returning veterans and their families with healing, life-affirming outdoor experiences in the natural world.
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State
The Pioneer Press – February 17, 2008
Ice Fishing Weekend Hooks Young Minnesotans
By Chris Niskanen
State and local officials in Minnesota are trying to determine how best to respond to a series of studies showing that an increasing number of the state’s young people have little or no interest in the outdoors. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has taken the lead in trying to reverse this trend. Among its efforts are new mentoring and access programs to recruit young anglers and hunters, including the Take-A-Kid Ice Fishing Weekend in February.
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Local | Education
KQED Radio – November 20, 2007
KQED Radio Features a Local Cure for Nature-Deficit Disorder
By Gabriella Quiros
A new program in San Francisco is introducing the city’s low-income youth to the pleasures of camping outdoors—without leaving the city itself. Developed by a collection of nonprofits, Camping at the Presidio aims to overcome the barriers that traditionally keep urban youth from visiting national parks: costs and a lack of exposure to camping. Eligible groups sleep overnight in a grove of eucalyptus trees, right within the city limits.
Quest is a TV, radio, Web, and education series by KQED that explores science, the environment, and nature in Northern California.
National | Campaign/Initiative
the Atlanta Journal Constitution – April 27, 2007
Sierra Club a camp booster: Donation to aid children in military families
By Gerry Smith
The Sierra Club announced it will donate more than $1 million to send military children to Operation Purple camps across the country. For one week this summer, children will kayak along the Broad River, learn the history of the Cherokee Indians and roast marshmallows with other children who know what it feels like to have a parent in the military.
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International
LiveMint – December 11, 2008
A Call for More Open Spaces for Kids in India
By Himanshu Burte
In a recent article, the architect and writer Himanshu Burte laments the lack of public spaces in India where children can play. “Our cities are expanding, filling up, going higher, and digging down,” he notes. “But have we left our kids behind in the rush?”
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Research & Studies
The Independent (UK) – November 07, 2008
Study Finds Access to Nature Improves Health
By Steve Connor
Researchers in the UK have found that living near parks and woodland boosts health, regardless of a person’s social class. It’s the first time anyone has systematically shown that the health gap between rich and poor can be decreased with the help of green spaces. The researchers hope their findings will influence planning authorities to consider making green spaces available on grounds of health and well-being.
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International | Campaign/Initiative
International Mountain Biking Association – October 29, 2008
Bike Group Introduces Gateway Trails
The International Mountain Biking Association is launching a new initiative to build what it calls "gateway trails" to broaden the recreational options available to families in urban and suburban communities. The IMBA hopes the new trail systems will “inspire kids to explore the natural world and lead to positive associations with exercise.” [+]
State | Campaign/Initiative
The Oregonian – June 12, 2008
Oregon Looks for Ways to Interest Youth in Fishing
By Catherine Trevison
The number of Oregon teenagers who fish has dropped by nearly half over the last three decades. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has been working to reverse this trend, and this year it proposed creating a series of special youth-only fisheries. Not all anglers, though, support the effort.
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State | Campaign/Initiative
Florida Department of Environmental Protection – June 25, 2008
Florida Pushes Nature Connection with Free Parks
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new campaign to reconnect children and families with nature. To promote the effort, the DEP is waiving admission to all 161 Florida state parks on Sunday, July 13. In the words of Florida State Parks Director Mike Bullock, “Establishing a healthy relationship with nature during childhood is a valuable habit that will benefit individuals and society as a whole for years.” [+]
Commentary
USA Today – June 27, 2008
Author Advocates Free Play in USA Today
By Nanci Hellmich
Susan Linn, author of the book The Case for Make Believe: Saving Play in a Commercialized World, discusses the importance of unstructured play in a recent interview with USA Today. Beyond simply advising parents to make sure their children have play time away from the television and electronic toys, she specifically recommends taking kids outdoors. “Children actually play more creatively in nature,” she says.
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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.
