Campaign/Initiative News
National
National Wildlife Federation – August 25, 2008
New NWF Program Encourages Families to Make Tracks
The National Wildlife Federation has created a program that encourages families to discover and reconnect with nature with the first annual Make Tracks Family Trail Weekend. Scheduled for the three-day weekend that starts October 11, the program is part of the federation’s Green Hour campaign, which urges parents to give their kids a daily dose of nature. [+]
State
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – July 16, 2008
Pennsylvania’s Outdoor Task Force Submits Report
The Pennsylvania task force created last year to find ways for reconnecting people with nature has submitted to the governor a report outlining its recommendations. The report proposes more than 40 action items, the most notable of which is the establishment of a Governor’s Commission on People and Outdoor Connections. [+]
International | Media & Culture
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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State
(Huntington) Herald-Dispatch – June 01, 2008
Another Statewide Effort to Reconnect Kids with Nature
Ohio joins the ranks of states trying to reconnect children with nature. As part of its summer Explore the Outdoors challenge, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources recently distributed nearly 800,000 activity guides to public school students. The activities described in the guides include fishing and hiking, and students who complete eight or more of these activities before September 1 are eligible for prizes. [+]
National | Access
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
News 14 Carolina – March 06, 2008
North Carolina Zoo Conference Urges Kids to Get Outside
By Ed Scannell
In March 2008, North Carolina Zoo was the site of a conference aimed at promoting outdoor play and reconnecting the state's children with nature. Organizers brought together teachers, health professionals and people from private industry and government; people they believe can help reverse the trend in North Carolina. "The results from this will be children who are healthier, children who can learn better and children who have a much [greater] sense of belonging in the world," said Kathy Bull of the N.C. Zoological Society.
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State
(San Luis Obispo) Tribune – March 30, 2008
Putting California’s Outdoor Bill of Rights into Action
By Bob Cuddy
A year after California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights, various public and private agencies find themselves trying to incorporate the bill’s principles into their programs for young people. In San Luis Obispo, local park directors and others have been meeting in an effort to ensure that, as the bill states, each child between four and fourteen has an opportunity to explore nature and camp under the stars.
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State
Voices – March 29, 2008
Connecticut’s Great Park Pursuit Returns
The Great Park Pursuit, a central element of Connecticut’s No Child Left Inside initiative returns this spring for its third season. The contest takes Connecticut families to seven different state parks and forests over the course of two months, and at each location teams take part in activities such as hiking and fishing. Participating families then become eligible for prizes of outdoor equipment donated by local retailers.
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National | Media & Culture
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. [+]
State
South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks
South Dakota Launches No Child Left Inside Campaign
South Dakota’s Game, Fish & Parks division is encouraging children to spend more time outside exploring the natural world through its No Child Left Inside program. The program’s website offers a list of ideas for seasonal outdoor activities, links to other nature resources, and information for groups interested in helping connect children with nature on applying for small No Child Left Inside grants. [+]
State
Washington State Parks – January 01, 2008
$1.5 Million Available for Outdoor Youth Programs in Washington
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is encouraging public and private groups dedicated to connecting children with nature to apply for $1.5 million in grants. Participation in the program and support for it are critical to ensure future funds. The deadline for applications is February 27. [+]
National
Mail Tribune (of Southern Oregon) – January 02, 2008
BLM Tells People to Take It Outside
By Paul Fattig
A new initiative by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management aims to improve the physical and mental health of children by educating them about the environment and actually getting them outdoors. “Take It Outside: Connect with Your Public Lands” is a nationwide effort with activities organized at the local level. In southern Oregon, the Bureau is already working with area parks, universities, and youth groups, among others, to coordinate events.
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Allies
Danville Register & Bee – December 11, 2007
NASCAR Driver Laments Nature-Deficit Disorder
By Denice Thibodeau
The children and nature movement has found an unlikely ally in NASCAR driver Ward Burton. At the Governor’s Forum on Land Conservation in Southern Virginia, Burton told the nearly 200 attendees that children today are suffering from nature-deficit disorder because they are not connected to the outdoors. The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation supports conservation efforts and youth education programs to help counter this trend.
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State
Competitor Magazine – July 06, 2007
Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights Supported by Governator
This past week (Friday, July 6), Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a proclamation supporting the California Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights which includes ten easy and fun things that every child should have the opportunity to experience between the ages of four and 14, including to: discover California's past, splash in the water, play in a safe place, camp under the stars, explore nature, learn to swim, play on a team, follow a trail, catch a fish and celebrate their heritage.
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National | Access
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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Local
Standing-Room-Only Spells Success
By Mary Roscoe
How did a team of six spread the word to draw a standing-room-only crowd of 800+ to the launch of their local Leave No Child Inside initiative? What can we borrow from their success as we reach out and engage our community on this issue?
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International | Access
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.” [+]
Allies | Education
The Learning Community – September 26, 2008
Student Letter Leads to $110,000 Grant from Lowe’s
A letter last year from a fourth-grader at a public charter school in Rhode Island inspired executives at Lowe’s to award the school a $110,000 grant to build a new playground. The student, Bernardo Garcia, wrote hoping the company would donate grass to turn a parking lot into a soccer field. Instead, his letter has resulted in a custom-designed playground that combines traditional climbing equipment and natural environments.
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International | Media & Culture
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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State
Marshall News Messenger – July 06, 2008
Texas Parks Host Seminars for Parents
By Steve Bandy
The Texas Forest Service is launching a seminar series for parents that explores the importance of nature in children’s lives. The three-part Nature Realized: Connecting Your Children to the Land will cover topics such as the physical and emotional benefits of nature for children, the differences between free and structured play, and the dangers, real and perceived, of letting children roam outdoors. “If we can reach the influential adults in a child’s life, we can build a conservation ethic in today’s children and sustain their excitement for the outdoors,” says one organizer.
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State | Access
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 | Access
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.” [+]
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.
