State News
Education | Campaign/Initiative
EastBayRI.com – November 25, 2009
Rhode Island Audubon Receives Federal Grant for Education
By Michael Yoder
U.S. Senator Jack Reed recently visited the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Environmental Education Center in Bristol to award a $143,000 federal grant to the society to provide instructional opportunities for students with limited economic resources. The money will be used in the Audubon’s Environmental Education for Urban Schools Initiative to bring 4,500 students yearly from schools throughout the state.
[+]
Event | Leadership
First Ever Youth Congress on Children and Nature Held in Wyoming
The First Wyoming Youth Congress on Children and Nature was held at Teton Science Schools in Jackson, WY on October 15-18, 2009. Students representing Wyoming’s 48 school districts were invited to convene in a structured setting to voice opinions, share visions, and identify new ideas related to their connection to the outdoors. These youth leaders were empowered to effect change across the state of Wyoming by inspiring other youth, parents, teachers, and decision-makers to take action.
[+]
Campaign/Initiative
Seacoast Online – October 04, 2009
New Hampshire Get Out and Play Weekend a Model for Others
By Beth LaMontagne Hall
Communities looking for ways to reconnect children with nature would be well-advised to follow New Hampshire's lead. The state's Get Out and Play weekend, sponsored by the New Hampshire Children in Nature Coalition, featured a variety of events in many locations intended to introduce children to the joys of playing outdoors.
[+]
Access | Leadership
The (Connecticut) Day – September 10, 2009
Connecticut Appointee Vows to Continue No Child Left Inside Efforts
By Judy Benson
Amey Marrella, nominated by Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell to be the state’s new commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, has vowed to maintain a commitment to state parks and to the No Child Left Inside Initiative begun by her predecessor, Gina McCarthy, to foster a love of the outdoors and outdoor activities among young people.
[+]
Event
National League of Cities – May 27, 2009
Charles Stresses Children and Nature at Texas Summit
By Michael Karpman
More than 40 Texas mayors, council members, city managers, and senior municipal staff convened recently for the Mayors’ Summit for Children and Families of North Texas. The event provided local officials with an opportunity to learn and share best practices from cities in Texas and communities throughout the nation. The Children & Nature Network’s Cheryl Charles addressed the group, emphasizing the importance of connecting children to nature and ensuring that they have adequate time outdoors.
[+]
Legislation/Policy
WREX - Rockford Illinois – February 26, 2009
Quinn Reverses Blago Decision, Reopens Seven State Parks
By Samantha Ptashkin
On February 26, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn gave the order to reopen seven state parks. Quinn said in a news conference, "We have perhaps among children and adults and everybody in our state a 'nature-deficit disorder' and we've got to cure that ailment and there's one way to do it. All of us have to get outside."
[+]
Legislation/Policy
New State DNR Chief Has Long-Standing Love of Outdoors
Mark Miller's father and grandfather taught him that if he took care of nature, nature would take care of him. Miller, appointed by Governor Quinn to head the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, has two main goals during his tenure: to increase outdoor opportunities of all kinds and to get more young people outside.
“We spent a lot of my early childhood (on the farm). It was a wonderful place to connect with the land.”
[+]
Education | Event
Texas Parks and Wildlife – February 25, 2010
North Texas Parks to Offer Camping Classes
Five state parks in north Texas will host Texas Outdoor Family workshops this spring to familiarize families with the outdoors and teach them how to tent camp, cook outdoors, and get the most out of their outdoor experience. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department program is designed to combat nature-deficit disorder, and it has taught hundreds of families throughout the state since its start in 2008. [+]
Education
Jamestown (RI) Press – February 18, 2010
Environmental Charter School to Open in Rhode Island
By Eileen M. Daley
Inspired by Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods, educators in Rhode Island are creating a new charter high school open to students from across the state. The curriculum at the Greene School will focus on environmental research in a real-world setting while still meeting or exceeding all of the state education requirements, as well as standard college admission requirements.
[+]
Education
Washington Country (FL) News – February 18, 2010
Florida Wants Network of Youth Conservation Centers
Members of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission would like to establish a statewide network of conservation centers that will provide opportunities for young people to participate in outdoor activities and strengthen their connections with and support for fish and wildlife conservation. As one commissioner put it, "We hope to create the next generation of outdoor recreation enthusiasts and conservationists who will continue the work of protecting our wildlife and natural habitats." [+]
Access | Campaign/Initiative
Texas Parks and Wildlife – September 01, 2009
Texas Parks and Wildlife Promotes Family Nature Clubs
By Bernadette Noll
The latest issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine features a primer on family nature clubs and a step-by-step guide for those interested in forming one. “By joining forces and forging a simple path to the outdoors many families have discovered that getting out on a trail or park or other natural setting is the best way to connect—not only with nature but with friends and family as well!”
[+]
Education | Campaign/Initiative
Illinois Department of Nature Resources – September 03, 2009
Illinois Starts Interactive Calendar for Outdoor Youth Events
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has unveiled a new interactive tool to keep families informed about outdoor youth activities going on throughout the state. The new online calendar features descriptions and information about hundreds of youth activities happening at state parks and other areas across Illinois. [+]
Follow us on Twitter
Become a fan
Read our blog
Join us on NING
Sign up for News
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:
