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(New Jersey) Star-Ledger – March 23, 2008
New Jersey Audubon Invites Kids to “Try Nature”
By Fred J. Aun
The New Jersey Audubon Society is conducting a new outreach campaign during the month of April to encourage what it calls “enlightened nature-based discovery.” The effort includes activities designed especially for children and families, such as Skunk Cabbage Safaris and Salamander Searches. Vouchers for free enrollment are being made available online.
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Education
Salt Lake Tribune – March 19, 2008
High Demand for Nature Education in Four Corners
By Tom Wharton
Interest in outdoor education in the Four Corners region is on the upswing, with field schools and nature programs in places like Zion and Albuquerque reporting a high demand for their offerings. The director of the Canyonlands Field Institute in Moab credits “a national groundswell of getting youth outdoors” for the increased interest.
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Resource
Texas Parks & Wildlife – February 29, 2008
A Texas-Sized Effort to Promote Outdoor Play
By Dyanne Fry Cortez, Wendee Holtcamp, and Bernadette Noll
The March issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine offers a helping hand to anyone interested in connecting children with nature. The cover story—“50 Ways to Get Kids Hooked on the Outdoors”—features suggestions for everything from building butterfly gardens to staging nature treasure hunts. The article also explains some of the benefits experiencing nature can have on childhood development.
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Access
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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Campaign/Initiative
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. [+]
Education
National Public Radio – February 05, 2008
NPR Visits High School in the Vermont Woods
By Larry Abramson
National Public Radio recently paid a visit to the Walden Project, an alternative education program in the Vermont wilderness that features a curriculum based on environmental studies and the teachings of Henry David Thoreau. And while many of the students taking part in the program are doing so because they were having difficulties in high school, the Walden Project participants are, in fact, more likely to attend college than students at the traditional high school.
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Natural Leader Tamara Poles and Virginia Museum of Natural History are Putting People Back in Touch with Nature
Nearly 13,000 people have taken part in 247 programs of the Community Nature Initiative. [+]
TRACK Trails Offer Nationwide Weapon Against Nature-Deficit Disorder
New interpretive trail system for kids comes to U.S. national parks. [+]
Applications Open for 2012 TogetherGreen Fellowships and Innovation Grants
Audubon & Toyota seek to fund promising conservation leaders and community-based projects. [+]
“No Child Left Ashore” Movement Makes Waves
SF Bay Area's Pegasus Project gets students out on the water, where transformations occur. [+]
Play England Calls for Support to Help Kids Play Outside
Research shows that 21% of children play outdoors daily, compared to 71% during their parents'… [+]
A Healing Place for Children
C&NN Founding Chair Richard Louv consulting on new children's treatment center in MN, which is… [+]
National Kids to Parks Day Set for May 19
Nationwide day of outdoor play organized by National Park Trust. Classroom contest ends March 1. [+]
Chevy Chase, MD, Preschool Encourages Learning Outside the Box
Preschoolers spend at least half a day outside in woods, in all seasons. [+]
Study: Preschoolers Need to Get a Move On
Most pre-school children spend hours doing sedentary activities instead of playing outside, research has shown. [+]
Help Connect Children & Nature.
C&NN Web BadgesC&NN Synthesis of Research and Studies
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[+] Research & Studies Vol. 1
[+] Research & Studies Vol. 2
[+] Research & Studies Vol. 3
[+] Research & Studies Vol. 4
Nature Clubs for Families Tool Kit
Download the Tool Kit [>]
The Tool Kit includes a Quick Start Guide with simple instructions on how to start a local Nature Club for Families.
Newsletter Archive
JAN 31 – News and Updates
JAN 12 – News and Updates
DEC 22 – News and Updates
DEC 6 – Ecology of Hope
NOV 22 – Natural Families News
NOV 10 – News and Updates
NOV 1 – 2011 Report Outs
OCT 6 – Natural Teachers News
SEPT 8 – APOCALYPSE NO
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C&NN Publications
As part of our ongoing efforts to build the movement, the Children & Nature Network has published these resources for leaders, organizers, and participants at the local, national, and international levels:
2010 C&NN Report
[>] Download PDF [2MB]
Children and Nature 2009: A Report on the Movement to Reconnect Children to the Natural World
[>] Download PDF [1.1MB]
C&NN Community Action Guide: Building the Children & Nature Movement from the Ground Up
[>] Download PDF [1.4MB]
