Education News
Local
New York Times – November 29, 2009
New York Times Draws Attention to Forest Kindergarten
By Liz Leyden
Schools around the country have been planting gardens and planning ever more elaborate field trips in hopes of reconnecting children with nature. The forest kindergarten at the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs is one of a handful in the United States that are taking that concept to another level: its 23 pupils spend three hours each day outside regardless of the weather.
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Local
Hurlburt Field – November 19, 2009
Outdoor Classroom Sets New Standard for Military
By Joe McFadden
The outdoor classroom of Florida's Hurlburt Field Youth Center recently became the first certified Nature Explore classroom in the Air Force. The Nature Explore Classroom Certification Program is a national initiative that recognizes schools and other organizations that have made a commitment to providing outdoor classrooms and comprehensive programming to help children use the natural world as an integral part of learning.
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Research & Studies
City of Cambridge – November 24, 2009
Cambridge Task Force Releases Playground Report
The City of Cambridge Healthy Parks and Playgrounds Task Force has released its findings in the form of a 30-page report. The task force was created to explore the role of parks and playgrounds in the health, learning, and overall development of children, and the ways in which they support strong families and communities. It was charged with creating recommendations for new and innovative approaches to the design and operation of future public parks and playgrounds. [+]
State | 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.
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National | Campaign/Initiative
National Parks Traveler – October 24, 2009
Rocky Mountain Video Asks, Who Will Care for Parks Tomorrow?
By Kurt Repanshek
A new video produced by the Rocky Mountain Nature Association is part of a $10 million campaign to create a next-generation endowment that will fund in perpetuity education programs in the park. Narrated by Bill Kurtis, the video introduces viewers to the park and raises an important question: Who will care for Rocky Mountain National Park, and the other parks, after the Baby Boomers fade away?
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National | Campaign/Initiative
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – August 27, 2009
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Launches Video Game for Kids
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has launched a new online video game that aims to encourage kids to go outside and learn about the environment. Designed for children ages 8 to 11, Neighborhood Explorers features information on planting gardens, backyard birding, urban wildlife, endangered species, and conservation. It also rewards kids for documenting environmental projects and local wildlife in their area. [+]
Commentary | Health | Media & Culture
CBS News – August 06, 2009
CBS Puts Spotlight on Nature-Deficit Disorder
Watch CBS Videos Online
Jonathan Dorn, editor-in-chief of Backpacker magazine, made a recent appearance on The Early Show to discusses the best places in the country for raising an outdoor kid. In doing so, Dorn provided a succinct definition of nature-deficit disorder and offered advice on how city dwellers can help their children connect with nature.
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National | Health | Resource
Children, Youth and Environments Center for Research and Design – July 28, 2009
Fact Sheet Summarizes Benefits of Gardening for Children
Third- to fifth-grade students who participated in a one-year gardening program showed a significant increase in self-understanding and the ability to work in groups compared to nonparticipating students. That’s one of the many findings summarized in a new fact sheet on the benefits of gardening for children published by the Children, Youth and Environments Center for Research and Design at the University of Colorado at Denver. [+]
National
Targeting “tweens,” the U.S. Forest Service and Ad Council launch national campaign
The campaign primarily aims to reach "tweens" (children ages 8-12) and their parents. The goal is to encourage children to get outside and experience nature first-hand, instilling a life-long love for nature by fostering a connection with urban and national forests. [+]
International
Sunday Times (London) – April 26, 2009
Outdoor Preschools Gain Notice in UK
By Lucy Denyer
The Sunday Times of London recently reported on the Farley Outdoor Learning nursery in Wiltshire, one of a handful of preschools springing up in the UK that emphasize getting children outdoors. The report describes parents who send their children to the school as part of a “global movement of people who are starting to realize that keeping children cooped up indoors all day simply isn’t healthy.”
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CATEGORY 1 | Access
Bethesda Magazine – January 17, 2012
Chevy Chase, MD, Preschool Encourages Learning Outside the Box
By April Witt
Preschoolers spend at least half a day outside in woods, in all seasons.
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SECTIONS | Press Release | Research & Studies | CATEGORY 1 | Health
C&NN – January 11, 2012
Announcing Two New Research-Based Resources!
By C&NN
C&NN updates two popular publications, linking children's outdoor contact with education and health benefits.
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SECTIONS | Feature | CATEGORY 1
Northern Express – December 15, 2011
Outdoor Ed: Playing in Mud is OK at HumaNature School
By Erin Crowell
MI school for people of all ages based on WA's Wilderness Awareness School.
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SECTIONS | Regional Updates | State | CATEGORY 1 | Access
The Hutchinson News – December 17, 2011
Last Child on the Prairie
By Amy Bickel
Teachers, others work to get Kansas kids outside.
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CATEGORY 1
NEEF – December 14, 2011
NEEF Announces Planet Connect Student Grants for High Schoolers
By NEEF
Applications due February 1, 2012 for wildlife conservation projects.
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CATEGORY 1
O.C. Metro – December 15, 2011
Orange County, CA, Dept. of Education’s Inside the Outdoors Honored by State
By Caitlin Adams
Inside the Outdoors program recognized with Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award.
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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. [+]
C&NN Synthesis of Research and Studies
[+] Introduction
[+] 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
[+] view full archive
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]


