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Campaign/Initiative News


State | Education

EastBayRI.com – November 25, 2009

Rhode Island Audubon Receives Federal Grant for Education

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. [+]

National | Education

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? [+]

State

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. [+]

National | Access

The White House – September 25, 2009

Obama Declares September 26 National Public Lands Day

President Obama has signed a proclamation declaring September 26, 2009, National Public Lands Day. In the words of the proclamation, this is "an opportunity for all Americans, young and old, to celebrate the majesty of our open spaces and devote our collective efforts to conserving our Nation's unique landscapes." And, "Today, we affirm our resolve to conserve these cherished spaces for our enjoyment and for that of future generations." [+]

National

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences – September 10, 2009

Take a Child Outside Week Starts September 24

Take a Child Outside Week, a program designed to help break down obstacles that keep children from discovering the natural world, takes place this year starting September 24. The program is an initiative of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and is held in cooperation with partner organizations across the U.S. and Canada. [+]

Allies | Media & Culture

MarketWatch – September 22, 2009

The North Face Launches Website to Connect People with the Outdoors

The North Face Launches Website to Connect People with the Outdoors

Outdoor retailer The North Face has announced the Bay Area launch of PlanetExplore, a new online community that aims to connect people to the outdoors by serving as a hub for outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, climbing, and running in their area. As part of PlanetExplore, The North Face has partnered with the Children & Nature Network, Outward Bound, the Sierra Club, and other organizations that promote outdoor participation. Later in 2009, PlanetExplore will launch in Denver and New York City.
[+]

National | Education

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – August 27, 2009

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Launches Video Game for Kids

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. [+]

Local

Capital Times (Madison) – July 01, 2009

Getting Kids Back to Nature in Madison

Getting Kids Back to Nature in Madison

By Mary Ellen Gabriel
Like an increasing number of cities across the country, Madison, Wisconsin, is home to a variety of local initiatives aiming to reconnect children and nature. One of the biggest challenges, according to Sam Dennis of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is not so much finding open spaces but identifying areas where kids can climb trees, build forts, and so on. Another challenge? Convincing parents that this kind of play is important. [+]

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. [+]

National | Health | Legislation/Policy

Children & Nature Network – February 04, 2010

Groups Ask First Lady to Include “Outdoor in Nature” Component

Groups Ask First Lady to Include “Outdoor in Nature” Component

In the wake of First Lady Michelle Obama's announcement that she will be leading a special nationwide initiative to combat childhood obesity, a number of organizations have written her an open letter urging this initiative to include an “outdoors in nature” component. The National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, and the Children & Nature Network are among the groups that signed the letter. [+]

National

Where’s Buddy Bison Been?™

Where’s Buddy Bison Been?™

By the National Park Trust
NPT has launched an initiative called 'Where's Buddy Bison Been?™' which encourages children and their families to get outside and share their American Park Experience. [+]

Local | Education

Buffalo News – October 02, 2009

Learning Gardens Connect Urban Kids with Natural World

Learning Gardens Connect Urban Kids with Natural World

By Jane Kwiatkowski
Learning gardens are springing up at schools across the country to promote science, fitness, geography, geology, and literature—along with practice in teamwork and responsibility. Buffalo is one of many cities where educators are providing their students with safe places to experience the outdoors. [+]

National | Media & Culture

San Francisco Chronicle – September 25, 2009

Youth Outreach at Core of Major National Parks Report

Youth Outreach at Core of Major National Parks Report

By Peter Fimrite
A new report by the National Parks Second Century Commission encourages parks administrators, legislators, educators, and others to focus on engaging youth in their efforts moving forward. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, in accepting the report from the 26-member commission, remarked, "We have a real need to reconnect people to our outdoors and the natural world. This is especially important for our young people." [+]

National | Access

National Recreation and Park Association – September 07, 2009

Partnership Develops Action Plan to Reconnect Kids with Nature

Three major parks conservation organizations announced an historic partnership to confront the diminishing relationship between children and nature. The National Recreation and Park Association, National Association of State Park Directors, and National Park Service developed a five-point plan of action that includes promoting a national campaign to recognize the importance of connecting children and families to nature. [+]

State | Access

Texas Parks and Wildlife – September 01, 2009

Texas Parks and Wildlife Promotes Family Nature Clubs

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!” [+]

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Top Stories

Nature Essential for the Brain, Scientists Report

For the first time in history, the majority of the world’s people live in cities.… [+]

American Public Health Association features a front page article on the movement

The October Issue of The Nation’s Health, The official newspaper of the American Public Health… [+]

How children lost the right to roam in four generations

Report warns that the mental health of 21st-century children is at risk because they are… [+]

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says free and unstructured play is healthy and essential

This report offers guidelines on how pediatricians can advocate for children by helping families, school… [+] [PDF]

Kids Picking TV Over Trees

The Nature Conservancy-funded study reveals more evidence of a growing trend; children spending more time… [+]

We’re mapping the Children & Nature movement.

NEW - Nature Clubs for Families Tool Kit

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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.

C&NN Publications

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:
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]