Commentary News
Health | Leadership
New York Times – August 01, 2009
Nicholas Kristof: Let’s Get Kids Awed by Nature
By Nicholas Kristof
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, writing on the growing disconnect between children and nature, believes that getting kids awed by nature is as important as getting them reading. “Children for 1,000 generations grew up exploring fields, itching with poison oak and discovering the hard way what a wasp nest looks like. That’s no longer true.”
[+]
Media & Culture
Kansas City Star – July 12, 2009
Using Twitter to Sell the Appeal of the Outdoors
By Chad Day
As the Kansas City Star reports, one of the biggest challenges facing conservationists, fishing enthusiasts, and others trying to interest young people in the outdoors is that this younger generation is essentially an indoor generation. The key to reaching them, then, may be using social-networking tools like Facebook and Twitter.
[+]
Education | Resource
PRWeb – July 02, 2009
Nature School Issues Guide for Connecting Kids with Nature
A new book developed by the nonprofit Wilderness Awareness School in Washington State introduces experiential teaching methods to help parents, teachers, and outdoor leaders share the wonder of nature with kids of all ages. Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature is, in the words of one of its authors, a “way of teaching [that] hones students' senses and connects their imagination to the natural world.” [+]
Education | Legislation/Policy
New York Times Magazine – April 29, 2009
New York Times Magazine: Kindergarten Cram
By Peggy Orenstein
Kindergarten has changed in the last few decades, and not necessarily for the better, writes Peggy Orenstein in the New York Times Magazine. Rather than letting children engage in free play, the typical kindergarten class today focuses on standardized tests and literacy exercises. Orenstein questions this trend, and finds support for her beliefs in the “Crisis in the Kindergarten” report by the Alliance for Childhood.
[+]
Leadership
C&NN Natural Leader, Maya Quintana, Shares Her Thoughts on the Benefits of Time Spent in Nature
By Maya Melissa Quintana
Maya Quintana, a Native American from the pueblos of Cochiti and Zia, shares a transformational experience that helped her understand the benefits of time spent in nature. Maya attended the 2008 C&NN Grassroots Gathering in Nebraska as a founding member of C&NN's "Natural Leaders."
[+]
Media & Culture
Idaho Statesman – December 23, 2008
Gift Ideas to Get Kids Outdoors
By Peter Zimowsky
Rather than waiting in line for the latest electronic gadget, parents should consider giving their children toys that encourage outdoor play. Writer Peter Zimowsky of the Idaho Statesman offers a number of suggestions, including compact binoculars and kid-sized fishing poles. He also reminds parents that giving an outdoors gift means committing to take their children fishing, hiking, birding, or sledding.
[+]
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:
