Outdoors Alliance for Kids Established to Connect Children, Families with Nature
Press Release
June 1, 2010
Washington, DC—As First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled the Let’s Move OUTSIDE initiative today in Las Vegas, expanding her campaign to solve childhood obesity, a broad coalition representing the business and non-profit communities announced a national strategic partnership called the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK). OAK brings together the YMCA of the USA, REI, Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, Izaak Walton League of America, The Outdoor Foundation, National Recreation and Park Association and the Children & Nature Network, collectively representing over 30 million members, to address the growing divide between children and families and the natural world.
Today’s children are spending less time outdoors in nature than any generation in history. At the same time, one in three American kids is overweight or obese; more than half of all children in the United States are deficient in Vitamin D; prescriptions for ADHD medications are on the rise; and stress, anxiety and depression rates among youth are increasing. Studies suggest that spending time outdoors in green spaces can improve the mental and physical health of children. OAK member organizations are united by the belief that the well-being of current and future generations, and the health of our planet and communities depend on humans having a personal, direct and life-long relationship with nature and the outdoors.
OAK issued the following statement:
The conditions are right for making lasting changes in the ways children, youth and families relate to nature. Already this spring, the Obama Administration and Congress have taken critical steps to reverse the trend towards indoor sedentary lifestyles with the announcement of the America’s Great Outdoors initiative and the inclusion of the Moving Outdoors in Nature component of the Healthy CHOICES Act introduced by Congressman Ron Kind.
Today’s launch of the Let’s Move Outside initiative highlights the important role our public lands, and all green spaces large and small, play in the development of healthy kids, healthy families and healthy communities. It is time to band together to ensure these and additional initiatives achieve their purpose and get kids off the couch and into nature.
OAK is calling for local, state and national legislative and administrative policies and initiatives to reconnect children, youth and families with the natural world outdoors. Specifically, OAK is working to:
- Strengthen the connections between health and wellbeing and time spent outdoors by encouraging a robust Let’s Move Outside initiative and the passage of the Moving Outdoors in Nature Act recently introduced by Congressman Ron Kind of Wisconsin as part of the Healthy CHOICES Act
- Strengthen the connections between land conservation and time spent outdoors by participating in the national dialogue around America’s Great Outdoors
- Empower youth leaders to advance the movement to connect children and families with the outdoors by supporting events and initiatives that prepare diverse youth for leadership roles, like Outdoor Nation and the Natural Leaders Network
- Promote resources and events that help children, youth and families reconnect with the great outdoors. Resources can be found on the OAK website. Upcoming events include:
o National Trails Day® – 6/5 – (www.americanhiking.org)
o National Parks Fee-Free Weekends – 6/5, 6/6, 8/14, 8/15, 9/25 –
(http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm)
o National Get Outdoors Day – 6/12 – (www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org)
o Outdoor Nation – 6/19, 6/20 – (www.outdoornation.org)
o Great American Backyard Campout – 6/26 – (www.beoutthere.org)
o Park and Recreation Month – July – (www.nrpa.org)
o World’s Largest Campfire – 7/14 – (www.ymca.net)
About Children & Nature Network
The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working nationally and internationally to reconnect children with nature. The network provides a critical link between researchers and individuals, educators and organizations dedicated to children’s health and well-being. For more information, visit www.childrenandnature.org.
About the Izaak Walton League of America
One of the earliest conservation organizations in the United States, the Izaak Walton League was formed in 1922 to save outdoor America for future generations. With a grassroots network of nearly 270 local chapters nationwide, the League takes a common-sense approach toward protecting our country’s natural heritage and improving outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans. For more information, visit www.iwla.org.
About National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of roughly 21,000 recreation and park professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles, recreation initiatives, and conservation of natural and cultural resources. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org.
About National Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization. We work with more than 4 million members, partners and supporters in communities across the country to protect and restore wildlife habitat, confront global warming and connect people with nature. For more information, visit www.nwf.org.
About The Outdoor Foundation
Outdoor Foundation’s vision is to be a driving force behind a massive increase in active outdoor recreation in America. We are an inclusive organization made up of, and supported by, broad-based coalitions and partnerships that share the common interest of promoting healthy outdoor lifestyles. We provide an inspirational bridge to the outdoors for a diverse range of individuals and organizations. We are a transparent, fiscally responsible organization that is adequately funded to achieve our Core Purpose. We serve as a credible source of information for our stakeholders, partners and policy-makers. For more information, visit www.outdoorfoundation.org.
About REI
REI is a national outdoor retailer dedicated to inspiring, educating and outfitting its members and the community for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship. Founded in 1938 by a group of Pacific Northwest mountaineers seeking quality equipment, REI is committed to promoting environmental stewardship and increasing access to outdoor recreation through volunteerism, gear donations and financial contributions. The company offers a wide range of in-store classes, presentations and events across the nation to serve as a resource to outdoor enthusiasts of all abilities and interests. REI’s Family Adventure Program, a free program highlighting fun activities and local hikes and bike rides, helps families explore the outdoors together. For more information, visit www.rei.com
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization. Inspired by nature, we are 1.3 million of your friends and neighbors, working together to protect our communities and the planet. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
About YMCA of the USA
The nation’s 2,687 YMCAs serve 21 million people each year, including more than 9 million children under the age of 18. YMCAs respond to critical social needs by drawing on their collective strength as one of America’s largest not-for-profit community service organizations. Through a variety of programs and services focused on the holistic development of children and youth, family strengthening, and health and well-being for all, YMCAs unite men, women and children of all ages, faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. From urban areas to small towns, YMCAs have proudly served America’s communities for nearly 160 years by building healthy spirit, mind and body for all. Visit www.ymca.net to find your local YMCA.
Fabulous! So Excited! Will be linking to you on my site.
Don’t forget about the filmmakers who inspire us to connect with nature and remind us we are a part of it – not a part from it!
Kids4Trees is a program fulfilling the goals discussed and promoted. The new generation is our last hope.
Generation Z is commonly used in the West for those born between the mid-1990s and the late2000s. Relatively little is firmly established about its composition, character, and even names. I propose that this generation be positively deemed the Fix-It Generation. It is this generation that will likely make or break our planet as we have known it. Most forums and seminars focus on either preaching to the choir or trying to educate non-believers in global climate changes and its effects on nature. This concentration of education and discourse on the baby-boomers and Generation X members presupposes that the Fix-It Generation is not yet sufficiently mature to have any effect on developing the critical solutions.
By age 13 most children become set on goals, ways and priorities. These have revolved increasingly around technology, iPods, computers, and sophisticated cell phones which studies conclude consume an average of 7.9 hours per day of their waking time. As a result, they lose touch with nature and fail to appreciate the vital importance of their contribution to fixing critical faults created by human activities – whether it be environmental damage, requirements for clean energy, armed conflicts, hunger, medical care, and others. Richard Louv has popularly coined this syndrome as nature-deficit disorder.
Kids4Trees (www.kids4trees.org) was organized in 2008 to provide outdoor environmental education for 6-12 year-old students, mandated by many state legislators and encouraged by federal officials, but which can be ill-afforded. Scouts are also included in the program on holidays and weekends, given their innate devotion to the outdoors and nature. In June 2010, Kids4Trees became a national participating partner with the USDA Forest Service in a national program devoted to outdoor environmental education for young children and reforestation. During the spring of 2010, 12 planting programs were conducted with an average of 250 students/Scouts per day in and around US Forests in California, Mississippi, Virginia and Colorado. Each program contained 20 minute rotating workshops relating to trees, interconnection of trees to nature and humans, animals, recycling/litter, and soil. All the children are then instructed in planting and each plants at least one tree.
As a result of its partnership with the World Olympians Association (official alumni association of the International Olympic Committee), Olympic athletes appear at many events to plant with the children and inspire them with the need for good nutrition, outdoor activity, setting goals and dedication to the environment.
At schools, the event is tailored to permit for 2 hour programs, including rotating workshops, children’s singers, group singing and art. Planting is conducted on campus with up to a dozen trees or more or by the children planting saplings in containers which are then taken home and transplanted in their gardens or nearby parks. Parents and local forest-related associations act as volunteers.
In all events, the children are encouraged to name their plants and return during dry seasons to water and care for their tree. Thousands of children have thus become stewards of nature as a result of Kids4Trees programs. Principals, teachers, volunteers, Forest Service personnel, media and others have unanimously spoken and written in praised the various events. Additionally, Kids4Trees prepared a 12 song, multilingual compilation of tree songs for the children, approved by the California Department of Education to teach/learn from and perform in groups following lunch. Children’s singers are provided to sing environmental songs prior to the group singing. Environmental art competitions round out the program, with children from each class getting recognized for achievement.
Kids4Trees also encourages a community spirit around nature and its forests. Many volunteers from various organizations come forward to participate, including local forest associations, war veterans, life science/forestry students, and companies like Home Depot and local nurseries.
Kids4Trees Director and Senior Advisor Gail Kimbell, former Chief of the USDA Forest Service, who paved the direction of the Forest Service toward programs fostering a sense of stewardship among our youth, committed the Forest Service to reconnect America’s youth with our community forests, allowing young people and their parents and teachers convenient access to forests that can become a natural classroom and playground. Expanding the number of community forests across the nation will help develop a broader appreciation for the importance of our country’s forests among our youth.
Kids4Trees is a nationally proven hands-on vehicle for carrying out these purposes, which include discussion with the impressionably-aged kids about ways we might help repair our planet in various ways related to planting trees (and shrubs), such as reducing harmful CO2, combatting deforestation, disease and forest fires, and producing clean energy. In planting approximately 8,000 trees by over 5,000 children since 2008, each child has helped fix the Earth in addition to becoming aware, through fun and inspirational right and left brain programs, of the threat to their plants by global warming, pollution and intentionally set fires. Solutions will then hopefully become a primary goal of their lives.
In sum, we should refer to the post-2000 generation as the Fix-It Generation as a positive affirmation of our hopes and prayers that this Generation will “get it” and substantially assist in fixing it. Kids4Trees is dedicated to this and future generations to organizing hands-on programs in assistance and furtherance of this goal.