Every child needs nature. Not just the ones with parents who appreciate nature. Not only those of a certain economic class or culture or set of abilities. Every child. If a child never sees the stars, never has meaningful encounters with other species, never experiences the richness of nature, what happens to that child? In [...]
“A movement moves.” — Rev. Gerald L. Durley All of us involved with the Children & Nature Network recognize the challenges ahead, the miles to go, the promises and deadlines to keep. But for the children and nature movement, 2011 has been a banner year. Here are a few of the achievements accomplished during the [...]
Inspiration is a word used a lot these days, but it is also a word that we need to use more in these dire economic times. A couple weeks back I had to put the remote away, as I could not take any more images of exotic animals being shot in Ohio or a dictator [...]
Despite some signs of progress, the impact of recession on public access to the natural world is a reality, and it could get worse. Take California, for instance. In coming months, as many as 70 parks, many of them in or near urban areas will close, according to California State Parks Director Ruth Coleman. This, she [...]
Why is the future so often portrayed as a post-apocalyptic dystopia, filled with human brutality and stripped of nature? For decades, our culture has struggled with two addictions: to oil and to despair. But what if our lives were as immersed in nature as they are in technology every day? What if we not only conserved nature, but created [...]
Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours. -César Chavez This Saturday my friend Juan Martinez graduated [...]
I love the outdoors because I believe that I am myself the most when I’m outdoors; no stress from work, paying bills, family issues, etc. The leadership roles I’ve gotten into since my love for the outdoors was revealed to me have changed my life for the better. Volunteering with Sierra Club’s Inner City Outings [...]
Got dirt? “In South Carolina, a truckload of dirt is the same price as a video game!” reports Norman McGee, a father in that state who bought a small pickup-load of dirt for his daughter and friends. As McGee’s photo shows, the dirt was a great success. I told his story a couple years ago in [...]
In my eight years as a volunteer with the Sierra Club, I have gained tremendous leadership skills, met heroes, and made life-long friendships. I have moderated and sat on panels, organized youth leadership trainings, and developed strategic plans to make communities stronger. So why do this? You see, I believe that it is through nature [...]
Can libraries connect children to nature? You bet. “Today, via a library’s outdoor learning space, librarians are participating in the growing movement to connect children with the environment,” write Tracy Delgado-LaStella and Sandra Feinberg in this month’s issue of American Libraries magazine. The excellent piece describes the efforts of Middle Country Public Library in Centereach, New York, which [...]
Parenting advice can go to extremes. Regarding outdoor play, some experts sternly warn parents about all the dangers, real or assumed — from strangers to noxious weeds – lurking outside the front door. At the same time, parents sometimes find themselves shamed for their fear. “With all of the talk about giving kids leverage and freedom [...]
Every day is filled with a chance to make a difference, today even more so with the ability to communicate in seconds through a virtual world. We can transfer money to a cause, virtually sign a petition, and spread the word to hundreds of people in our personal networks. Yet, at the end of the [...]
Hundreds of young people around the U.S. are preparing for Get Outside Day! 2010. On April 3rd and throughout the week, these Natural Leaders will engage in a variety of events to have fun, get out in nature, and encourage others to put down their electronic media and do the same. C&NN’s Natural Leaders Network [...]
Two members of C&NN’s Natural Leaders Network have been featured in important upcoming books.
Juan Martinez, Natural Leader Coordinator, is featured in the book, Hispanics Living Green, by Sharon T. Freeman. A Congressional Reception to celebrate the book will be held March 17.
Juan is also speaking at the Smart Start/Early Childhood Best Practices Conference in San Jose March 20.
Katia Rossi, one of the Core Leaders of the Natural Leaders Network, is profiled in the upcoming Girls Gone Green by Lynn Hirshfield.
