Top Stories
Media & Culture | Resource
Popularity of Camping Rises as Economy Falters
San Francisco Chronicle – January 25, 2009
In the current tough economic times, outdoor pursuits like camping will become more popular as families search for cheaper recreation options. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Tom Stienstra examines the prospects this year for camping, hiking, biking, wildlife watching, and backpacking in the Bay Area and beyond.Taking Play Seriously
The New York Times – February 17, 2008
On a drizzly Tuesday night in late January, 200 people came out to hear a psychiatrist talk rhapsodically about play — not just the intense, joyous play of children, but play for all people, at all ages, at all times. (All species too; the lecture featured touching photos of a polar bear and a husky engaging playfully at a snowy outpost in northern Canada.) Stuart Brown, president of the National Institute for Play, was speaking at the New York Public Library’s main branch on 42nd Street. He created the institute in 1996, after more than 20 years of psychiatric practice and research persuaded him of the dangerous long-term consequences of play deprivation. In a sold-out talk at the library, he and Krista Tippett, host of the public-radio program ‘‘Speaking of Faith,’’ discussed the biological and spiritual underpinnings of play. Brown called play part of the ‘‘developmental sequencing of becoming a human primate. If you look at what produces learning and memory and well-being, play is as fundamental as any other aspect of life, including sleep and dreams.’’Resource
52-page special edition of Fish & Wildlife News dedicated to children and nature
Download Now (4M)
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, a leader in the children and nature movement, has formed a Children and Nature Working Group to identify ways to inform communities about the benefits of “nature play,” which is good for both children and adults. A recently published special edition of Fish & Wildlife News is a wonderful resource; it offers an in-depth report on what USFWS employees, from coast to coast, are doing to reconnect children with nature.
"Connecting people with nature should not be just another box to check off on a performance plan," writes Director Dale Hall in the introduction. "It should be something we want to do, something that is a part of us."
Download the Fish & Wildlife News Special Edition (4M)
Media & Culture | Resource
New Study Finds Kids Plugged-In 7.5 Hours a Day
New York Times – January 20, 2010
Media & Culture | Review
Vermont Filmmaker Explores Positive Influence of Nature
Burlington Free Press – December 06, 2009
Legislation/Policy
Congress Considers Federal Funding for City Parks
Gotham Gazette – November 30, 2009
Education | Campaign/Initiative
Rhode Island Audubon Receives Federal Grant for Education
EastBayRI.com – November 25, 2009
Education | Campaign/Initiative
Rocky Mountain Video Asks, Who Will Care for Parks Tomorrow?
National Parks Traveler – October 24, 2009
Campaign/Initiative
New Hampshire Get Out and Play Weekend a Model for Others
Seacoast Online – October 04, 2009
Media & Culture | Resource
Ken Burns National Parks Documentary Series Premieres on PBS
Vancouver Sun – September 22, 2009
Access | Campaign/Initiative
Obama Declares September 26 National Public Lands Day
The White House – September 25, 2009
Campaign/Initiative
Take a Child Outside Week Starts September 24
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences – September 10, 2009
Media & Culture | Campaign/Initiative
The North Face Launches Website to Connect People with the Outdoors
MarketWatch – September 22, 2009
Access | Leadership
Connecticut Appointee Vows to Continue No Child Left Inside Efforts
The (Connecticut) Day – September 10, 2009
Education | Campaign/Initiative
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Launches Video Game for Kids
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – August 27, 2009
Education | Health | Media & Culture
CBS Puts Spotlight on Nature-Deficit Disorder
CBS News – August 06, 2009
Access
Housing Complex Bans Unsupervised Outdoor Play
(Boulder County) Daily Camera – August 03, 2009
Education | Health | Resource
Fact Sheet Summarizes Benefits of Gardening for Children
Children, Youth and Environments Center for Research and Design – July 28, 2009
Media & Culture | Resource
Louv Introduces British Readers to Children and Nature Movement
Times of London – July 14, 2009
Resource
Publication of Book Raises Awareness of Nature Deficit in UK
Daily Telegraph – June 21, 2009
Legislation/Policy
Quinn Reverses Blago Decision, Reopens Seven State Parks
WREX - Rockford Illinois – February 26, 2009
Media & Culture | Leadership
C&NN’s Natural Leaders Coordinator, Juan Martinez, Introduces Salazar at PowerShift ‘09
Media & Culture
Removal of Nature Words from Dictionary Causes Uproar
The Canadian Press – December 09, 2008
Media & Culture | Campaign/Initiative
Persil Promotes Free Play in UK Campaign
Persil – July 18, 2008
Built Environment
Churches Encouraged to Connect Children with Nature
Church Executive – March 01, 2008
Health
The Powerful Link Between Conserving Land and Preserving Health
the Land Trust Alliance – July 01, 2007
Follow us on Twitter
Become a fan
Read our blog
Join us on NING
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:
An annotated bibliography of 20 premier studies focusing on the children and nature connection.
