Chicago Groups Join Forces to Launch Regional Initiative
The Times (of Munster, Indiana) – January 09, 2008
American children have changed how they spend their play time and, as a result, their relationship to nature and the outdoors. Today's digital era, compounded by the loss of green space to development, has left kids "plugged in" and "tuned out" to nature as they opt instead for time online or text messaging.
The Lake County Parks and Recreation Department is taking action to reverse this trend by joining Chicago Wilderness to launch a regional initiative called "Leave No Child Inside." The goal is to improve children's health and foster future generations who care enough for nature to protect it.
In his groundbreaking 2006 book, "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder," Richard Louv cites children's lack of direct experience with nature as largely to blame for alarming increases in obesity, attention deficit disorder and poor social skills. Noting that the percentage of obese youth has tripled since the 1960s, Louv's book has sparked a national movement to inspire parents to lead their children back to nature.
With "Leave No Child Inside," Lake County Parks and Recreation Department is joining other organizations as members of the Chicago Wilderness consortium, an alliance of more than 200 public and private organizations working together to protect the Chicago region's natural spaces, help conserve the diversity of plants and animals, and enrich local residents' quality of life.
Through the initiative, Chicago Wilderness will offer workshops for educators, opportunities for partnerships among consortium and community organizations, and efforts at the state and national levels to support outdoor programming for children.
Lake County Parks and Recreation Department and other Chicago Wilderness members are experts at connecting children and adults to nature. With "Leave No Child Inside," the goal is to promote children's health through outdoor play and exploration, and foster caring for nature in today's children and future generations.
"One of the greatest gifts you can give children is your love of nature and the outdoors," said a spokesperson for the Lake County Parks and Recreation Department in a written news release. "Children need regular time outdoors, so visit one of the county parks with your kids to experience something new every time the weather changes."
There are a variety of outdoor programs offered in the parks, from nature hikes at Gibson Woods Nature Preserve in Hammond to ice skating at Deep River Waterpark in Merrillville to bobsled rides at Buckley Homestead County Park in Lowell, as well as plenty of wide open places where children can run and play. With their natural curiosity, children will quickly find something to explore at any venue.
This site contains copyrighted material. Click here for more information on C&NN's Fair Use Policy. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
C&NN has designated April "Children & Nature Awareness Month." As part of this effort, we invited network members (like you) to list their April programs and share their strategies for building public awareness. Find out what's happening in your community on the C&NN Movement Map.
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.
