Our first Hike & Seek helped connect families with nature with an NWF hosted event.

As a stereotypical type A, I’ve been reflecting on 2010.  Why wait till New Year’s?

I am thankful for NWF supporters who have played an important role in helping NWF protect wildlife for our children’s future.   I am proud that through participation in NWF education programs and through reading NWF’s Ranger Rick and Your Big Backyard magazines my daughters have learned that regardless of age, we all have the ability to make a difference for wildlife and nature. I am very fortunate to be part of a team leading the way on many important wildlife victories.

NWF is comprised of people who care.  People who donate their time and money to make a difference.  I have met many amazing individuals as I traveled the country this year including:

  • Grace, an articulate 10 year old who rallied her Virginia community;
  • Rosina, a soft spoken but unwavering mother and community leader in New Orleans;
  • Ben, a new dad and organizer hoping to pass along his sportsman traditions; and
  • Doug, a retired timber executive in Seattle turned avid birder and naturalist.

In 2010, we expanded our commitment to connecting kids with nature by hosting Hike & Seek events across the country. Two young girls thanked me as they were leaving Hike & Seek in Maryland.  They said, “Today was the bestest day ever.”  We also expanded Great American Backyard Campout to include more families, scouting troops and communities camping out in backyards and campgrounds across the country.

Along with successes in 2010 we experienced what may be the worst environmental disaster of the decade – the massive Gulf Oil Disaster.  However, even through the darkest days of the disaster, we were buoyed by the passion of National Wildlife Federation supporters.  Thanks to the generosity of so many, just days after the rig exploded spilling thousands of gallons of oil, NWF  deployed teams to the gulf, assessing and interpreting the disaster, helping reporters see and understand the devastating impact on the marshes, aquatic species and birds.  When others were merely watching oil spewing into the Gulf, NWF was taking bold steps to raise awareness, to protect human health, wildlife, and fragile habitat.  NWF took a leadership role in providing timely information that equipped educators and parents to talk with children and teens in age and developmentally appropriate ways. Our commitment to coastal Louisiana continues through our partnerships with state and local groups working towards long term habitat restoration efforts.

Being type A isn’t all bad.

Instead of waiting until January to make a New Year’s resolution, act now. Join me and take a stand for nature and wildlife and make a tax deductible contribution before December 31st.