Children's books have been moving away from the outdoors for decades, but one summer reading list includes a number of books about nature (flickr | Librarian In Black)

According to a study published in the Journal of Sociological Inquiry, since 1960 the emphasis in children’s books has moved away from the natural world surrounding us, and is becoming a much smaller part of a child’s perspective.  You can read NWF’s original blog post about that finding here.

Mainstream illustrations of the natural world are less and less available to our kids. From 1938 to 2008, depictions of nature show up half as much as depictions of the manmade environment. The study concludes that “today’s generation of children are not being socialized toward an understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the place of humans within it.”

This is why I was pleased to see that the Horn Book’s 2012 Summer Reading List for Children includes a number of books that foster a connection with nature. The Horn Book which has been around since 1924 publishes a magazine that reviews “the best of the best” in children’s books. Here are some of their recommendations for summer that are sure to inspire kids to spend time outdoors.

• Coral Reefs by Jason Chin – imaginative blend of fiction and nonfiction
• The Camping Trip That Changed America by Barb Rosenstock – Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and our National Park System  – engaging, accessible picture book version of the story
• Secrets of the Garden by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld – the food chains and food webs in our backyard
• Stars by Mary Lyn Ray – beautiful and evocative
• A Stick Is An Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer - Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play
• Friends: Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley – for younger readers, introduces desert setting and animals
• Cork & Fuzz: The Swimming Lesson by Dori Chaconas – outdoor play with a muskrat and opossum
• Citizen Scientists: Be Part of the Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard by Loree Griffin Burns
• Far from Shore: Chronicles of an Open Ocean Voyage by Sophie Webb
• The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall – celebration of sisters at play by the sea

All of these books are available on Amazon.com, and if you use the links above a portion of the purchase will be given to National Wildlife Federation.

After reading about the wonders of nature, kids will be inspired to check out the nature around them, in their backyard, at a park down the street, or on a family camping trip. NWF’s Be Out There program has lot of ideas for fun outdoor play. Of course reading NWF’s Ranger Rick magazine is one of the best ways to turn kids on to the wonders of nature.

Dirt can be beneficial for kids; it actually benefits the heart, skin, and immune system, and may even increase happiness (flickr | Mandajuice)

When my oldest son was 9 or 10 he went to his first sleep-away camp with the Boy Scouts. He spent weeks beforehand combing through the camp guide highlighting all the outdoor badges he wanted to earn at camp.

Being a diligent first-time mom I made sure he packed all the requisite items included on the “What to Bring” list including sleeping bag, bug spray, flash light, three or four pair of shorts, two pair of long pants, six to eight t-shirts, and of course underwear and socks for every day.

I had the normal trepidation about sending my child to camp for the first time, but I knew when he stepped off the bus a week later that I had no reason to worry. He looked filthy but was beaming from ear to ear and couldn’t wait to regale us with stories about his outdoor adventures.

A Surprise for Mom

Upon bringing our ragamuffin home, I decided I better tackle his laundry so began to unpack his duffle bag.  First item on top was a wet swimsuit, no surprise there. But under the swimsuit I discovered ALL the clothes I had so neatly packed for him, nicely folded as I had left them, clearly never having been removed from the duffle bag. It became evident to me that my son had lived all week in one pair of shorts and the one camp-provided t-shirt he still had on for the bus ride home, switching into his swimsuit for water sports. My guess is he even abandoned underwear altogether half way through the week. When I suggested a shower might be in order I got this “Mom, do I have to?” whine because somehow that week of accumulated dirt represented a world he wasn’t ready to let go of.

My take away from this experience was that when kids are having fun exploring nature, getting dirty, and learning about the natural world around them, clean clothes become irrelevant.  They become so absorbed in their world of green that many of our mom-driven priorities, like staying clean, disappear. It’s part of what makes being a kid so great. And getting dirty is a liberty we as parents should allow our children without remand.

Mom Learned Her Lesson

Needless to say, the next year when my son went to camp, his duffle bag was far lighter, having learned my lesson about what’s important when boys venture off into the great outdoors. I’m happy to say, my son , now 26, still loves being outdoors, hiking, camping, and fishing.  Playing in the dirt still gives him joy, but at least now he also welcomes a hot shower when he returns home.

Get Dirty!

Get  The Dirt on Dirt in NWF’s new report and share with us stories and photos  of your dirty kids, the best ones will win some fun prizes. The report details how getting messy outside actually benefits the heart, skin, and immune system, and how playing outside in the dirt increases happiness, reduces anxiety and enhances learning.

You can also check out NWF’s Activity Finder to sort outdoor activity ideas by your child’s age, time available, cost, and other filters to find what will most interest you and your family; check out other benefits of getting kids back outdoors; or see our quick Parents’ Guide about how to get started on getting kids outside.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Later on the ducks’ path diverted to the White House where uniformed Secret Service agents scooped up the ducklings and helped them make their way through the fence. Presumably they are now meeting with President Obama on traffic safety laws and a “complete streets” plan.

Aside from the general absurdity of this scenario, I contend that the health of the two boys, and all their playmates who will visit them in the tree house, should trump some zoning law clearly not written to include a natural play scape where kids can escape into a world all their own.

Photo Credit: Steven Depolo

This treehouse will allow the boys to avoid the hazards of today’s indoor childhood, filled almost 24/7 with TV, video games, texting, electronic devices etc that are robbing them of their connection to the natural world. Simply put, kids are out of shape, tuned out and stressed out because they’re missing something essential to their childhood, outdoor playtime.

While previous generations spent their free time as kids exploring and playing in nature, their children devote only four to seven minutes a day to unstructured outdoor play like climbing trees, skipping rocks, building forts, or just hanging out in the backyard.

The Fairfax Zoning Board, who will review this issue again on November 30, need to consider the following before casting their final vote.

•  Overweight and obese children are at risk for shortening their lifespans. Running around outdoors, and maybe using their treehouse as a hide-out, can help them maintain a healthy weight.
•  Sunshine helps kid’s bodies create vitamin D, which is essential to building strong bones, enhances eyesight, and helps kids sleep better at night
•  Outdoor play protects kids’ emotional development, letting kids be kids. They can let off steam and forget any stresses that may be going on in their lives. Research shows their stress levels fall within minutes of being outside.
•  When kids play outside, they are more likely to improve their social skills with other kids.
•  Playing outside, and pretending their treehouse is a pirate ship or medieval castle, inspires creativity and requires kids to call on their imaginations.

When we as a society place more value on zoning ordinances than the health and wellbeing of our children, we’ve lost touch with reality. I hope the Zoning Board wakes up and gets the message.

Check out NWF’s Whole Child Report to learn more about the benefits of outdoor time for kids.

If parents can’t manage a treehouse for their kids, NWF’s Be Out There campaign is full of ideas on how else to get kids outside and benefiting from a connection to the natural world.

Sign Change.org’s online petition to the Fairfax County Zoning Board, asking them to allow Mr. Grapin and his two boys keep their tree house.

Patriot, an injured bald eagle in Bend, Oregon, was undergoing physical therapy when it stopped breathing while under anesthesia. Vetrenarian, Dr. Jeff Cooney, calmly came to the rescue by administering mouth-to-beak resuscitation to the bird which quickly responded. We tip our feather to Dr. Cooney for performing a truly patriotic act.

Bald eagles are one of the most recognizable birds in the United States.  If you don’t remember what a bald eagles looks like, simply pull out a quarter or a dollar.  An eagle is shown on the back of the quarter and holding an olive branch and arrows on the one dollar bill.

Bald eagles are large, predatory raptors.  They are dark brown on the body and wings.  The head and tail are bright white. 

The feet and bill of bald eagles are yellow.  The bill is large and hooked at the tip.

Juvenile bald eagles look very different from the adults.  Young bald eagles are almost entirely brown with occasional white markings on the underside of the wings and chest.  As the juvenile gets older, the bill will turn from dark brownish-black to yellow and the head and tail turn white.

Hemp and peace silk wedding gown

OK, so I admit it. The romantic in me has unabashedly taken over and I’m caught up in the royal wedding frenzy. While it’s not known if bride-to-be Kate Middleton will be donning an eco-friendly wedding dress made of hemp, peace silk, bamboo, fair-trade cotton and natural dyes, I was glad to hear that the royal couple has adopted a number of environmentally-sound practices for their big day.  

While it’s hard to conceive of a “low-carbon” wedding for 1,500 people, they are at least making an attempt to keep things as green as possible with seasonal flowers like lilacs, tulips, bluebells,  and sweet peas, food from sustainable sources, and facilities powered in part by renewable energy. Too bad all their guests can’t travel to London in hybrid cars.

With only three days to go, a series of measures are being taken to reduce the wedding’s environmental impact at the service, lunchtime reception, and dinner at Buckingham Palace. This includes printing all documents on recycled paper and using FSC-certified wood for the media stands.

The carbon emissions from the wedding will also be offset as part of the royal household’s efforts to keep their carbon footprint down.  That’s going to be one giant offset! The guests will dine on sustainably sourced food and drink, and will be surrounded by seasonal flowers, locally grown I hope.  If salmon is served it will undoubtedly be Scottish and asparagus will come from the Vale of Evesham.

The post-ceremony ride from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham palace will be in a carbon-friendly carriage. At least the use of the Queen’s Rolls-Royce will only be used for a short distance to get the bride to the church on time.

Prince Charles has a long-time commitment to the environment, so it’s no surprise to see these measures being taken. The royals aim to minimize their carbon emissions and make any event they host as environmentally-friendly as possible. The household annually costs its emissions at market rate and contributes the money towards sustainable forestry projects in the U.K. and overseas.

No need for guests to worry about the proper gift for the happy couple, they have designated Earthwatch for charity donations in lieu of gifts. Earthwatch seeks to find social and scientific answers to environmental issues.

Sadly, the wedding guests will be breathing in polluted air as they enjoy the festivities. High levels of pollution are currently plaguing London and some say the Mayor should issue a royal wedding smog alert.

So congrats to Will and Kate for their efforts to keep the biggest wedding of the century green, even if it’s only a light shade. To be truly green they would run off to Africa and being married in a tent.

Learn how you can offset your own carbon footprint at http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Personal-Solutions/Energy-Conservation/Renewable-Energy.aspx

My Dog Princess

Do you have a dog that sheds his winter coat leaving clumps of fur all over your house?  I have a Shepard/Akita that is shedding like crazy at this time of year. I gave her a good brushing in the yard a few days ago, and today I noticed that the piles of fur I got off her were disappearing from my yard. Wasn’t sure where they went since we haven’t had much wind lately.

I then noticed several birds scooping up the clumps fur and using it to line their spring nests in the trees in my yard.  Who knew??? What a great way to recycle dog fur.

Mystery solved!

So next time your dog needs a good brushing, do it in your backyard and help our feathered friends. Keep your house clean and bird’s nests cozy for eggs and newborn chicks, a win win for all!

Learn about other ways you can nurture the wildlife in your yard at www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife.

No wonder kids don’t spend much time in green spaces. Between the intense demands academically and well-intentioned efforts to provide extra-curricular activities to enrich our kid’s lives we are creating a generation of robo-students according to filmmaker Vicki Abeles.

Abeles, a mother of three and former Wall Street attorney, was awakened to this crisis as her 12-year old daughter was being treated for stress-related illness. She saw personally how the pressures were overwhelming not only to her own kids, but to children everywhere.  Sadly, while spending some time surrounding by nature might actually help alleviate that stress, it just doesn’t fit into the schedule.

"We are creating a generation of robo-students"

Race to Nowhere is being acclaimed as the only film that “gets it”, showing what is actually happening to our kids as a result of a culture obsessed with over-achievement. Sadly, taking time to just hang out, preferably in a tree, is seen as frivolous and non-productive by many parents.  What’s ironic is that if kids could spend more time outdoors, it would actually reduce the stress put upon them in other aspects of their life.

A Wake-Up Call to Parents

NWF’s Whole Child report shows how unstructured outdoor play nurtures a child’s body, mind and spirit. It makes them healthier and happier and can even improve their performance in the classroom. Time spent outside can have a dramatic impact on children’s attentiveness and school preparedness including a reduction in ADHD, a problem that has significantly increased over the last several decades. Children who get outside score higher on a wide range of tests of their academic ability and performance.

Sheila Franklin, Executive Director of the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity says “Wouldn’t it be great if schools were designed next to wooded areas so they could be used for educational purposes?”

All parents should seek out opportunities to see Race to Nowhere when it comes to their area of the country.  It’s a wake-up call that challenges current assumptions on how to best raise healthy, bright, and well-balanced kids.  After you see the movie, you’ll want to get involved in helping change the culture that has seriously over-taxed our kids. It opens up a new perspective which hopefully will encourage parents to open the back door more often instead of constantly saying “go to your room and study.”

The President established the America’s Great Outdoors initiative in April of 2010 and charged several government agencies to develop a 21st century conservation and recreation strategy based on the priorities of American citizens.

Close to 200,000 people weighed in on the report, either online or in person at more than 50 listening sessions around the country.

The message sent by the American public was clear; we can’t afford to lose our threatened open spaces and natural ecosystems.

Conserving open spaces and ecosystems provides a way to nurture healthier kids, many of whom have lost their connection to nature.

At the same times, protecting the wild in our world will give us, as well as future generations, millions of outdoor recreation jobs, places to fish and hunt, diverse wildlife populations, clean water to drink, and clean air to breath.

Watch the President’s remarks as he introduces the America’s Great Outdoors report >>

Photo Credit: Flickr's Californian Em

Winter has definitely taken hold of my yard. It’s pretty bleak looking with the exception of a winterberry holly still showing off some bright red berries.

With the exceptionally cold days we have had many of my wildlife residents are laying low, but I can always count on a few squirrels out and about to keep me entertained. So it seems appropriate that I should celebrate National Squirrel Appreciation Day on January 21 by giving these furry friends something to munch on as they scrounge for winter food sources.

Yes, there really is such a thing as Squirrel Appreciation Day, founded in 2001 by wildlife rehabilitator Christy Hargrove of Asheville, North Carolina. The most common squirrel in the U.S. is the Eastern gray squirrel which averages a little over 16 inches and weighs about a pound.

Here are some tasty snacks to keep those bushy-tailed acrobats fed when the winter pickins are slim:

• Loop a piece of chain with an eye-screw at its end on a nearby tree branch. Screw on an ear of dried field corn and watch as the squirrels swing and sway while grabbing dinner.
• Smear peanut butter on a pinecone and hang it on a tree, it will keep squirrels occupied for hours.
• Put chunks of stale bread or shelled peanuts on your deck or porch railing. Get ready to watch the show.
• The best way to help out squirrels is to plant native nut and seed producing trees. Oaks, hickories, pecans, walnuts and beeches are just a few of the trees that will not only feed the squirrels naturally but provide shelter and nesting places too.

You can appreciate squirrels and still put them through their paces.  Enroll your local squirrels in the Animal Olympics by creating an obstacle course. Squirrels can actually jump ten times the length of their bodies.

Need some inspiration? See what this guy was willing to do for an afternoon snack. And if adults really want to kick your celebration up a notch, try serving a Flying Squirrel drink.

Get more family-friendly activities to celebrate National Squirrel Appreciation Day from National Wildlife Federation. And share your own squirrel photos, observations, questions, and stories on www.facebook.com/green hour or on Twitter.