Today I attended the first ever White House Summit on environmental education.  There were speakers ranging from Richard Louv to NASCAR. 

The Presidential Environmental Youth Awardees were inspiring.  And it was wonderful to hear Education Secretary Arne Duncan express his enthusiasm for environmental education and the new Green Ribbon Schools program (inaugural winners to be announced on 4/23/12!).

However, it was pretty clear from the onset that there was indeed an elephant in the room…

Just a few weeks ago the White House recommended to Congress (through its annual budget request) the effective elimination of three environmental education programs that were funded by Congress at about $35 million last year (or about 1/4 the cost of a F-22 Raptor fighter jet).

What does the elimination of these programs mean?  What is at risk?  First, let’s consider just a few examples pulled from thousands of local grants to schools, nature centers, parks, zoos, science centers, natural history museums, aquariums and other community-based organizations over the years:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri received an EPA grant to engage their youth in environmental education and outdoor experiences.
• The Galeton School District in Pennsylvania received EPA funds for under-served students to monitor water quality to determine the environmental impact of natural gas extraction from Marcellus Shale.  
• Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) in Denver, Colorado, received an EPA grant to provide career, leadership and life skills for you under-served youth through its Leadership Corps program.
• The Seacoast Science Center in New Hampshire received a NOAA grant to create new partnerships across New England for teaching informal, outdoor ocean science to under-served families in five New England communities.
• The Science Museum of Virginia received NOAA funds to provide earth science and climate change education for visitors through its Science on a Sphere platform.
• Trout Unlimited in the Chesapeake region received a NOAA B-WET grant for their Potomac Waters Youth Education Initiative to educate students about the importance of headwater streams to brook trout and the entire watershed.
• The University of Wisconsin received a NSF grant to create a regional Great Lakes network to increase the adoption of effective climate change education programs by working with teachers, businesses and the public.
   

This is just the tip of the iceberg!  These funds support programs like National Public Lands Day and the development of innovative curricula.  The National Environmental Education Foundation has leveraged millions of dollar in public/private partnerships through a modest federal investment.

At the summit, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that EPA would maintain $5 million in funding for FY 2013, which is about half of what Congress provided last year.  This is a good step, but we still have not seen a detailed plan for how these funds would translate to grants and other support from EPA. 

Administrator Jackson also reinstated an inter-agency task force created by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act to improve coordination among federal agencies and stakeholders.

Unlike the steps announced by EPA, no one mentioned the major cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Program or the National Science Foundation environmental education programs.

At the end of the day I left with some new ideas and was pleased with the reinstated task force,  but I did not hear a commitment to the financial investment our nation needs to prepare the next generation to address climate change and enter the new green jobs sector.

Did you attend the summit?  Watch it online?  Please share your thoughts with me by leaving a comment below.  And stay tuned for future action alerts to support environmental education.

A major focus of the AGO report, released in February 2011, was the importance of reconnecting kids with nature, for their health and wellbeing and for the future of conservation.

Right before this conference, I was thrilled to see that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Education Secretary Arne Duncan signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work in a more intentional and collaborative fashion toward common goals. According to the press release, the agreement will enable “the Department of the Interior and the Department of Education to work together in new and more effective ways to connect young Americans to the outdoors, improve environmental literacy, support experiential learning outside the classroom, and form partnerships at the local level to learn from and conserve public lands.”

This is a good sign from the Administration about its commitment to making sure Americans are clued in to the world around them, especially after canceling funding for environmental education programs at NOAA and EPA last month.

Under the agreement, Interior may offer both professional development opportunities for teachers and other educators, including workshops, in-depth subject-matter seminars, and summer employment opportunities. The goals include improving teaching skills and developing deeper levels of subject-matter expertise, with a special emphasis on those who work in, or will work in, Title I, rural, and other high-need schools.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you’d like to learn more about America’s Great Outdoors and connecting kids with nature, download the full America’s Great Outdoors report or TAKE ACTION to reconnect kids with nature by supporting the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act.

Na'Taki (Photo by Bryan Meltz)

This was big news in its own right, but it has added importance for NWF. Our very own Na’Taki Osborne Jelks was appointed to the 21CSC Advisory Committee.  Congratulations Na’Taki!!!

Na’Taki is NWF’s Manager for Education and Advocacy Programs in the Southeast Region, based in Atlanta, GA.  She works with individuals and community organizations to restore the communities in which they live, work, play, worship and learn through NWF’s youth environmental education and leadership development program for teens of color, Earth Tomorrow, and many adult civic engagement and advocacy initiatives.

In addition to her role at NWF, Na’Taki is a part-time lecturer in the Environmental Science and Studies Program at Spelman College and is Chair of the Board of the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA), an organization committed to ensuring environmental justice in Southwest and Northwest Atlanta’s African American neighborhoods.  She’s been honored by a wide range of groups–from the Georgia House of Representatives to Turner Broadcasting Services (TBS).  Na’Taki is an alumna of Spelman College.  She earned her Master’s of Public Health in Environmental and Occupational Health from Emory University and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Environmental Public Health at Georgia State University.

Here’s what Interior Secretary Ken Salazar had to say about 21CSC:

“The 21st Century Conservation Service Corps will be a way for our nation’s young people to work on conservation initiatives that drive America’s economy and to find new ways to connect to their communities and build their careers. The conservation-service movement is steeped in rich history dating back to the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. I am confident that this committee of dedicated individuals with vast experience in conservation and outdoor recreation will help shape a sustainable structure to train and employ the next generation of conservationists.”

(Read the full press release here.)

Smokey Bear takes a subdued victory lap, but he knows wildlife conservation funding is still in danger. (Wikimedia Commons)

Thanks are due to wildlife advocates nationwide, who spoke out in the past week via Facebook posts, Tweets and other efforts and served notice that they wouldn’t stand idly by while Congress put Smokey and his family on the federal budget chopping block.

If you haven’t been following along, a little background:

Yesterday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Congressman Scott DesJarlais announced the “winner” of the Republican “You Cut” program, a year-old attempt to cut government programs as selected by public internet voting.

Rep. DesJarlais had designated the Forest Service ‘green school’ curricula as an example of “issue-oriented advocacy” that is “inappropriate” for public funding, so there was a chance it would be wiped out.

The Congressman failed to note that the amazing U.S. Forest Service Conservation Education programs happen to be home to Smokey Bear…

We’re thrilled that people who care about conservation answered the bell and saved Smokey!  He has inspired kids for decades to get outdoors and explore nature, a goal shared by NWF’s Ranger Rick, and saved lives and millions of dollars by educating kids and the public about preventing forest fires.

Take Action to Save Smokey’s Friends!

While Smokey lives another day, many other critical programs that help protect America’s wildlife are in danger. Take action today to help keep funding crucial for wildlife conservation off the federal budget chopping block.

We caught up with Chris Fanning of the Outdoor Foundation for some highlights:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The National Wildlife Federation had a delegation participate in the Atlanta Summit.  Check out this guest blog from Dejia Freeman, a graduate of the National Wildlife Federation’s Atlanta Earth Tomorrow Program and current program assistant for Earth Tomorrow.

And don’t forget to visit http://www.outdoornation.org/ for regular updates and great content all year long!

Photo taken of Gus at the beach by Colleen Fitzgerald

In December, I became a father of a beautiful, now 8-month old boy named August.  We call him “Gus.”

As someone whose full-time job at the National Wildlife Federation is to reconnect children with nature, I often joked that I now have my very own case study on this issue within my own family.

Experiencing the Outdoors With My Son

It was tough to get outdoors with Gus in the winter months, but as the weather warmed up we would go for family walks in our downtown neighborhood of Dupont Circle in Washington, DC.

Gus would notice the robins, doves, pigeons and cardinals on the street, reach out the baby-carrier to grab the wet leaves of bushes and trees.  We would occasionally take a longer hike through Rock Creek Park.

Photo of Gus taken by Colleen Fitzgerald

In March, we went for a week-long visit to the beach in Florida and then to the Jersey Shore in July, spending hours outdoors every day, often just sitting on the back patio or in the shade on the beach.

We were blown away by how well Gus slept that week and were told by many, “oh, that’s all that fresh air.”  It seems to be a well known fact that kids sleep better when they get time outdoors and fresh air. As a parent, I’ve seen it with my own eyes!

Code Orange Days Impacting Outdoor Time for Kids

Then, this summer, on May 30^th, we had our first “Code Orange Air Quality Day.” I’ve heard these alerts in the past, but the warning on the radio that morning advising “sensitive groups, including young children” to stay indoors caught my attention.

The next day was “Code Red,” the warning was stronger.  I called our pediatrician, who advised us to keep Gus inside on Code Orange or Red days, except for the early mornings or a quick trip to get in the car and go somewhere.

At first, this seemed like a hassle, but manageable.  As summer unfolded though, about 1/3 of our days in DC this summer were Code Orange or worse, due to ozone pollution from cars, power plants and other sources.  So much for getting that fresh air!

As I spent my days  encouraging children and families to spend time outdoors through First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Outside initiative, National Get Outdoors Day and the Great American Backyard Campout, and as President Obama and nearly every Governor proclaimed June as “Great Outdoors Month,” we were ironically keeping our son indoors.

For parents living in urban areas, this may be “old news.”  For me it was a pretty astonishing paradox.  Summertime for me has always been about playing outdoors, exploring, going to camp, and generally having fun outside. We understand that a variety of societal changes have led to childhood moving indoors, but the safety of the air we breathe was not on my list.

Now it is.

EPA Under Pressure to Change Acceptable Ozone Pollution Levels

The Environmental Protection Agency is also considering changing the threshold for how much ozone pollution is acceptable for our lungs. In 2008, during the Bush Administration, the EPA ignored its own scientific report suggesting that the standards were not strong enough due to industry pressure.

Any day now we will likely see revised standards that share the truth with the American people.  According to a poll by the American Lung Association, the American people are hungry for the truth.  Though, after reading this Washington Post article about big business and big oil lobbying against the standard, I’m concerned we may never know which days are safe and which are not.

The only thing worse than my son not going out for 1/3 of the summer would be learning that we’ve been kept in the dark by our government about the true health implications of spending time outdoors during the supposedly “clean air” days…

And don’t get me wrong, the vast majority of days even in urban areas are safe to spend time outdoors – indoor air pollution often makes time outdoors a healthy option!  But that will be the subject of another blog…

I enjoy living in a diverse city where I can walk to the grocery store, church and work, and maintain a low carbon footprint.  For the health of my son Gus, I wonder how long we will be able to do so.  And enough about me!  What about those who don’t have the means to pick up and move where the air is cleaner and safer for their children?

Please share with us “Why You Care about Clean Air” so we can share your perspective with policy makers in Washington.  I hope you will also learn more about policies that reconnect children, youth and families with nature by following me on Twitter @PatrickNWF and visiting www.beoutthere.org/policy.

Why, as the budget is being trimmed by 10-20%, is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) environmental education program being eliminated entirely? (This national program has been modestly funded for nearly 20 years, recieving just $9.7 million last year.)  Why are some in Congress attacking basic environmental protections like the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, climate change research and the Endangered Species Act?

And please tell me why Congresswoman Adams of Florida is offering amendments to prohibit education about energy efficiency of all things?  Here’s the official summary of that amendment that was fortunately defeated!

“An amendment to prohibit the use of funds for maintaining, developing, or creating any Web site which disseminates information regarding energy efficiency and educational programs on energy efficiency specifically to children under 18 years of age.”

Why are some in Congress so averse to balanced, age-appropriate, engaging environmental education?

I have my theories…

Part of me fears that there is indeed a concerted effort by ultra-conservatives in Congress to stop education about the natural world. I hope I’m wrong!  And there is actually some strong evidence of the growing bi-partisan support for environmental education.

Did you know that more than 70 Republicans have co-sponsored legislation or voted in support of environmental education in the last three years?  Many on both sides of the aisle see sound environmental education as critical to America’s competitiveness and ability to innovate in a global economy.

I frankly believe that we in the environmental education community (myself included!) must do a better job in telling a compelling story in Congress about why environmental education is critical, not just “nice to do.” The research that so clearly shows the multiple benefits of environmental education for student achievement, creativity, innovation, America’s competitiveness, interest in science and math, and so much more.  Yet our key programs are the first to be cut, and not just cut, but completely eliminated.

Without this critical support from EPA, and other agencies that support environmental education like the U.S. Forest Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and others, we will be leaving future generations in the dark, missing critical knowledge to be successful in life.

We will leave them in the dark about how to make good decisions that impact the air they breathe, the water they drink and new opportunities of the clean energy economy.  We could lose a generation that will be faced with monumental environmental challenges and no skills or knowledge to not only adapt, but thrive in this new reality.

The good news is, there’s still time to act, to fight back, to tell your Representative and Senators that we are not going away, that environmental education will not be eliminated.  Future generations will rely on our advocacy over the next few weeks as we try to turn around these proposed House cuts when the Senate considers their spending bills.

I hope you will join us by calling your Members of Congress, signing up for regular updates and calls to action for environmental education funding or following me on Twitter @PatrickNWF.

June is a special time to celebrate and enjoy the Great Outdoors, as proclaimed by President Obama and nearly all U.S. Governors.  This year, Great Outdoors month was full of all sorts of amazing events and activities around the country.

Please add a comment to this blog and tell us how you celebrated Great Outdoors Month!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Read More about What NWF Was Doing with Our Amazing Partners during Great Outdoors Month:

• Has Your Governor Submitted a Great Outdoors Month Proclamation?
• Outdoor Fun Under the Sun at the White House
• Making National ‘Get Outdoors’ Day Fun and Easy for Parents and Kids
• Get Your Nature On!
• Grin and Gummy Bear It:  The Great American Backyard Campout
• Kids Pitch Tent on Maryland Government House Lawn
• Wildlife-Watching at Night:  Five Species You May Spot in Your Backyard
• Celebrating the Great American Backyard Campout in the Pacific Northwest
• NWF Campouts Connect Families to Nature

Here’s what Robin Schepper, Executive Director of Let’s Move!, had to say about the event: 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Members of the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK), the Administration and others participated in five outdoor recreation activity stations to teach youth new skills to enjoy active time outdoors in nature.

The National Wildlife Federation and REI participated in a learning station where small groups of students received hands on experience in camping. They gained new skills for enjoying the great outdoors and now know how to pitch their own tents.  

The students were excited to engage in a variety of activities including rock climbing, kayaking, healthy snacks, fly-fishing and mountain biking - and even assembled their own healthy trail mix; the perfect healthy snack for their next outdoor outing! 

Later this month, in support of Let’s Move Outside and with the support of REI, thousands of American’s will participate in the Great American Backyard Campout on June 25^th and find close-to-home parks and green spaces through NWF’s Nature Find. 

It was a fun afternoon on the White House lawn to help support Let’s Move Outside.  And most importantly, the students had a blast!

For more updates on Let’s Move Outside and Great Outdoors Month, follow me on Twitter – @PatrickNWF.

Photo by iStock

If you don’t think you have anything in common with the President of the United States, think again.  Wednesday night, on February 16, 2011, President Barack Obama, had this to say at the launch of the America’s Great Outdoors report at the White House:

“These days, our lives are only getting more complicated, more busy, and we’re glued to our phones and our computers for hours on end.  I have to — Michelle and I, we’re constantly having to monitor our kids, get outside.  Turn off the TV.  Put away the Skype.  (Laughter.)  Cars and buses shuttle us from one place to another.  We see our kids spending more and more time on the couch.  For a lot of folks, it’s easy to go days without stepping on a single blade of grass.”

Hopefully that will change as the America’s Great Outdoors action plan is implemented throughout the country. The plan will include the following initiatives to get kids more green time instead of screen time.

• Improve federal capacity for recruiting, training, and managing volunteers and volunteer programs to create a new generation of citizen stewards and mentors.
• Support community-based efforts to increase access to outdoor recreation.
• Promote and support replicable programs that teach about and connect children and families with their natural and cultural heritage.

This is extremely encouraging as the “indoor childhood” phenomenon in our nation continues to grow.

In the last year the top government officials in the United States have also acknowledged the growing disconnect between our children, youth and families with nature.  Here’s an excerpt from the introduction to the report itself, submitted by the heads of the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Council on Environmental Quality:

“The outdoors has increasingly lost its relevance in the lives of our children, who now spend only half as much time outside as their parents did, but who spend an average of seven hours a day using electronic devices. Studies show that access to the outdoors can help reverse the obesity epidemic that has tripled among our children in the last generation. They show that time spent in nature can reduce stress and anxiety, promote learning and personal growth, and foster mental and physical health.”

And if the President and agency heads are not enough, First Lady Michelle Obama launched Let’s Move Outside last June where she said:

“…If  adults here can just think back to when we were growing up, back then an hour of just vigorous activity was nothing, because we didn’t call it “activity.”  It wasn’t required.  We called it “play.”  We had recess, we had gym class at school, and when we got home in the afternoons our parents didn’t want to be bothered with us so they kicked us outside…  But all of that was really good for us..  And too many of our kids end up spending way too much time inside in front of the TV, playing video games…. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to us that today nearly one third of our children in this country are overweight or obese.”

I encourage you to take a look at the America’s Great Outdoors report and the Let’s Move Outside website, and consider how you might get involved in these initiatives. You can also read the Outdoors Alliance for Kids response to the report and learn more about other policy initiatives to reconnect kids with nature.