Visit a Local Park

Springtime is the perfect time to take your kids to the park for a little bit of fun in the sun. This Earth Day, visit a local park and use it as an opportunity to explore the outdoors and teach your kids about the wonderful world all around us. Take time during your visit to point out cool looking plants, flowers and birds. If you see something and don’t know what it is, snap a picture or jot down a description. When you get home, ask your kids to help you identify it.

Not sure where to go? Use National Wildlife Federation’s NatureFind tool to find parks, trails and other nature sites near you.

Plan an Outdoor Photo Scavenger Hunt

Whether you have an hour or an entire weekend, a scavenger hunt is an easy activity that doesn’t require a lot of planning. Simply put together a list of plants, animals other natural things in your backyard (or print this one), grab your camera or smartphone, and head outside. When you find the items on the list, snap a photo and check it off. This activity is a great way to explore your backyard, neighborhood, or any green space with your children. Here is a great guide to get you started.

When you finish, look through the photos with your kids, pick the best one, and enter it into our National Wildlife magazine photo contest! There is a special Youth category for ages 13-17. Younger kids can enter Ranger Rick’s Photo contest.

Find a Puddle. Jump in It.

Does your local Earth Day forecast call for rain? Don’t let wet weather keep you indoors. Grab your raincoats and boots and take your kids outside for some good old fashioned puddle jumping! Maybe even do a little singin’ in the rain to make the experience even more memorable. Take a moment to explain to your kids the importance of spring showers, both for growing flowers and giving birds in the backyard a puddle of their own to play in.

It’s good to remember that kids can have fun in any weather. In our latest parent guide, we show you how getting outside, no matter the weather, is beneficial to your family.

Teach Your Kids to Fish

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of days spent fishing at the local lake with my family. Catching fish was never really the point – we rarely caught anything and if we did, we tossed them back in. Instead, fishing trips were our escape from the craziness of everyday life. Nothing is more relaxing than tossing out a fishing line and reeling it in!

This Earth Day, grab a pole and head out to your local fishing hole with the kids in tow. New to fishing? It is easier than you think to get started. Check out this article for helpful tips to get your kids hooked on fishing.

Pledge to Be Out There

Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to take the pledge to Be Out There and help NWF reach our goal of getting 10 million American kids out of their indoor habitat and into the great outdoors.

Taking the pledge is a great first step toward improving your child’s overall health and happiness. Once you take the pledge, Be Out There will show you how easy it is to incorporate more outdoor play into your child’s life with helpful tips and ideas.

Finally, don’t forget to share the pledge with the other people in your life who you would like to Be Out There with!

NWF Celebrates New Certified Sustainable Biofuel Flight Route Across The Atlantic

March 8 – The National Wildlife Federation and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) are pleased to announce a milestone in the sustainable biofuels industry and commercial air travel. A new KLM Royal Dutch Airlines route between Amsterdam and New York’s JFK is the first ever to use RSB certified fuel.

The fuel is supplied by SkyNRG, the first worldwide biofuel operator to achieve the RSB certification for their entire supply chain—“from feedstock to flight.” SkyNRG is the only fuel operator that can supply sustainable jet fuel into wing at any airport in the world. The inaugural flight and this new RSB biofuels route demonstrate that there is a market for next generation sustainable biofuels.

NWF: EPA Nominee a Strong Advocate for America’s Conservation Heritage

March 4 – President Barack Obama will reportedly nominate Gina McCarthy to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. McCarthy is currently Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.

Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“Gina McCarthy has decades of experience working across party lines with officials at the local, state and federal levels to protect our air, water, wildlife, public health and the jobs that depend on them. Whether as serving as Mitt Romney’s top environmental advisor or as the key broker of a historic agreement between unions, industry, states and environmental groups to boost fuel economy, Gina McCarthy has proven herself to be fair and pragmatic while determined to carry out her responsibilities under the law.

A New Frontier for Sustainable Style

Each of the sustainable leather bags comes with its own Passport, detailing the products sustainable credentials and traceability.

The GCC, Gucci and the NWF have worked to create an exemplary supply chain that ensures all Brazilian cow hides for the line are legally produced from the Amazon region of Brazil and do not cause deforestation. Each Gucci for the Green Carpet Challenge bag carries a passport containing the precise history of the chain of supply, from the birth of the cow to the beautiful final product. The bags are made using leather from cattle ranches that have achieved Rainforest Alliance certification, covering environmental and social justice criteria as well as the ethical treatment of cattle. The range becomes the first ever leather line to achieve this.

• For more, read our blog post: “Gucci Goes Green at Paris Fashion Week“

And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• Politico: Jewell nomination hearing today
• Arizona Daily Star: Town of Ajo is awarded wildlife-friendly title
• The Melissa Harris Perry Show (MSNBC): BP Put on Trial 3 Years Later 
• E! Online: Gucci Launches Sustainable Line of Luxury Handbags
• New York Live: Exotic Animals with David Mizejewski & The National Wildlife Federation
• Associated Press:  Advocates ask Congress to spare Great Lakes funds
• Times Picayune: New Orleans, state officials and National Wildlife Federation to discuss spending BP oil spill money on coastal issues
• Columbus Dispatch: National Wildlife Week, March 18-24, Celebrates Branching Out for Wildlife

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

NWF: State Dept. Keystone XL Analysis Fatally Flawed

March 1 – The U.S. State Department, which is overseeing the permit application for TransCanada’s Keystone XL tar sands pipeline issued a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) today. The SEIS release wraps up another stage of the highly controversial environmental review and kicks off a round of public comment that will eventually lead to a final decision from President Obama within several months. National Wildlife Federation has several major concerns with the analysis, but most objectionable is the claim that “approval or denial of the proposed Project is unlikely to have a substantial impact on the rate of development in the oil sands.”

“This analysis fails in its review of climate impacts, threats to endangered wildlife like whooping cranes and woodland caribou, and the concerns of tribal communities,” said Jim Lyon, vice president for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation.

• For more, read our latest blog post on this issue: “Will Obama Go Back to 1984 on Keystone XL?“

Oil Spill Case: BP Needs to Be Held Accountable

February 25 - BP is facing tens of billions of dollars in penalties as the U.S. Department of Justice and the British oil giant get ready to start trial Monday over civil charges stemming from the 2010 Gulf oil disaster. However, a report in the Wall Street Journal today suggests that the Department of Justice may be considering proposing a settlement.

“The Gulf of Mexico is more than just a place where oil companies make enormous profits—it’s a public jewel where our children swim, where wildlife live, and where we get the food we eat,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

• For more check out the latest BP blog:  ”BP’s Gulf Oil Spill Trial 101: A Primer“

New NWF Report Raises Questions on Need for Lake Michigan Diversion

February 25 – A new National Wildlife Federation report raises questions on whether a Wisconsin community needs to divert water from the Great Lakes to meet its water needs. The City of Waukesha is applying to divert Lake Michigan water. The application is the first since the passage of the Great Lakes Compact which bans diversions of Great Lakes water and promotes wise water use within the eight states and two Canadian provinces bordering the lakes. Many conservation groups view Waukesha’s application as precedent-setting.

“Our analysis finds that Waukesha might not need to divert Great Lakes water to meet its water needs,” said Marc Smith, Senior Policy Manger with National Wildlife Federation. “The city has options on the table that may satisfy their water needs. In short, they have not justified their need for a Lake Michigan diversion.”

• Download the full report: An Analysis of the City of Waukesha Diversion Application (pdf)

And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• The Washington Post: Blocking Keystone XL won’t save the climate, State Department analysis says
• Wall Street Journal: Accusations Fly as Trial Over Gulf Oil Spill Begins (subscription required)
• NPR: Witnesses To Take The Stand In BP Trial
• UPI: Green groups want BP held accountable
• Times-Picayune: Environmental leaders weigh in on the start of BP oil spill trial
• Mother Jones: Top 4 Reasons the US Still Doesn’t Have a Single Offshore Wind Turbine
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: National Wildlife Federation questions Waukesha water request
• Detroit Free Press: Warmer winters bedevil moose in Minnesota
• CBC News: Warming Lake Superior stresses wildlife, observers say

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

National Wildlife Photo Contest entry by Lois Settlemeyer.

With climate change bearing down on polar bears and their Arctic home, and without a plan in place for cutting carbon pollution by 50 percent by 2030, scientists have started preparing rescue plans for the imperiled animals.  These “crisis management plans,” laid out in the journal Conservation Letters, include some desperate strategies such as feeding the bears during increasingly long ice-free periods — a measure that goes against rule No. 1 for bear biologists.

However, as NWF bear biologist Sterling Miller explains, these proposed crisis plans are most appropriately viewed as pleas for action on climate change as they do not provide any real answers to the problem of starving bears:

“The reality is that unless something is done soon to curb global warming, there is no hope for polar bears. Measures like providing food for the bears are simply not sustainable in the long run.  At best, they will only work as a stopgap solution to buy the bears a little more time until climate change impacts can be reversed.  They are not long-term solutions.”

Change happening faster than expected

With sea ice melting faster than originally projected, scientists are starting to prepare for the worst. Just one exceptionally bad year of ice melt could send polar bear populations plummeting, requiring governments around the world to react quickly. In addition to providing food directly to polar bears, scientists are floating other non-conventional ideas, such as moving bears from southern areas to northern ones. To ensure the safety of people, some polar bears may need to be killed or confined in short-term holding pens.

As highlighted in NWF’s recent report, Wildlife in a Warming World, polar bears are not the only animals struggling to survive climate change.  Without meaningful action to address the cause of climate change—carbon pollution—treasured species from around the planet will begin to continue to suffer losses.

Still time to act

Fortunately, renewed hope is on the horizon. From the emphasis put on climate change in President Obama’s inaugural address to the recent creation of the Bicameral Climate Change Task Force in Congress, our elected leaders are signaling a new commitment to cutting carbon pollution.

It is not too late for polar bears. We can still avoid the worst impacts of climate change and give arctic wildlife a fighting chance with your help. Take action/Donate

Speak up for hungry polar bears and their cubs—urge President Obama to set strong limits on carbon pollution.

National Wildlife Photo Contest entry by Robert Postma.

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced they want to add the North American wolverine, a mountain-dwelling carnivore known for its ferocity and audacity, to the Endangered Species Act list. With less than 300 wolverines existing in the wild in the lower 48 states, scientists fear that climate change could push them over the brink if actions are not taken to protect them and their dwindling habitat.

The Mountain Devil

Much like its movie and comic book counterparts, the wolverine is known for being a badass. Weighing between 26 and 40 pounds, the animal packs a big punch for its small size. They have been seen taking on 300-pound black bears and taking down prey much larger than they are, such as deer, caribou and elk.

Armed with sharp claws, strong jaws and thick, frost-proof hides, wolverines are extremely territorial animals.  And while they are famous for picking fights and having gluttonous eating habits, the reality is that wolverines have simply adapted to the harsh environments in which they live—boreal forests, alpine tundra and the snow-tipped mountains of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington.

Yet, with climate change, these animals face a threat that no amount of badassery can overcome.

Melting Snowpack Puts Wolverines At Risk

Wolverine populations have been steadily declining in the United States for quite some time. Once abundant throughout the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevadas, unregulated trapping and hunting wiped out most wolverine populations in the United States by the 1930s. Combined with habitat loss and fragmentation, wild wolverine numbers have dwindled to an estimated 250-300 in the lower 48 states today.

Now, wildlife biologists have added a new threat to this list: climate change. Female wolverines need deep snow to create the dens where they birth and rear their young. With spring arriving earlier every year, wolverines are literally watching their denning habitat melt away as a result of climate change.

Endangered Species Act to the Rescue

The good news for wolverines is that the Endangered Species Act provides a safety net for wildlife on the brink of extinction. As a listed threatened species, wolverines are eligible for critical habitat designations and captive breeding and reintroduction programs. In its 40-year history, the Endangered Species Act has helped recover species like the bald eagle and grizzly bear and saved others like the black-footed ferret from disappearing completely.

Right now, the Endangered Species Act is the strongest tool available for helping wolverines survive.

Safeguarding Wildlife in a Warming World

While the best way to help species like wolverines, polar bears, and ringed and bearded seals—all of which have been listed or proposed for listing on account of climate change—is to reduce the carbon pollution driving climate change, other steps must be taken right now to help wildlife cope with the changes already happening where they live.

For wolverines, this means providing the large intact landscapes they need to survive. Making sure that wolverines and other climate change-threatened wildlife have the room they need to roam and keeping it connected is a key principle of what National Wildlife Federation calls climate-smart conservation.

Without these actions, wolverines face a bleak future. And as much fun as it is to watch Wolverine take on Sabertooth in a movie, I for one would much rather know that somewhere, in the wild, is a real wolverine taking on an entire pack of wolves, just because he can.

You can help fight for wolverines and other climate change-threatened wildlife by urging President Obama to limit carbon pollution from coal-burning power plants.

A polar bear mother and her two cubs near Churchill, Manitoba. National Wildlife Photo Contest Entry by James Seith.

The timing of this announcement could not be worse. The bears saw their Arctic ice habitat melt to a record-shattering low this past summer, a sign that climate change is altering the planet at a much faster pace than previously projected.

To make matters worse for polar bears, in response to a lawsuit by the Alaska Oil and Gas Association and the state of Alaska, a judge overturned a federal rule aimed at protecting critical habitat for polar bears in the U.S. The decision, if not reversed, means that notwithstanding the disturbance to bears from oil and gas drilling and extraction activities, as well as the outright danger of oil spills, oil and gas development will likely accelerate in prime polar bear habitat.

Protect the Home, Protect the Species

After the polar bear was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated more than 187,000 square miles as critical habitat for the struggling Arctic polar bears in 2010. This science-based decision included both Arctic sea ice and terrestrial habitat, including denning areas, for polar bears in Alaska. The designation facilitated greater scrutiny of oil and gas development and stronger safeguards in critical habitat.

Because it helps protect the places where polar bears live, the designation of critical habitat was welcomed as a way to give polar bears a fighting chance against the threats of global warming. The judge’s decision means that polar bears now face the double whammy with their habitat: the sea ice is literally melting away because of global warming and what is left faces increasing disturbance from oil and gas development in the areas they require to hunt, den and rear their young.

Speak Up to Help Polar Bears

Helping polar bears requires protecting them from disturbance, including the threat of oil spills, in their critical habitat. It is imperative that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service take action to get the bears’ critical habitat reinstated, by making a few corrections to its original proposal.

Helping polar bears also requires action to reduce the carbon pollution that is accelerating the melting of their Arctic home. You can help polar bears by sending a message to the Environmental Protection Agency in support of limiting carbon pollution from coal-burning power plants.

Draft National Climate Assessment Report Available for Public Review

National Wildlife Photo Contest entry by Lois Settlemeyer.

Ad: Hold BP Accountable During Settlement Negotiations

January 7 – Today, the National Wildlife Federation unveiled an ad campaign on the Washington Metro subway system aimed at influencing the Department of Justice’s settlement negotiations with BP. The ads are located in the Navy Archives Metro station, close to the Department of Justice’s Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters.

“Americans from all walks of life reeled in horror as BP’s negligence sent more than 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico,” said Aileo Weinmann, associate communications director for the National Wildlife Federation. “We’re sending a signal to staff at the Department of Justice to hold BP fully accountable for up to $50 billion in civil fines and penalties.”

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• The Washington Times: Lawmakers seek leverage on Obama energy push
• News & Observer: Provide winter treats for the birds 
• Bayou Buzz: Oiled pelican photo in HOLD BP ACCOUNTABLE ad greets Justice employees at Washington Metro station

For more, visit www.nwf.org/news 

Transocean Pleads Guilty to Violating CWA and Will Pay $1.4 Billion

January 3 - The Department of Justice announced today that Transocean will plead guilty to violating the Clean Water Act and other statutes and pay $1 billion in civil penalties and $400 million in criminal penalties for its role in the 2010 Gulf oil disaster.

“This is an important step to get money flowing into the Gulf of Mexico,” said John Kostyack, vice president for wildlife conservation at the National Wildlife Federation. “Environmental restoration is critical to the well-being of the communities and ecosystems of the Gulf. In passing the bipartisan RESTORE Act, Congress recognized that a healthy ecosystem supports a healthy economy, both regionally and nationally. These are the first funds that will be directed under that historic statute, potentially beginning the largest ecosystem restoration project in U.S. history.”

Farm Bill Extension Falls Short

January 2 - After failing to pass a five year Farm Bill this past year, Congress has extended the 2008 Farm Bill for nine months as part of the fiscal crisis deal. In addition to preventing new farmers from enrolling in the Conservation Stewardship Program, the extension lacks funding for critical renewable energy programs and delays the implementation of sodsaver, a policy that would reduce federal subsidies for farmers who convert native grassland into cropland.

“It is disappointing that Congress was unable to pass a five year Farm Bill in time,” said Julie Sibbing, Director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs for the National Wildlife Federation. “Passing a nine month extension delays much needed reforms and cuts a key incentive program for farmers wanting to implement conservation measures on their land. America’s farmers, taxpayers and wildlife deserve more than this Band-Aid fix.”

• Related: What the Fiscal Cliff Deal Means for Wildlife

TIME OUT: A New Year’s Resolution for the Whole Family

December 31 - One of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions is to “spend more time with my family”. National Wildlife Federation says one of the best ways to keep that resolution all year long is to head outdoors where families can enjoy time together while improving the physical and mental health of their children.

In 2013 resolve to Be Out There and spend more time in the company of Mother Nature. By doing this, families can recapture an essential part of childhood that is being lost; the part that makes outdoors the favorite play space. It’s easier than you think to work into a family routine and National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There program will be there throughout the year with activities, ideas and inspirations to get more green time into kid’s lives.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• Reuters: Nebraska environment report favors revised Keystone XL pipe plan
• PNS: Fiscal Cliff Deal Includes a Reprieve for Wind Tax Credits
• PNS: ‘Be Outside’ Pledges in MT Aim for Outdoor Fun Every Week
• The News Star: Birds of a feather
• Reuters:  EPA faces legal battles, might take easy confirmation road

For more, visit www.nwf.org/news

NWF Applauds Nomination of Sen. Kerry to be Secretary of State

December 21 – President Obama is expected today to nominate Senator John Kerry to be the next Secretary of State.

Larry Schweiger, CEO, and president of National Wildlife Federation, issued the following statement:

“National Wildlife Federation enthusiastically supports Senator’s Kerry’s nomination to be Secretary of State.  President Obama has promised to make climate change a top priority for his second term and Senator Kerry is a great addition to his cabinet to help get the job done. Senator Kerry is a leader on the environment and climate change and he has worked across the aisle to build bipartisan support for action in the Senate.  Senator Kerry understands the urgent need for U.S. leadership and global cooperation to tackle climate change and speed the transformation to a clean energy economy.  National Wildlife Federation looks forward to supporting him as he tackles these critical threats to wildlife and our children’s future.”

New Plan Balances Wildlife Conservation with Drilling in Western Arctic

December 19 – The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today announced a final management plan that will determine how oil and gas leasing can move forward while protecting wildlife in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, also known as the Western Arctic Reserve.

“Today’s release of the final Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement represents a balanced approach to managing the Western Arctic Reserve, taking into account the needs of local wildlife, local communities and for oil and gas production,” said Adam Kolton, executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s National Advocacy Center. “We commend the Interior Department for providing vital protections for Teshekpuk Lake, Kasegaluk Lagoon and the Colville River Special Area.”

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• UPI: Alaska oil plans draw fire, praise
• Reuters: U.S. unveils plan to manage huge Alaskan oil reserve
• Seattle Times: With climate change, winter isn’t what it used to be
• The Coloradoan: Report: Climate change already altering the rhythms of nature
• Deseret News: Climate change already playing out in West, report says
• Dot Earth (NYTimes blog): Scientists See Big Impacts on U.S. Ecosystems from Global Warming

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

Offshore Wind Developers, Environmental Groups Reach First-of-Kind Agreement to Protect Endangered Right Whales

December 12 - In a first of its kind collaboration, a coalition of leading environmental organizations and offshore wind developers has agreed to a series of voluntary measures that will protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, while helping to expedite responsible offshore wind development, in the Mid-Atlantic.

Building upon proposed federally mandated protections, the Conservation Law Foundation, the National Wildlife Federation, Environment America and the Natural Resources Defense Council, working together with Deepwater Wind, Energy Management, Inc. (owner of Cape Wind in Massachusetts) and NRG Bluewater Wind, have drafted a set of protective measures that these developers will voluntarily implement over the next four years in areas designated by the administration as Mid-Atlantic Wind Energy Areas, which stretch from New Jersey to Virginia (map available here: http://on.doi.gov/UWoNPF).

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• The Star-Ledger: Offshore wind farm developers promise to keep whales’ interests in mind
• Bloomberg: Keystone Review Meaningless Without Climate Assessment
• The Morning Call: Hunters, fishermen could suffer without ‘fiscal cliff’ deal (Op-Ed)
• The Journal News: NWF’s ‘Ranger Rick’: Learn about lions in app for kids
• Public News Service: Ohio Hunters and Anglers Back Clean Wind Energy

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News