When we think about nature and the great outdoors in Colorado the places that come to mind are often our world-famous mountains, national parks and forests. Though, for so many … Read more
Connect to Nature
Digitizing the Outdoors: Can Gaming be the Gateway to Nature?
Children today are spending alarming amounts of their time indoors and in front of screens—7.5 hours per day on electronic devices. Research suggests that ADHD and other behavioral issues are … Read more
Children and Nature: What We Know, What We Are Learning & What We Need To Do
My colleagues and I here at Texas A&M University, along with researchers at the University of Tennessee and the National Forest Service, have been collaborating over the last few years to develop and conduct studies to increase our understanding of that relationship. Read more
Study: Many Young Kids’ Parents Don’t Take Them Outside
It’s truly spring—though a bit too warm—when a kid’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of running around outside. Unfortunately, many young children may not be getting the chance, per a … Read more
Back to Our Roots: Connecting to the Outdoors Connects Me to Family
The brisk chill of the early mornings in Washington, D.C. before the city becomes occupied by thousands of footprints, beeping horns, and the air is tainted with smoke and smog … Read more
Study: Children’s Books Are No Longer Where the Wild Things Are
As the former wolf-costumed star of a classic of the genre, I know a thing or two about children’s books and how they affect us. A big part of their … Read more
House Transportation Bill Would Defund Programs to Help Kids Walk to School Safely
The House Transportation and Infrastructure committee released its transportation bill yesterday, and it’s already been billed “a march of horribles” that would strip funding from public transit, urban improvements for … Read more
National Parks Can Help Make America’s Kids Healthier…and That Helps Parks, Too.
A lot happened at America’s Summit on National Parks, which met this week in the large, confusing Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington. Its purpose was plan … Read more
Gov. O’Malley’s Proposed Maryland Budget Makes the Case for Connecting Kids to Nature
My Terps are going through a rough patch, but there’s one area where Maryland has proven a great leader—its attention to kids’ outdoor activity and environmental literacy. Maryland Governor Martin … Read more
Study: Kids in Green Neighborhoods Play Outside More
Sometimes it takes academia a while to catch up with things we ‘know’ at a gut level. Case in point: a recent study published in the International Journal of Health … Read more
