Photo credit: Lester Spence_Flickr

Although I taught in a city where most kids walked from place to place, I found that many of my kids didn’t have quality time in the outdoors, let alone a place to explore and get their hands dirty.

Most of them came to school at 8am and were there until 6pm. By the time parents took them home it was time for dinner and then off to bed (in the best case scenarios).  For my students, school became the ultimate outlet for exploration in the outdoors. 

Unfortunately, our first adventure into the outdoors ended abruptly.  Instead of a grass, trees, and open space for play we found wood chips, outdated play ground equipment and drugs.

What’s worse is that this very scenario plays out across cities, small towns, and suburbs all across America.

Every child deserves a free, green space to play and discover the natural world around them.

Check out the full story below:

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TAKE ACTION

Help get kids reconnected to wildlife! Urge Congress to help get America’s kids back outdoors, and on a path to a stronger appreciation for wildlife and the natural world.

National Wildlife Federation’s Storytelling Video Diary Series shares the candid tales of 10 NWF staffers from around the country; armed with their cameras in California, Wisconsin, the Pacific Northwest, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC, these nine staffers will share with you their individual trials, epiphanies and stories as they unfold in their daily adventures.

Disney Recognizes Youth from Georgia, New Mexico for Conservation Efforts

April 13 – Four youth from Georgia and New Mexico were selected by the National Wildlife Federation as Youth Ambassadors to participate in Disney’s Kids and Nature Celebration at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

Brandon, Malcolm, Reena and Daveishena and other youth recognized by Disney, will participate in the first-ever Disney Friends of Change Youth Summit, the World Premier of Disneynature’s Chimpanzee with Dr. Jane Goodall, and will receive awards and recognition at the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Awards Ceremony.

“The youth chosen to receive the Disney Kids and Nature Champions Award represent a committed group of young people who care about protecting the natural world,” said Larry Schweiger, who will speak at the Celebration in Orlando.

Getting the Dirt on Dirt for Healthier, Happier Children

April 12 – Dirt is a four-letter word to many parents, but letting kids get dirty is actually good for them according to a new report from the National Wildlife Federation, The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Outdoors Benefits Kids.

Fears about dangers lurking in the muck – microbes, parasites and amoebas, oh my! – keep some parents from letting kids do what comes naturally, which is to go outside and get messy. But here’s a dirty little secret: children who spend the better part of their free time in the company of their sterile hi-tech gadgets rather than playing outside, are more vulnerable to obesity, ADHD, vitamin D deficiency and depression.

Report: Reengineer Mississippi River Delta To Protect Nation’s Economic, Ecological Assets

April 11 – Building a series of engineered structures called diversions along the lower Mississippi River will yield tens of billions of dollars in net annual benefits to the nation and hedge against future disasters, according to a new report co-authored by 22 prominent scientists and engineers.

The report, “Answering 10 Fundamental Questions about the Mississippi River Delta,” makes a scientific and economic case for restoring the Mississippi River Delta wetlands, which have shrunk in size by nearly 1,900 square miles since the 1930s. The report also makes the case for reengineering the aging lower Mississippi River flood-control and navigation systems, which are increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic failures.

New NWF Report: A Degraded Gulf of Mexico

April 10 – As the two-year mark of the Deepwater Horizon blowout approaches, the National Wildlife Federation issued a new report today examining the health of the Gulf’s wildlife and wetlands. Impacts from the Gulf oil disaster will be unfolding for years, if not decades, and many species of wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico will need the combined efforts of scientists, policymakers and regulators to recover.

A Degraded Gulf Of Mexico: Wildlife and Wetlands Two Years into the Gulf Oil Disaster  was written by National Wildlife Federation Senior Scientist Dr. Doug Inkley.

Oil still in Louisiana’s marshes two years after start of Gulf Oil Disaster [w/Video and Photos]

April 10 – Two years after the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded, killing eleven men and spilling 5 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, oil remains a major threat to Louisiana’s wetlands. Biologists and wildlife advocates say the disaster is far from over — oil can still be found beneath the surface in marshes and it is impacting wildlife and exacerbating the erosion of the state’s coast.

NWF believes the most important step in restoration is the passage of the RESTORE Act, which would put the billions of dollars in fines that BP and the other responsible parties will pay to work on the damaged areas of the Gulf Coast. From sediment diversions to marsh creation and barrier island restoration, there are many projects that could significantly rebuild the wetlands if they only had the funding.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• Erie Times-News: All eyes on weather as trout season opens
• Associated Press: Many worry Ohio water plans will hurt Lake Erie
• Field & Stream: Conservation Update: The Oil Stopped Two Years Ago, but the Spill Continues
• Times-Picayune: National Wildlife Federation says Gulf of Mexico still suffering from oil spill
• United Press International: NWF says gulf oil spill threat long term
• The Advertiser: Report: Dolphins heavily affected by oil spill
• KATC: National Wildlife Federation Releasing Information on the State of the Gulf of Mexico
• EnergyWire (subscription required): Colo. county wants public lands opened to shale developers

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

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.