The poll, released by The Nature Conservancy, also links an inherent sense of pride with our enjoyment and protection of the outdoors.  It found that, from “Tea Party Republicans to liberal Democrats, more than four-in-five American voters say that conserving our country’s natural resources—our land, air and water—is patriotic.”  In short,

1. Conservation is patriotic, period.  Our ability to utilize and enjoy the great outdoors is a source of joy and pride to us as Americans.

2. If we fail to ensure that our children are getting outdoors on a regular basis, and thereby improving their physical and mental well-being, chances for academic success and interest in pursuing STEM careers, their future could be a bleak one.

To this end, we at NWF are working to pass the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act, which supports state, local and federal strategies to connect youth and families with the natural world, with an eye toward improving children’s health and supporting future economic growth and conservation efforts.

In addition, with encouragement from the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, of which NWF is a founding member, First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign released this video last week encouraging families to get active in the great outdoors.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now is the time for all of you go-getters to listen up and follow suit.  After all, as is the case for us and our compatriots, it is much easier to make the case for connecting kids to nature when it is a priority shared outside of Washington.  If voters understand how much is at stake in making sure all kids have safe access to the outdoors, so should Congress.

Jenny Lake in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. The Western Governors' Association recently met and released a report featuring recommendations on connecting more kids with the outdoors. (flickr | Yellowstone Gate)

“The Govs” (like “The Avengers”), led by chair Governor Chris Gregoire, were unanimous in their push to get kids outdoors.

As Colorado Governor  John Hickenlooper said: “[Y]ou can’t truly experience a state park or beautiful natural area until you actually go there and get dirty.”

We already know there are lots of good reasons to get kids off the couch.  It is better for their physical and mental health, and it makes them more likely to be conservationists when they grow up.

The Govs added another motivation: economics.  Tourism is a huge economic driver for the west.  If America raises a generation of kids who don’t care about the outdoors, our national and state parks, forests and recreational areas will get less use, and western communities will take a financial beating.

A Plan to Keep Outdoors Tourism Alive

The Govs aren’t just wagging fingers–they have a plan.  During the meeting, WGA released a report titled Connecting Kids and Families to the West’s Great Outdoors.  This report highlights the many ways that governors can reconnect people with nature.

Among other recommendations, the report encourages governors to create “Healthy Kids Outdoors Councils” to establish comprehensive statewide strategies for getting kids outdoors.  That strategy, which has already been implemented in Maryland and Kansas, will enable states to tap into resources from the federal Healthy Kids Outdoors Act once it passes in Congress.

The report also encourages Governors to create Children’s Outdoor Bills of Rights (the first such Bill was created in California), broker new partnerships, recognize youth leaders, promote the North American Conservation Education Strategy and promote fee-free days in parks.  At the meeting, several Western governors also agreed to participate in a pilot project that aims to increase park visits by creating a position of Youth Outdoor Recreation Outreach Coordinator in their offices.

NWF looks forward to working with WGA and our Western Governors to advance state policies that reconnect children with nature!  And we hope you will join us in supporting the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act in Congress, a bill that will support the “Healthy Kids Outdoors Councils” called for in the WGA report!

Great Outdoors Month is a perfect time for kids to get out in nature (flickr | Jonf728)

Thankfully, enjoying the Great Outdoors is an exception to that rule.  Today is the start of Great Outdoors Month, as officially proclaimed by Republican and Democratic Governors alike.

President Obama issued his proclamation today as well, just as he’s done the last three years, and as George W. Bush did before him.

With Great Outdoors Month underway, it’s time to think about how YOU plan to celebrate.

Here are my Top 5 Ways to Celebrate Great Outdoors Month!

1. Take a hike!  Tomorrow (June 2nd) is National Trails Day and there are thousands of events happening all over the country.  In 2012, we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of this event hosted by the American Hiking Society.
2. Saturday, June 9th, is National Get Outdoors Day with family-friendly events planned all across the country and supported by the U.S. Forest Service, the American Recreation Coalition and other partners.
3. Find nature close to home using the NWF Nature Find tool.  Just enter your zip code and find green spaces close to home and activities for the whole family.  Or use the NWF Activity Finder to get ideas for outdoor fun in your own backyard.
4. Join us for the Great American Backyard Campout on Satuday June 23rd.  Join a community event or create your own and be sure to register your event online!
5. Back to the election year stuff: Talk to your Members of Congress, Governors, State Legislators, Mayor, City Council, School Board and other elected officials about the importance of outdoor play and education for our children’s health and wellbeing.  Email your Members of Congress and ask them to support the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act and the No Child Left Inside Act.

However YOU decide to celebrate Great Outdoors Month, please share it with us by posting a comment on this blog!

Healthy Kids from Day One sponsor Sen. Mark Udall greets a friend on National Get Outdoors Day Denver, in Denver's City Park (flickr | SenatorMarkUdall)

But, with more than 1 in 5 preschoolers today being obese or overweight (and 1 in 3 low-income children classified as obese before their fifth birthday), Mrs. Obama cannot singlehandedly win the fight against this epidemic. According to the CDC, approximately 13 million U.S. children and adolescents are obese, a rate that has tripled since 1980.

Fortunately, there is action being taken on Capitol Hill to address this crisis, including the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act. And now for our youngest kids, there is Senator Mark Udall’s (CO) proposed Healthy Kids from Day One Act. Reflecting the pervasive nature of factors contributing to obesity – namely the eating and exercise habits that begin in preschool years – the legislation would create a three-year pilot program in five states supporting child care collaboratives for healthy eating, physical activity and reducing screen time.

Under the bill, the Department of Health and Human Services would award competitive grants to help reduce and prevent childhood obesity and to encourage parental engagement in childcare settings. The bill recognizes the importance of including outdoor play to enhance children’s mental and physical development.  One finding in the bill highlights the health benefits of outdoor time:

Age-appropriate physical activity in the outdoors, in particular, can produce immense physical, mental and emotional health benefits, including addressing childhood obesity, decreasing symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, improving motor skills, stimulating brain development, increasing creativity and quality sleep, and reducing the risk of developing myopia.

The statistics on our youngest kids’ health are daunting to say the least. The amount of time children spend outdoors is dwindling rapidly, and research has shown that kids are sedentary for about 70-83% of the time they spend in child care. Factor in more screen time than ever, and it becomes clear that anything less than a multi-systems, as-early-as-possible approach will be insufficient. A graphic from the New York Times’ coverage of a Common Sense Media report shows that 44% of 2-4 year olds already have TVs in their bedrooms. And since it’s American Heart Health Month, let’s not forget that all this inactivity is a major culprit in developing heart disease, and that the signs of it are appearing early and often in young kids.

NWF’s Be Out There campaign to connect kids and families to nature has many suggestions for engaging young children in outdoor play, which has been shown to stimulate healthy brain development, along with a slew of additional benefits. Also, to help get nature back into playtime, the Natural Play and Learning Areas Guidelines Project works with managers of schools, parks, childcare centers, and public lands to implement best practices and deal with obstacles in order to build better outdoor play spaces.

Danielle Korpalski 2011.

Now, a movement is underway to connect Michigan’s kids with some of the nature that surrounds them.

The Michigan Outdoor Recreation and Education (MORE) movement, funded in part by a grant to NWF’s Great Lakes Regional Center from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, is intended to bring state agencies and the education, business, conservation and health communities together to develop a comprehensive state plan—a blueprint—to connect Michigan’s kids with nature and advance environmental literacy, improve kids’ physical and mental health, and foster a conservation ethic.

MORE Co-coordinator Julia Liljegren:

“The goal of the MORE Blueprint is to establish connecting Michigan’s kids with nature as a State priority and ensure a mechanism for making that reality…The level to which kids connect with nature is something that impacts the whole state, now and in the future.  We’re all stakeholders in this, so we have a responsibility to develop a solid plan that can be implemented throughout the state.”

Once developed, the MORE Blueprint will help the state become eligible for funds under the eventual No Child Left Inside and Healthy Kids Outdoors Acts, proposed to improve environmental literacy and encourage outdoor activity, respectively.

Stay tuned for more on MORE (ha!) as the movement develops.

For more information about the MORE Movement or to get involved, contact, Julia Liljegren, Regional Education Advocacy Manager, NWF Great Lakes Regional Center at liljegrenj@nwf.org.

One of the greatest gifts I received from my parents was not a tangible gift at all. It was a gift of an unquenchable curiosity about nature.

Mom and Dad loved the outdoors, and they spent their free time in nature with their four sons, fostering in us a fascination for nature that lives on today. Mom always encouraged us to “find something to do” outside, and I often followed Dad as he trained his beagles and in later years hunted with him in the fields and forests of western Pennsylvania.

Admittedly, it was a lot easier to get kids outside back in those days. There were far fewer of the distractions that keep youngsters indoors. My hometown of Pittsburgh launched KDKA, the world’s first commercial radio station and later the first round-the-clock commercial television channel. At first, that was the only channel we could watch on our 16-inch Crosley television, which seemed to take forever to warm up.

These days, children are bombarded by hundreds of television channels displayed on high-definition, flat screens complete with theater-quality surround sound. They create an endless stream of text messages on their cell phones and have access to the Internet, games, gadgets and seemingly endless other high-tech distractions.

By today’s standards, my family did not have a lot of money to buy toys. Mom and Dad paid $7,000 for our home, and Dad worked 12 hours or more a day to earn his $60 weekly salary. Computers or other electronic gadgets didn’t exist. The only “cell phone” in our world was on Dick Tracy’s wrist.

Yet we never thought of ourselves as poor because we were rich in imagination and exploration. Several hundred acres of field and forest awaited us just outside our front door, and we explored every inch, finding simple joys at every turn. Examples:

• I remember watching in wonder as we observed a doe nursing her twin fawns at a stream bank.
• We were inspired by the size of a great horned owl, which startled us as it silently glided overhead before landing in a nearby white pine.
• Collecting rusty nails and scraps of wood from nearby home construction sites, we built tree shacks in the aspen stands.
• We built earth-filled log dams in Girty’s Run and stocked the impoundments with bluegills that we transplanted from a nearby lake.
• We emulated Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett by building a network of “wilderness” trails with some neighborhood friends and our pet beagle.

Before many parents turned to prescriptions to calm their hyperactive kids, recess periods in our elementary school’s playground provided important outlets for students like me to expend pent-up energy. As much as I enjoyed three daily recesses, the best part of my day was running into the woods after school.

Today, I worry about how much time kids spend indoors in front of televisions, computer screens and game devices. I worry, too, about how little connection children have with nature and how little physical exercise they are getting. Based on my own experiences, I believe unstructured outdoor time allows children the freedom to explore, create and imagine. Kids who spend at least an hour each day outdoors generally are healthier—physically and mentally—and, according to recent studies, they sleep better.

Citing a rise in childhood obesity rates and a litany of health problems related to sedentary lifestyles, Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), chairman of the Senate’s Subcommittee on National Parks and co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Outdoor Recreation Caucus, insists that getting kids out into nature should be a bipartisan concern. Having worked at the Colorado Outward Bound School for 20 years, including a decade as its executive director, he knows what he is talking about.

At a recent congressional briefing on the benefits of reconnecting youngsters with nature, Senator Udall and Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) announced their intention to introduce Senate and House versions of the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act. If enacted, the legislation would support state, local and federal strategies to connect our nation’s youth with the outdoors through natural play, recreation such as camping, hiking, hunting and fishing, public health plans, service learning and other initiatives. For the sake of our children, I hope the bill receives bipartisan support and is passed quickly.

In the meantime, each of us must do our part to get children into the outdoors to discover the wonders of nature, as I did many years ago. It’s a gift that continues to renew my spirit and one that I hope to pass on to my grandchildren.

Healthy Kids Outdoors Act Supports Strategies to Connect Kids with Nature

November 3 – Rep. Ron Kind (WI) and Sen. Mark Udall (CO) introduced House and Senate versions of the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act today to support state, local and federal strategies to connect youth and families with the natural world, with an eye toward improving children’s health and supporting future economic growth and conservation efforts.

“The nature of childhood has changed, and there isn’t much nature in it,” said Larry Schweiger, National Wildlife Federation’s president and CEO. “National Wildlife Federation commends Congressman Ron Kind and Senator Mark Udall for introducing legislation that will strengthen the economy by getting Americans moving through recreation and active outdoor play.”

Bill Undermines Invasive Species Protections for Great Lakes

November 3 – On the eve of a potential vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, the National Wildlife Federation is opposing provisions in a federal bill that would be a devastating setback in the effort to stop aquatic invasive species from entering the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters through the ballast discharge of foreign ships.

“This bill is bad for the Great Lakes,” said Andy Buchsbaum, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office. “It leaves the door open for invasive species to enter the lakes through the discharge of ships’ ballast water.

Restoring Oyster Reefs Benefits People, Economies, Ecosystems and Oysters

November 3 – If all the oyster reefs are gone, where are all of those oysters-on-the-half-shell coming from?

An estimated 95 percent of oysters served for slurping come from oyster farms. Wild oysters have been fished out, developed out and smothered by river sediment. The nearly 5 million barrels of oil BP let loose in the Gulf of Mexico didn’t help either. But BP, or more accurately, BP’s money can help restore wild oyster reefs (and a whole lot more). The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have introduced separate bills that would direct at least 80 percent of the Clean Water Act penalties levied on BP to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas to invest in the long term health of the environment and local economies.

Of course, “investing in local economies” covers a lot of ground, not necessarily in, on or adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico.

Louisiana Coastal Restoration Grants Welcome News, But Only a Short-Term Solution

November 3 – In late September, the Secretary of Commerce announced $102 million in grants for three projects to restore deteriorated wetlands and barrier island habitats in Louisiana. The restoration efforts involve pumping sediment to barrier island shores, rebuilding marshes and reinforcing shorelines in areas where precious land is eroding at a rapid pace.

While it’s a step in the right direction and welcome news to many, coastal advocates say it’s a temporary solution to a long-term problem. Such restoration projects can only be sustained by the permanent and natural land-replenishing impacts of freshwater diversions from the Mississippi River.

National Wildlife Federation, Partners Hold Symposium on Gulf Oil Disaster

November 2 -The National Wildlife Federation is sponsoring the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Symposium with the National Aquarium Conservation Center, Mote Marine Laboratory and Johns Hopkins University November 2-4 at the National Aquarium.

NRDA for the Gulf: Improving Our Ability to Quantify Chronic Damages will allow symposium participants to discuss long-term effects and solutions resulting from the Gulf oil disaster. Since the disaster, scientists/ researchers have been studying the impacts on natural resources in the Gulf and working together to find immediate and long-term solutions.

Lawmakers Starve Conservation Programs That Benefit Farmers and Wildlife

November 1 – The Senate voted to slash more than $700 million dollars from conservation programs that help farmers, ranchers and foresters, as well as soil, water and wildlife. These steep cuts in the 2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill target crucial and effective programs that are already oversubscribed with a long waiting list of farmers wanting to implement conservation practices.

“You reap what you sow, and the agriculture funding bill will be a bitter harvest for farmers, ranchers and wildlife,” said Aviva Glaser, agriculture policy coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation.

2012 Duck Stamp Announcement Highlights Value of Wetland Conservation

October 30 – The selection of the 2012 Federal Duck Stamp art contest winner – whose work will appear on stamps purchased by every duck hunter in America – puts a spotlight on the nation’s troubled wetland ecosystems. The National Wildlife Federation, Izaak Walton League, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and Trout Unlimited support restoring Clean Water Act protections for wetlands and other waters that are critical to fish and wildlife populations and our outdoor traditions.

New Report: Congressional Panel Can Cut Deficit, Protect Wildlife

October 27 – The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction can protect America’s wildlife, public health and economy by ensuring a deficit deal protects critical conservation programs that have already been disproportionately slashed, according to a new report from the National Wildlife Federation. Conservation Works: How Congress Can Lower the Deficit and Protect Wildlife & Public Health also identifies more than $100 billion in savings that could be realized by cutting wasteful tax giveaways for oil, coal and ethanol.

“Investments in conservation programs are a great bargain, accounting for just one percent of federal spending but delivering huge benefits to all Americans, protecting wildlife, investing in clean energy jobs, and reducing pollution that harms our children,” said Jeremy Symons, senior vice president of the National Wildlife Federation.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• Detroit Free Press: Bill on ballast water would threaten Great Lakes, environmentalists say
• Field & Stream: Conservation Update: How To Make A Farm Friendly to Wildlife
• New York Post: Wetlands at a Loss in the U.S.
• Des Moines Register: Conservationist urges Iowans to speak out on climate change

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

For many years, I have been concerned with the increase in sedentary and nature deficient lifestyles among Americans, especially among our youth.  Kids today spend less time outdoors than any other generation in history.  As a result, more kids are overweight and obese and suffer from stress, anxiety, and depression than ever before.

But it’s not too late to reverse these trends.  I recently joined with my colleague and friend, Senator Mark Udall, in introducing the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act. Increasing our time outdoors has countless physical and mental benefits.  This bill will provide federal assistance and support to state and local entities to enact strategies to connect people—especially young people—with nature, ensuring access and opportunities to garner the benefits of an active lifestyle outdoors.

Health Benefits

Today, kids spend an average of 7.5 hours a day in front of electronic devices and as few as four minutes each day outside.  Not only are these kids missing out on our country’s scenic wonders, but they are becoming increasingly overweight and obese.  Approximately 13 million U.S. children and adolescents are obese, a rate that has tripled since 1980.  Estimated at $14 billion annual, childhood obesity health expenses are taking a toll on our health care system.

As we consider these costs and the health of our children, we should also take a look at recent research that shows that kids who spend time outside are not only more physically active, but better behaved and more intellectually engaged.

Economic Benefits

Outdoor recreation is estimated to contribute over $9.7 billion annually to Wisconsin’s economy and support 129,000 jobs. According to the most recent USFWS-sponsored survey, 2.9 million people fished, hunted or participated in other wildlife recreation in Wisconsin in 2006, spending some $3.9 billion. On a national level, outdoor recreation contributes $730 billion annually to the economy (including $289 billion in retail sales and services), supports 6.5 million jobs, and provides sustainable growth in many rural communities—one more reason to encourage it and make it accessible.

Conservation Benefits

With increased sedentary lifestyles comes a lack of a connection to nature, threatening the future of conservation in this country.  A 2006 study from Cornell researchers found that participating in outdoor activities like hiking, hunting or camping as a kid positively impacts a person’s attitudes toward nature and environmentally conscious behavior as an adult. It also found that the most direct route to caring about environmental stewardship as an adult is participating in “wild nature activities” before the age of 11. That means that future generations of potential conservationists are here now, waiting for us to provide opportunities and access to get active outdoors.

Empowering state, local and federal agencies to develop plans to get people outside provides numerous benefits.  It helps get our kids more active, stimulates the economy, and ensures the future of our natural resources.  If we work together, I know we can make this a reality.

National Wildlife Federation Partnership Wins Prestigious Department of Interior Award

September 22 – A National Wildlife Federation partnership was honored with the Department of Interior’s Partners in Conservation Award for its guidebook, Scanning the Conservation Horizon: A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment.

The award is the highest distinction granted by the Secretary of Interior and recognizes innovative collaborations on natural resource goals. The U.S. Geological Survey, one of the partners for the guide, nominated the collaborative effort for the award.

“This Isn’t a Partisan Issue”: Sen. Udall, Rep. Kind Make the Case for Healthy Kids Outdoors

September 22 – At a congressional briefing today on the benefits of reconnecting Americans with the outdoors, Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) and Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) announced their intention to introduce Senate and House versions of the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act (HKOA) sometime in the near future.

The bill would support state, local and federal strategies to connect America’s youth with the outdoors through natural play; outdoor recreation like camping, hiking, hunting and fishing; public health plans; outdoor learning environments; service learning and other initiatives.

Pointing to a rise in childhood obesity rates and other health problems related to sedentary (and mostly indoor) lifestyles, Sen. Udall, chairman of the Senate’s Subcommittee on National Parks and co-chairman of the bipartisan Senate Outdoor Recreation Caucus, served notice that the work of getting kids out into nature need not be an occasion for factional squabbling.

NWF Partners with New Movie About Amazing Dolphin

September 22 – National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has teamed up with the Warner Bros. Pictures and Alcon Entertainment film Dolphin Tale to inspire kids and families to learn about dolphins and protect ocean habitat. Dolphin Tale opens nationwide on September 23, with NWF serving as the production’s environmental education partner.

The film is inspired by the amazing true story of a brave dolphin and the people who worked together to save her life. After being caught in a crab trap, the bottlenose dolphin, later named Winter, is rescued but loses her tail. A dedicated marine biologist, a brilliant doctor and a devoted young boy bring about a miracle: a prosthetic tail to help Winter swim again.

Gulf Groups Praise Senate Committee for Approving Gulf Restoration Bill

September 21 -A coalition of six groups supporting Gulf restoration praised the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee for approving legislation today, the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act, with a strong showing of bipartisan support. The bill passed by voice vote with only three requested no’s recorded.

The legislation would ensure that penalties paid by BP and others responsible for last year’s Gulf oil disaster are used to restore the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, barrier islands, dunes, coastal wetlands, and economy of the Gulf Coast; and the economies of communities and the region that were impacted by the spill.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• Star-Tribune: Status of some sea turtles changes from threatened to endangered
• Houston Chronicle: TCEQ rules exacerbate drought’s impact on Galveston Bay (oped)
• KOTA Radio: Pipeline Controversy 

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

The bill would support state, local and federal strategies to connect America’s youth with the outdoors through natural play; outdoor recreation like camping, hiking, hunting and fishing; public health plans; outdoor learning environments; service learning and other initiatives.

Pointing to a rise in childhood obesity rates and other health problems related to sedentary (and mostly indoor) lifestyles, Sen. Udall, chairman of the Senate’s Subcommittee on National Parks and co-chairman of the bipartisan Senate Outdoor Recreation Caucus, served notice that the work of getting kids out into nature need not be an occasion for factional squabbling.

“This isn’t a partisan issue,” Udall said.

Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) announces his partnership with Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) on HKOA

Rep. Kind, a longtime advocate of reconnecting Americans with the outdoors who previously introduced the Moving Outdoors in Nature Act (MONA), noted that, beyond the physical health implications of America’s indoor epidemic, “it’s hard to develop a healthy mind without a healthy body.”

Both noted that outdoor recreation and tourism contribute billions of dollars  to the national economy each year and support tens of thousands of jobs in Colorado and Wisconsin alone.

The briefing was sponsored by the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK), a national strategic partnership of organizations from diverse sectors with a common interest in expanding opportunities for children, youth and families to connect with the outdoors. It came as part of Great Outdoors America Week, four days of celebration and conservation advocacy intended to remind leaders in Washington of our vital connection with America’s outdoor places.

OAK was launched by Sierra Club, YMCA of the USA, REI, National Wildlife Federation, Izaak Walton League of America, Outdoor Foundation, Children & Nature Network and the National Recreation and Park Association in June 2010. Since then, OAK’s steering committee has grown to include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity, the National Association of State Park Directors, The North Face and Active Network. OAK has over 30 member organizations representing more than 30 million individuals.