Growing up in Baltimore city

That is why I was thrilled to be part of today’s announcement to make Baltimore a Community Wildlife Habitat® — the largest along the Chesapeake Bay. We don’t usually think of wildlife in cities but cities and surrounding areas are home to two-thirds of all North American wildlife species. National Wildlife Federation’s investment in Baltimore is not only about wildlife, though, it is about creating gardens that will make neighborhoods more beautiful, improve water quality of local streams and provide opportunities to get kids outside.

Like many people, my summer days were long and usually resulted in grass stains and being called in for dinner. Unfortunately, childhood has moved indoors during the last two decades. This is not only a lost connection to the outdoors but something that has contributed to the childhood obesity rate as well as declining creativity and concentration.

To address this issue we will focus on sustainable foods and healthy living at six Baltimore City public schools.  We plan to install edible food gardens on schoolyards and create opportunities for families to spend more time outdoors.

Baltimore has always been a city of for the birds, now we can make it official.  I can’t wait to add it to my list of special things about my hometown.

May 16- Late last evening, the House Committee on Agriculture passed its version of the 2013 farm bill.

“We commend Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) for crafting a bipartisan reauthorization of the farm bill,” said Julie Sibbing, director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs, National Wildlife Federation. “While we appreciate the difficult task of drafting a bill to achieve deficit reductions, the committee missed important opportunities to save taxpayer dollars through commonsense conservation measures for soil, water and wildlife.”

Notably absent in the House Committee bill was a provision included in the Senate committee bill that would link soil and wetlands protection to crop insurance premium subsidies. Major agricultural and conservation groups recently joined with Senate lawmakers to support reasonable soil and wetland protection requirements crafted to work better for producers.

NWF: McCarthy Deserves Clean Vote

May 16- Gina McCarthy’s nomination as Environmental Protection Agency administrator now moves to the full Senate after the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today approved her. Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“Gina McCarthy has already been approved once by the Senate and since then has only strengthened her record as a non-partisan voice for sensible reductions in pollution to protect America’s wildlife, clean air and water, and public health. The full Senate should give her a clean vote as soon as possible. We’ve already wasted enough time watching polluter allies play political games with her confirmation process.

• Take action and tell your senators you support Gina McCarthy to serve as America’s next Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

Shortsighted Senate Water Bill Will Damage Rivers and Wildlife, Fleece Taxpayers

May 15-  Today, the Senate voted 83-14 to pass the Water Resources Development Act of 2013, S.601.

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

“This shortsighted bill will leave Americans at greater risk of flooding, damage our rivers and wildlife, and fleece taxpayers. Apparently, all it takes is a classic Washington pig roast to break the gridlock in the Senate.

It would cost an estimated $60 billion to build all the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects currently on the books. Today, the Senate has added to the backlog while undermining the process that identifies which projects provide real value. Time and time again, commonsense environmental reviews have shed light on expensive, damaging proposals that are not in our national interest.The Water Resources Development Act is vital for helping to restore national treasures like the Everglades and the Mississippi River Delta. Unfortunately, language in this bill undermines the bedrock environmental principle that the federal government should look before it leaps. For example, this bill will allow the Army Corps to fine other federal agencies up to $20,000 a week if they aren’t able to meet the new rushed deadlines for environmental review.”

• Read more about the Water Resources Development Act and how it effects wildlife.

National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There Movement Announces Partnership With The American Camp Association

May 14- NWF  is pleased to announce a new partnership with the American Camp Association (ACA). Through this partnership, NWF and ACA will promote the importance of reconnecting families with the outdoors, particularly through Be Out There’s Great American Backyard Campout, which encourages families across the nation to gather outdoors and camp on June 22, 2013.

“NWF and ACA are committed to getting millions more children to play outdoors on a regular basis. This relationship is a win for American kids, because together we will help families raise healthier and happier children who have a lifelong commitment to protecting wildlife and the natural world,” said Meri-Margaret Deoudes, vice president of Be Out There at NWF. “Through this new partnership, ACA will help NWF’s Be Out There movement share resources that inspire parents to make nature a part of their family’s everyday lives.”

Senate Farm Bill Protects Soil, Water, Wildlife

May 14-The National Wildlife Federation commends Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS) for their leadership in crafting and moving out of committee a strong, bipartisan reauthorization of the farm bill.

“The Senate farm bill includes an historic agreement between agriculture and conservation organizations to ensure that basic soil and wetland protection requirements were extended to apply to crop insurance premium subsidies,” said Julie Sibbing, director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs, National Wildlife Federation.

“NWF thanks the Committee members for their support of the agreement, especially Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), who successfully offered an amendment to attach these provisions to crop insurance on the Senate floor last year and who stood up for the agreement in committee today.”

• Take action and ensure that worthy Farm Bill conservation programs are reauthorized at appropriate levels, structured to achieve maximum wildlife and environmental benefits, and fully funded during the annual appropriations process.

Senate Water Bill Expensive, Damaging

May 13- On Monday, spokespeople representing three very different backgrounds and perspectives offered up their opinions of the Water Resources Development Act (S.601).

• Download the audio of the telepresser here.

 And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• Los Angeles Times- Senate approves bill that would benefit L.A. port
• Parents Magazine- Raise a Nature Lover
• Politico- Morning Transportation: Senate passes WRDA
• Miami Herald- Senate overwhelmingly approves water infrastructure bill
• Florida Today- Senate authorizes Port Canaveral widening
• Billings Gazette- Guest opinion: Good FWP planning can help resolve bison battles
• The Shreveport Times- Vitter says water bill will help Louisiana
• CNBC.com- Wind farms get pass on eagle deaths

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

Be Out There held it’s Gardening with Kids—How To for Beginners Facebook Chat just in time. With experts on gardening, such as NWF naturalist, David Mizejewski, Peggy Montgomery from American Beauties Native Plants, and Kelly Senser, an avid NWF gardener, we’ve got all the best tips and tricks to get you and your kids outside and those gardens blooming in no time. Weren’t able to join in the chat? No worries—keep reading for all the best highlights that are sure to help get you and your kids excited about your garden.

Q1: How does one get started with gardening?

This is often the hardest question and probably one of the most discouraging for beginners. There are options upon options of what to plant, when you should start, whether you’re in an area that grows certain plants better than other plants.

Here’s what we learned: The best ways to get started are: first think about what kind of things you want to grow. Do you want to plant fruits and veggies or would you rather plant your favorite flowers? Once you’ve figured that out, start small and test out a few options to see how they do.

Sometimes just getting down and dirty in the garden is the best way to figure out what you want to do. You’re also not limited to planting just one thing. Go a little crazy, section of one area of your garden for veggies or fruits and use the other section to grow some beautiful spring flowers. As Beth said, sometimes it’s just enough to “appreciate the beauty of a garden, and the potential of a little seed.”

Gardening is all about experimenting and seeing what works for you. Try what Tricia suggested, and plant some seeds from fruits and vegetables that you’ve already eaten. A watermelon seed might not grow in your stomach, like my older brother always told me it would when we were kids, but it could grow in your garden! NWF Naturalist, David Mizejewski, agrees that planting them and seeing what happens is the way to go. Be Out There’s new Family Garden Guide is a great resource to have when getting started with your family garden. It even has a check list for you to cut out, so you and the kids can check off each step as you go.

Q2: To beginners, gardening can seem like a lot of work. What’s the best way to manage the time and tasks it takes?

Taking care of a garden does take time and some commitment, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a lot of work.

Monzie suggests gardening plants that are low maintenance. You can go to your local gardening store, such as Lowes or Home Depot and talk to the experts in the gardening section. They can show you around and give you an idea of which flowers or other plants won’t throw a wrench in your everyday routine and busy schedules, but will also allow you to get the satisfaction of having your own garden. Or visit American Beauties Native Plants’ website and search what plants are native to your area. Sometimes starting small with potted plants, then moving them to the backyard is a great way to figure out how much time you have to put towards your gardening projects.

Peggy Montgomery, from American Beauties Native Plants, suggests starting small with the amount of time you put into your projects, too. Once you start putting in fiften to thirty minutes, it’ll become like second nature and soon you’ll be waiting for when you can finally get back outside and into your garden.

Q3. What are some ways to get kids excited about growing things and helping with the garden?

Letting your kids eat right from the garden is great! And don’t worry, the dirt doesn’t hurt! Actually, studies have shown that a little bit of dirt can go a long way with improving their immune systems. Plus, the kids will you’re the cool parent for letting them eat something picked right off the vine that they helped grow. Kids love getting messy, so let them! Making seed balls is another great way to get your kids elbow deep in some dirt while having fun gardening. Check out our Activity Finder for more great gardening activities that your kids will love doing.

Q4: Kids LOVE to watch the birds, butterflies, squirrels, and other visitors a garden can attract? What are some simple features you can add to make your garden an even more magical place for kids?

I think just about every kid that sees a caterpillar, butterfly, or bird poking around in their garden will be in awe. The life cycle, as Kelly Senser, of NWF, said, is really great to watch. Planting things that make great homes for caterpillars to start their cocoon and transform into a beautiful butterfly is a great experience for young kids. It allows them to grow an appreciate for not only the garden and the work that goes into it, but the wildlife that they’re giving food, water, and shelter to. Want to know more about gardening for wildlife or interested in creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat for the local wildlife in your backyard? Learn more about it here.

Gardening doesn’t have to be overwhelming or a huge project. It’s a great way to spend time outdoors with your family and relax while learning. As parents, you become the teachers of life and how things grow from a tiny seed smaller than a fingernail into something big and beautiful, and often times, very tasty. So this spring, take a deep breath and get gardening. You’ll be happy you did.

If you’re in need of more gardening inspiration or some great gardening projects you and the family can do, download our new Family Garden Guide, a step-by-step guide for novice gardeners and their handy helpers, chock full of activities ranging from a sunflower playhouse to making a mud volcano while testing your soil’s pH levels.

Like us on Facebook for more year-round activities to get you and your family outdoors.

National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Be Out There is a national movement to give back to American children what they don’t know they’ve lost- their connection to the natural world. With a wealth of activities, events, and resources, Be Out There reconnects families with the great outdoors to raise happy, healthy children with a life-long love of nature.

Yet just yesterday, the Administration’s budget proposal effectively eliminated two critical programs designed to meet both goals at once – the highly important environmental education programs of EPA and NOAA.

Let’s take a look back…

What Obama Said Then

Earlier this year during the President’s Inaugural address, he spoke to these issues:

“The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult.  But America cannot resist this transition, we must lead it.  We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries, we must claim its promise.”

And then a few weeks later at the State of the Union:

“Now, if we want to make the best products, we also have to invest in the best ideas.  Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy — every dollar. Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to Alzheimer’s. They’re developing drugs to regenerate damaged organs; devising new material to make batteries 10 times more powerful. Now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation. Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the Space Race.  We need to make those investments.  Today, no area holds more promise than our investments in American energy…”

For a few years now I have struggled to understand why the Administration has failed to realize that we must invest not only in clean energy technology, but also in the education of American students and workers.  There is a disconnect here.

This investment in preparing the American people for the clean energy economy has a name: environmental education. Without it, the United States will never lead the transition to a clean energy economy.

Why Environmental Ed. is Critical to our Future

Environmental education happens at institutions of higher education (including community colleges), K-12 schools, career and technical education centers, and through innovative partnerships with non-profits, apprenticeship programs, business and others that will help create and strengthen education and re-training programs, curricula, and courses.

And earlier this week, with the release of the Administration’s budget, EPA’s and NOAA’s environmental education programs have been marked for elimination, even though they have bipartisan support in Congress (technically, NOAA’s programs are expected to be “consolidated” with other science, technology, engineering and math programs and details will not be available for a few more days).

These reductions would eliminate already woefully underfunded grant programs for child-serving organizations, schools, nature centers, zoos, aquariums and teacher training programs in nearly every community.

And let’s be honest, while these programs provide critical funding for teachers and communities nationwide, $25 million is a rounding error in the $1 trillion federal budget.  If the United States is to lead the global transition to a clean energy economy, to lead the world in science and technology, to spark the next space race or human genome product, $25 million is not going to cut it! 

We need an investment of billions of dollars across all levels of education. We need leadership to educate, train and prepare all Americans for this transition to a green economy.

What Do You Think?

We at the National Wildlife Federation would like to hear from YOU about your ideas for how we get there.  How can we, together, get Congress and the Administration, Republicans and Democrats, the public at large behind an agenda to truly prepare Americans for the clean energy economy?

Please leave a comment below!

Kris Eggle Visitor Center at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Ajo is located in the heart of the Sonoran desert in southwestern Arizona and is the gateway community to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. As part of their outreach, the Community Wildlife Habitat team helped create a Certified Wildlife Habitat® garden at the monument’s Kris Eggle Visitor Center. They also worked to create habitat gardens at Ajo Elementary School and Triangle Park, as well as the Curley School artisan center.

This was truly a community-wide effort. All over town, one can find the NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat signs displayed by proud homeowners on their front fences.

Pima County Commissioner Sharon Bronson, team leader Vivian Sartori and Roxanne Paul; Jewel Clearwater photo, International Sonorand Desert Alliance

Congratulations to Ajo and the Community Wildlife Habitat team!

The thought of losing these special places tugs at my heart.  As I sift through hundreds of photos capturing countless memories of special moments that I have spent in our parks, I am reminded just how important they have been, and continue to be, in my family’s lives.

Help Protect Our Parks!

Please share your own photos of your favorite moments at Washington’s State Parks so we can remind our leaders what’s really at stake!

How to Submit Your Photos:

1. Email
   Attach your photos to an email, put the name of the State Park in the subject line, and add a short description in the text body. Email your photos to sun63water@photos.flickr.com.
2. Facebook
   Upload your photo to the Pacific Regional Center’s Facebook page with a short description, and tag with #wastateparks.

Requirements:
Please only send us photos that belong to you, and note that by sending us photos, you give us permission to post them on our website (with attribution).

What’s at Stake

What’s at stake if our Washington State Parks were to close? The way I look at it, people and wildlife have a lot to lose. These stories and photos help me to remember that Washington State Parks are our legacy to our children and to their children, to our future:

Sucia Island State Park is a 564-acre marine park with 77,700 feet of shoreline. Sucia Island is considered the crown jewel of the state’s marine park system. It is consistently ranked as one of the top boating destinations in the world.

The fourth oldest park system in the country, Washington has 117 parks and 700 historic structures. These natural places are a delight to explore and learn about the history of our region and about nature and wildlife. With so many great state parks just a short road trip away, you are sure to find the perfect weekend destination.

Picnics and family gatherings, annual camping trips, wildlife and tranquil natural settings away from the city and immersed in nature is what you will find at State Parks.

Blake Island State Park is a 475-acre marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing magnificent views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline. The park is only reachable by tour boat or private boat. Indian-style salmon dinners and demonstrations of Northwest Indian dancing are offered at Tillicum Village, a concession on the island.

Our Parks: Where We Go to Play

Deception Pass State Park is a 4,134-acre marine and camping park with 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline, and 33,900 feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes. Rugged cliffs drop to meet the turbulent waters of Deception Pass. The park is outstanding for breath-taking views, old-growth forests and abundant wildlife.

There are so many beaches, hikes, mountains and natural places in our State Parks to walk and explore! You may discover marine debris from faraway places. Build elaborate drift wood forts, scoop up seashells, and pocket colored sea glass and shiny pebbles. Skip rocks on calm water, first one then three and sometimes five skips, and fly kites in a vast blue sky next to weathered war-time bunkers, where harmonicas make a sweet sound resonating off dark silent walls.

Play football, ride bikes and tend to scuffed knees and scraped hands. Hike along paths lined with tall trees that sway in the wind, and see bushes filled with birds eating berries, and bees buzzing in the heat of the day. Discover a deer hidden in the tall grass.

Jones Island State park is a 188-acre marine camping park with 25,000 feet of saltwater shoreline on the San Juan channel. The park features a beautiful loop trail down the center of the island then around the western shore. 

These treasured times, out in nature on our public lands, in our State Parks, cannot be taken for granted or forgotten. They are a place of discovery and learning about our natural world, they teach us to understand and respect our history and our land. They are a place for personal growth and of treasured moments with family and friends.

Cape Disappointment State Park (formerly Fort Canby State Park) is a 1,882-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean. The park offers two miles of ocean beach, two lighthouses, an interpretive center and hiking trails. Visitors enjoy beachcombing, ship watching and exploring the area’s rich natural and cultural history. The nearby coastal towns of Ilwaco and Long Beach feature special events and festivals spring through fall.

Cathy and son Mac lobbying for Washington State Parks at the State Capital in Olympia

State Parks in Trouble

Over the past four years, the State Park Commission’s budget has suffered an 88% reduction in general fund support. In 2011, the Washington Legislature created the Discover Pass to replace general fund tax money, but not enough passes are being sold to make up for the deep budget cuts. This means there are not enough funds to cover the cost of operating and maintaining state-managed recreation lands.

It’s not too late to stand up for our State Parks! Here’s how you can help make sure these special places continue to protect wildlife and inspire the next generation of conservationists:

1. Send us your photos of you visiting Washington’s State Parks, and we will share them with legislators to remind them of what’s really at stake (see instructions at top of page).
2. Urge your state legislators to support critical funding to protect Washington’s state parks.
3. Get your Discover Pass! This vehicle-access pass allows you to enjoy millions of acres of Washington state-managed recreation lands – including parks, wildlife areas, trails, natural and wilderness areas, heritage areas and water-access points.

Bird watching. Credit Erin Millstead

I also plan to take my daughter to a local hiking trail to look for more birds and wildlife, different than what we see in our yard. Afterwards, we’ll have fun learning online about the bird species we have seen and playing the games and activities on the bird count website. The online bird guide will be a good resource for us.

I grew up in Southern California in the “land of eternal spring.” Swallows, hummingbirds, pelicans, and seagulls were the type of birds I saw around my backyard. From my backyard swing, I often gazed at the huge pelicans that sailed overhead and then plunged down with a huge splash into the sea chasing fish for their dinner.

Like clockwork, every March I would hear a chorus of birds outside my bedroom window and realized it was springtime and all the birds had again come back from South America to their California homes. In my little world, birds were seen and heard everywhere, because in Southern California, windows and doors were always open to catch the cool ocean breezes. With the temperature ranging from 50-70 degrees in my seaside town, bird calls always accompanied the roar of the Pacific Ocean.

When I moved to the East Coast and started to experience the seasons, I marveled at the glistening snow on the ground, deep green evergreens and bright red cardinals. What a beautiful contrast. Then, when spring and summer came, I witnessed purple martins (an East Coast version of my beloved Swallow) flying around my yard in search of bugs during the early evening hours. When my baby was born, I took her outside to point out all the birds and trees in our backyard so that she felt comfortable with the sights and sounds of nature.

I’m excited to share my love of birds and the outdoors to my child during the Great Backyard Bird Count. I can’t expect her to love the natural world as I do without spending time surrounded by a world of green. I hope the birds will cooperate by giving us a good show. Some great tips for enjoying the outdoors with children are at National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There website.

What birds do you think you will see this weekend? You might see Cardinals, Pelicans, Canadian Geese, Egrets, and Ducks. Leave a comment and let us know what you find!

Like Be Out There on Facebook, follow @Be Out There  on Twitter, or sign up for Be Out There newsletters for outdoor activities for your kids, news, tips, and resources.

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama nominated Sally Jewell, CEO for the outdoor outfitter REI, as successor to Ken Salazar as Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior.  Conservation groups, senators and Western energy producers alike praised the selection as a smart choice to do everything from protecting land, connecting kids to nature, addressing climate change, creating jobs and increasing development.

Rocky Mountain National Park, CO. Flickr photo by DaveTBear

Hopefully future Secretary Jewell will accomplish that vision by heeding the words of  former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, who spoke this week at the National Press Club on the importance of restoring a true balance of conservation and energy development on public lands.

“On Equal Ground”

At the press conference, Sec. Babbitt praised the “excellent record” of Pres. Obama and Sec. Salazar, citing accomplishments like new vehicle fuel efficiency standards, doubling the production of renewable energy, protecting the Grand Canyon from uranium mining, creating an innovative management plan for Alaska’s Arctic Reserve, and more. But he also called on the Obama administration to improve his public lands conservation legacy in the second term by putting conservation on “equal ground” as energy development.

Babbitt compared the number of acres of permanently protected land under Obama to the last few presidents. The number has drastically declined during Obama’s tenure. Meanwhile, Babbitt noted, “the pace of oil and gas leasing on public lands has continued at a high rate.” While Secretary Babbitt acknowledged that energy development is an appropriate use of public lands, but clearly demonstrated the current imbalance of conservation and development, skewed heavily in favor of oil and gas drilling.

To restore this balance, Babbitt is calling on Interior (and thus future Sec. Jewell) to recommit to conservation. For every acre of land leased to oil and gas, Babbitt proposed, the administration (and Congress) should protect a new acre of land for conservation. He also urged President Obama to use his existing authority to designate new special places such as National Monuments or Wildlife Refuges in order to spur action from Congress. Capitol Hill needs a wake-up call — the 112th Congress is the first since WWII that did not designate even an acre of federal wilderness. Protecting the outdoors is not a radical idea. A new “State of the Rockies Conservation in the West” poll from Colorado College shows the overwhelming support of Western voters for protecting land and water and opposed the idea of turning public lands over to states and private interests.

“Where is the Balance?”

Former Secretary Babbitt is right: renewing the commitment between America and protection of the great outdoors will continue to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy our country’s proud outdoor heritage and wildlife.  The Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development (SFRED) coalition, a group led by National Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, advocates for this same balanced approach on public lands, taking into account the cumulative impact to fish, wildlife habitat and water resources as well as hunting and fishing opportunities.

Drilling operations across tens of thousands of acres of the Roan Plateau on the Western Slope of Colorado. Flickr by SkyTruth

Fortunately, perseverance and citizen action eventually pays off when it comes to conservation on public lands.  Just this week the Colorado Bureau of Land Management decided to withdraw proposed oil and gas leases that include big game habitat and trout fisheries along the North Fork of the Gunnison River.  The decision followed protests and letters from hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts concerned about selling leases using a 23-year-old resource management plan.

I do not envy Sally Jewell’s new job, but it is a critically important position that will shape the future of this country’s energy and conservation future.  Forget criticism from special interest groups: Jewell will have her hands full tackling climate change, figuring out ways to deal with potentially devastating budget cuts, protecting new landscapes despite Congressional inaction and finding ways to preserve clean air, water and wildlife.  It may still be the honeymoon period, but I am confident that she is up to the task.

 The Department of the Interior is facing devastating budget cut proposals from Congress.  If we expect Sally Jewell to be able to move conservation forward, she needs the resources to do her job.  Take action by sending a message urging Congress to not let the budget crisis devastate wildlife.

Photo by Christine Haines

See more photos by Christine Haines on Flickr >>

Your Photo Could Be Here

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Little do they know that there are a ton of exciting gifts your kids will love that will also give them some super beneficial play time in the great outdoors. Think happy rosy cheeks, smiles, laughter, and kids that zonk out at bedtime from all that energy burned outside!

This season, make sure kids are getting active and outdoors with these awesome gift ideas for outdoor play.

Here is Be Out There’s list of top holiday gifts for outdoor play:

Gifts for Learning

• Build a Bird House, Bird Feeder or Both!: Each kit contains building materials, fun stickers, plush birds that make real bird calls and a Ranger Rick Certificate.
• Ranger Rick Magazine: Take your kids closer to nature with amazing photographs, real adventures, rain or shine activities, and intriguing information about animals and natural wonders. Subscribe to the award-winning Ranger Rick magazine (ages 7 and up), or our brand new Ranger Rick Jr. (for ages 4-7).
• Sand Table: Sand play is actually a great way for toddlers to learn.  It encourages creativity, is soothing, and helps young children build important physical and social skills that last a lifetime.
  And they like it.
• Owl Puke: Don’t knock it ’til you try it. I don’t know any little boy who can resist this and it’s highly educational. The kit includes sanitized owl puke and lets kids reconstruct real skeletons from actual owl puke. It also comes with a magnifying glass, wood dissection probe, work mat and bone sorting chart. For ages 8 and up.
• Grow a Fairy Garden: There are surprisingly quite a few kits where you grow real plants (start them inside during the winter) and add miniature fairy accents to create a beautiful fairy garden. Get inspired to make a bigger garden this spring.

Gifts for Playing

• Throwback and Low-tech Gifts: Don’t forget the simple joy of low-tech toys like jump ropes, kites, sidewalk chalk, and any variety of ball (football, soccer ball, kickball) for pick-up games on the lawn. Or for a different spin, what about a slack line?
• A Bike: This one never gets old. Bikes are timeless gifts that let kids explore and get some exercise. Don’t forget a helmet! Scooters are also a popular option to get them moving.
• All-terrain Remote Control Toys:  This remote control vehicle goes over land or sea! There are even some aircraft that sync with your iPad or iPhone (how cool). Make them play outdoors for fresh air and to avoid breaking lamps or other fragile household items.
• Great Gear:  We love the saying “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes.” Make sure kids are prepared for anything Mother Nature throws at you. Hats, jackets, or these awesome rain gloves keep kids protected and outside all year.
• Play Camping Equipment: There is something magical about sleeping under the stars, even if it’s just pretend. This one-touch play tent is perfect for playing in the backyard. Complement it with a kid’s camping light – also doubles for lighting for night time exploration! Then you’ll be ready to camp this summer.
• Digital Camera: This is a great gift for older kids, even though younger and younger kids are comfortable using this kind of technology. Encourage kids to photograph your family outside or to take pictures of wildlife and post on Wildlife Watch.

Gifts for Exploring

• Ranger Rick’s Nature Notebook: In this notebook, Ranger Rick leads kids through some awesome outdoor adventures for each and every season. Kids record what they see, hear, smell and touch along the way.
• Kid’s Fishing Rod: Give a fishing rod with the promise of a trip to a local fishing hole in the future. Mattel has a great Barbie fishing rod, or build your own.
• Magnifying Glass: A handy kid-proof magnifying glass is a great stocking stuffer. Help your little explorer see snowflakes, bugs, leaves and more – all up close and personal!
• An Adventure Together: The gift of time is hard to wrap, but can be the most lasting present your kids will get. In today’s hectic world exploring a new place together or going for a walk in the neighborhood to see what you can see are low-cost, easy ways to bond with your family. Quiet moments are when some of the best memories are born!

Find more fun gifts for kids from National Wildlife Federation.