Partner Organizations
Thank You!
The following organizations have generously helped promote the ‘Discover the Forest’ public service campaign and it’s effort to re-connect kids with nature. We commend them for their efforts to promote exploration and conservation of our natural environment. Check out the great resources each has to offer.
American Forests
American Forests encourages people of all ages to get out and enjoy the benefits of forests for recreation, exercise or just the sense of well being that comes from being around trees. The oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the country, American Forests is dedicated to protecting and restoring forests. Since 1990, American Forests has planted nearly 40 million trees in forests throughout the U.S. and beyond, resulting in cleaner air and drinking water, restored habitat for wildlife and fish, and the removal of millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And, more places for you and your family to enjoy!
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The Children & Nature Network
The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) encourages and supports the people and organizations working nationally and internationally to reconnect every child in every community with nature. The network provides a critical link between researchers, individuals, educators and organizations dedicated to children’s health and well-being. C&NN also provides resources for sharing information, strategic initiatives and success stories.
The C&NN News site offers parents, youth, civic and community leaders, grassroots organizers, natural resource professionals, educators, and health-care providers access to the latest news and research as well as practical advice. The network also engages a diverse community by providing a forum for publishing and presenting research, reports and case studies on children’s health and nature, and related program-development strategies and support. In addition, the network provides a discussion forum for individuals and others interested in the children and nature movement.
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Every Kid in a Park
The Every Kid in a Park initiative delivers a nationwide call to action to build the next generation of environmental stewards. This national movement will connect youth with federal lands and waters in innovative ways never before undertaken. Under the direction of President Obama, a priority has been established to connect with today’s kids—not just to engage youngsters in their national heritage, but to meet their needs in a way that few other programs can. The initiative is an Administration-wide effort among the National Park Service, Forest Service, Department of Education, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Please visit www.everykidinapark.gov for further information.
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Geocaching
Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. Geocache containers are hidden and maintained by members of the geocaching community, so all you need to get started is a GPS device or a GPS-enabled mobile phone. Visit their website for more information! It is important to check with your local National Forests and Grasslands regarding site specific Geocaching rules and regulations.
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National Environmental Education Foundation’s Children and Nature Initiative
The Initiative addresses two important issues—preventing serious health conditions like obesity and diabetes, and reconnecting children to nature. Research indicates that unstructured outdoor activities may improve children’s health by increasing physical activity, reducing stress, and serving as a support mechanism for attention disorders.
The Children and Nature Initiative educates pediatric health care providers about prescribing outdoor activities to children. The program also connects health care providers with local nature sites so that they can refer families to safe and easily accessible outdoor areas.
The National Environmental Education Foundation also sponsors a National Public Lands Day program. In addition to being an opportunity for Americans to help care for the public lands we all treasure, focus has also been placed on getting children outdoors to improve physical and mental health.
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National Forest Foundation
For today’s youth, diminishing participation in the outdoors carries a host of impacts on them and society – from the decline in kids’ physical health to their diminishing environmental knowledge. This is why the NFF has long included youth-based stewardship within our grant-making and volunteer programs. Based on recent research into existing youth outdoor engagement and education programs, we are now designing an expansion of our youth initiatives. We aim to offer meaningful, educational and just plain fun opportunities for kids to interact with nature in their National Forests. Over the last 10 years, we’ve involved over 11,000 youth in educational and stewardship projects. Our conservation programs engage young people in everything from building trails and restoring watersheds to monitoring wildlands and removing invasive weeds – programs that help kids learn about National Forests, give back to these Treasured Landscapes, and develop a lifelong connection to their public lands.
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National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Federation has worked for nearly 75 years to build awareness and understanding of the natural world. NWFs “Be Out There” campaign addresses the need for parents and other influential adults to make changes to better connect children to nature, improve children’s overall well being through unstructured play and discovery, and to make societal changes to rebuild the next generation of active, healthy and educated environmental stewards.
NWF also manages programs in schools (Reading with Ranger Rick and Schoolyards Habitats), offers programs designed to engage parents (Green Hour, National Wildlife Week and Wildlife Watch), and produces regular special events (Great American Backyard Campout and Hike and Seek) to provide opportunities for communities to give back and learn new skills.
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The Natural Inquirer
The mission of the Natural Inquirer program is to inspire the next generation of natural resource scientists and engineers. The Natural Inquirer program works to achieve that mission by providing free, high quality, K-12 science education materials based on science research from the U.S. Forest Service and their cooperators. The products include the Natural Inquirer journal (middle & high school), the Investi-gator (upper elementary school), the Natural Inquirer Reader series (Kindergarten-2nd grade), the NSI: Nature Science Investigator (nonformal, upper elementary & middle school age), “Bee” A Scientist Coloring Book (PreK & up), and the Natural Inquirer scientist cards (upper elementary & up). The products are created through a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service, the Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association, and other partners. Please visit www.naturalinquirer.org to learn more and order your free science education products today!
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PBS KIDS Plum Landing
Plum Landing is a PBS KIDS environmental science project from WGBH Boston, which offers families and educators fun and easy activities to get kids outside and connect to nature. Explore their games, activities and videos online at their site!
Parents, you can take your kids on fantastic adventures that help kids develop a love for, and connection to, this amazing and beautiful planet we call home. PBS KIDS Plum Landing offers children ages six to nine and their families a collection of fun and engaging games, apps, videos and hands-on activities, to do online as well as outdoors.
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Project Learning Tree
Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is an award-winning environmental education program that advances environmental literacy, stewardship and career pathways using trees and forests as windows on the world. PLT offers a wide range of fun and engaging activities, suitable for all ages and settings, to help teach youth about trees and forests. We also provide high-quality professional development and multi-disciplinary supplemental curriculum correlated to academic standards to help teachers integrate teaching about the environment into their lesson plans and become comfortable teaching outdoors. Our hands-on and engaging activities, suitable for all ages and settings, grow young people’s awareness, knowledge, understanding, and appreciation for nature. Our materials are designed to help students learn how to think, not what to think, and encompass the economic, ecological, and social aspects of environmental issues. PLT activities are proven to increase students’ environmental literacy and develop students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills. PLT is an initiative of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
Outdoor Nation
Founded by a community of young Outsiders, Outdoor Nation (ON) is a place for youth to fuel their passion for the outdoors. ON hosts Summits, awards cash prizes for creative ideas, leads outdoor outings, and works to connect youth in an effort to mobilize an outdoor movement that is fun, meaningful and impactful. ON seeks to encourage youth to join together and spend more time outside by organizing local clubs, providing monetary resources for group projects, and helping youth start campaigns advocating for outdoor policies. The organization also holds five summits annually where youth can share experiences and strengthen their connection to the outdoors. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) supports Outdoor Nation in hosting events nationwide. USFS delegates provide mentorship opportunities and are involved in career panels focused upon creating potential pathways into possible careers in natural resource conservation and management.
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