Researchers Find Time in Wild Boosts Creativity, Insight and Problem Solving Apr 23, 2012 11:32 pm - Posted by The Leave No Child Inside Collaboratives of Ohio Research conducted at the University of Kansas concludes that people from all walks of life show startling cognitive improvement after living for a few days in nature. read more Add Comment New Survey from C&NN: Campaigns to Get Children Outdoors Make Progress May 09, 2012 01:36 pm C&NN survey of grassroots leaders shows a three-fold increase in the number of children and youth getting outdoors in nature from 2009 to 2011 -- from one million to three million annually. read more BBC News – February 26, 2012 By BBC News South East Wales The Pontycymer Nursery youngsters were part of a test project in Bridgend. The children were encouraged to play together and with materials such as buckets and trowels and were discreetly observed by staff. The trial was led by the Forestry Commission Wales. A group of nine children spent about three hours every week for a 10-week period at the Rockwood Woodlands for Learning (WfL) centre in Pencoed, Bridgend county. At their first Play Project session, the children were taught how to carry out a simple risk assessment of the woodland and given basic resources such as buckets, ropes, trowels, mud… Psychology Today – February 28, 2012 By Mark Bekoff In a recent essay I wrote about the need for "wild" play by children and the great concern that it is declining globally. Now, I've just read that a survey of 8100 images in 296 award-winning children's books published between 1938 and 2008 shows a decline in the representation of nature and animals. Some snippets from this report include: - Early in the study period, built environments were the primary environments in about 35% of images. By the end of the study, they were primary environments about 55% of the time. - Early in the study, natural environments were the… WASHINGTON, March 2, 2012–Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA's continuing commitment to get kids outdoors and connected to the natural world around them through $1 million in cost-share funding from the U.S. Forest Service to enhance children's programs in 18 states. Vilsack will highlight the announcement later today at the Interior Department during the White House conference, Growing America's Outdoor Heritage and Economy, which emphasizes the link between conservation and strong local economies through tourism, outdoor recreation, and healthy lands, waters and wildlife. The conference has attracted boaters, hunters, anglers, farmers, ranchers, land conservationists, historic preservationists, outdoor recreationists, small… The Columbus Dispatch reports: "The Ohio (Leave No Child Inside) coalition yesterday also recognized Dr. Wendy Anderson-Willis, a pediatrician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, for her efforts that include giving many of her patients prescriptions to play outside for at least an hour each day and her involvement in the Walk with a Doc program." CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE The National Wildlife Federation just released an informative report linking environmental education with psychological, cognitive, and educational outcomes. It's an easy read and has some materials and statistics that you may want to share. http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/~/media/PDFs/Be%20Out%20There/Back%20to%20School%20full%20report.ashx This article from Ohio Magazine describes why spending time outdoors "recharges our brains' batteries." Click HERE to read the article. |  CategoriesAll ArchivesMarch 2012 |
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