Photo By Nkrumiah Frazier

The National Park Trust and our mascot Buddy Bison wants everyone to have an American park experience. We are inviting every family in America to visit a national, state or local park and play outdoors on May 19, 2012! As Buddy Bison says, “Explore outdoors, the parks are yours!”

Last year, nearly 200 mayors coast to coast signed official proclamations and many hosted events in their community parks to celebrate the day. In addition, more than 15,300 families participated.

The vision is simply to remind adults to take a child in their lives to a park – where they can hike a trail, visit a national historic site, or even canoe on a river. American adults live busy and pressure-filled lives – why not give them a reason to take the time to connect a child with an American treasure – a park?

As of this week 45,000 people registered for the event, 45 states participating, plus nearly 200 mayors and the Governors of WV and CO who have signed official proclamations!

Awesome! Fabulous! Wonderful!

These are some of the words that come to mind after such a terrific weekend at California’s Central Coast near Santa Cruz camping with KOA with my Arwen and Billy, plus family friend Milan Martin. KOA is a private campground franchise with over 475 locations around the country. As part of our partnership with Camp California to demonstrate the various ways families can choose to camp, we decided to try a KOA for our third RV experience.

Unique about KOA are the many options to experience camping. You can sleep under the stars in a tent, pull up in an RV, or stay in a cabin or lodge. Some KOA sites offer novel arrangements such as the iconic Airstream, a Tree House or a Caboose! In addition to the sleeping options, there are many recreational activities available on site, such as swimming, mini golf, banana bikes, a climbing wall, playground, horseshoes, basketball, volleyball, and outdoor movies during peak season.

We stayed in a lodge, which I learned is technically classified as an RV since it can be hitched up and rolled out, but inside and out the structure screamed condo! We had a sleeping loft, a private bedroom (linens provided), and bathroom with shower. The kitchen was equipped with a fridge/freezer, sink, microwave, coffee maker, plates and utensils. There were electrical outlets everywhere, wireless internet, and a flat screen TV – so off the hook!

Nice, Nice, Nice

I think the staff here must train with the folks from Disneyland. I am pressed to remember a time when I have encountered such over-the-top positive, welcoming, and attentive customer service anywhere. Checking in and out was a breeze, and everyone made sure we had what we needed in between with a smile or a good joke.

The guests were super nice too, and we noticed this KOA attracts diverse visitors from around the world. Poolside we overheard several languages spoken, and made some new local camp friends Saturday who plotted to join us later in the evening for s’mores. Maintenance of the property was impeccable, clean, and there was a well-stocked camp store in case you forgot anything from home.

This central California coast KOA property sits between the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and is less than a mile away from a few beaches that overlook the Pacific Ocean.  As I have learned from our previous RV experiences, KOAs can be used as a basecamp to explore surrounding nature and other attractions nearby.

Check out the rest of our photos!

Learn more about KOA “Kamping”, and check out our other RV adventures over the last year.

Thank you Camp California, KOA and its marvelous Santa Cruz staff for supporting such a wonderful experience to share with the Outdoor Afro community!

Photos courtesy of Jeff Crider and Rue Mapp

Rue Mapp of Outdoor Afro is excited to present in Atlanta this week at Keeping it Wild and at the American Camp Association‘s (ACA) National Convention! ACA is an education partner of Outdoor Afro, and together they have designed curriculum for their e-institute entitled: Cultivating Camp Relevancy for Diverse Audiences - check it out!

Both events are designed to energize the field of outdoor recreation and camp management around how to engage more diverse audiences with the outdoors.

Click on the image above for more information for the Keeping it Wild appearance, and click here to learn more about ACA.

Here is a wonderful PSA that shares more about ACA and its mission:

I once heard it said that you are what you eat. Well, it’s also true that you are what you listen to and what you watch on YouTube! In fact, I was with a classroom of 4 year olds the other day and half of them could quote the entire verse of a Jay-Z song, with degrading lyrics and all. Then, I asked them to describe a Pine Tree and they shook their heads in silent confusion. What an emblem of a larger human condition! In a recent study, it was reported that children spend 7-13.5 hours per day on screens, lost in the vapid content of today’s entertainment free-for-all. In a world that broadcasts crisis and destruction, it’s not hard to imagine why children are failing out of classrooms, mired in violence and experiencing disease at greater rates than ever before.

Listen to a track of Pacha’s Pajamas here! Call Heard Round The World (Feat. Mos Def)

At Balance Edutainment, this is the problem that we’ve set out to solve. We intend to #Occupy Pop Culture with stories, music and games that uplift children and families on critical environmental issues. To do so, however, we need to meet children where they’re at. And, as anyone who’s anyone knows, most kids are addicted to games, music, and media. With Pacha’s Pajamas, our flagship initiative, we intend to use an urban fairy tale about a little girl, who through her dreams, becomes a Superhero for Nature. We will reach mainstream audiences with this meaningful story about saving the planet on our favorite TV and radio stations.

Alex conducts a participatory research project in the Bronx and elsewhere on how urban environmental education programs develop a sense of place in youth. I am also glad to work with Alex as part of  EECapacity, an EPA-sponsored project led by Cornell University’s Civic Ecology Lab to support ways EE can be more relevant to urban communities.

Both Julien’s and Andre’s narratives (as an educator, and a student, respectively) illustrate how they appreciate, fight for, and educate communities about urban natural aspects, environmental justice, urban outdoor recreation, and green infrastructure in the Bronx.

What other urban environmental education success stories do you know about?

I had such a thrill yesterday connecting with land loving friends in Berkeley, CA at the Bay Area Open Space Council’s Rainy Season Gathering to discuss how we might better connect people to land in a relevant way.

The following is re-posted from the Bay Area Open Space Council Blog – start from the bottom and work your way up! It’s the next best thing to being there!

It’s raining in the Bay Area!  The Rainy Season Gathering brought the rain to Berkeley.  It’s official.  (for those of you reading this from out of state and wondering why this is even being talked about, it hasn’t rained since mid-December.  it’s been bone dry.  we’re very excited that it’s raining!)

More importantly though, we had a very full room of 100+ people to talk about cultural relevancy today at the Brower Center in Berkeley.  One attendee said it was “my favorite Gathering yet.”  The panelists spoke from the heart – causing some in the audience to tear up at a few points – and spoke from experience in connecting people to land, and land to people.  The panelists were:

• Avery Cleary, Director of Grassroots Outreach and Engagement, Children & Nature Network
• Sam Hodder, California State Director, Trust for Public Land
• Jared Lawson, Executive Director, Pie Ranch
• Rue Mapp, Founder, Outdoor Afro and Program Officer, Foundation for Youth Investment
• Paul Ringgold, Vice President of Stewardship, Peninsula Open Space Trust

A BIG thanks to Avery, Sam, Jared, Rue and Paul for their time and for telling their stories.  Thank you to Back to Earth for catering a delicious lunch.  And thanks to everyone for taking the time in your busy lives to participate in this conversation.

The presentations from Paul Ringgold and Sam Hodder are available on our Events page.  Scroll down to Past Events to find the Rainy Season Gathering.

The next Gathering will be on March 15 at the Brower Center.  The topic will be social media and registration is now open.  Who’s coming?

*

12:04pm: Bettina is wrapping up with some themes:

• So much is possible if we work together
• We need to continue to listen to each other
• We need to remember to connect with nature ourselves

LUNCH!

12:02pm: For the record, it hasn’t started raining yet here in Berkeley.

11:57am: We have one more question and then lunch will be served.  I’m guessing that there will be a swarm of people who ignore lunch and instead surround the speakers.  There is a lot interest in this topic and these speakers have told some powerful stories.

11:54am:  There have been so many great questions!  And a rich conversation about so many aspects of connecting people and land: race, class, privilage, power, funding, scale, farming, how to get more kids out onto farms, transportation, ecosystem services, venture philanthropy, regional funding, urban spaces, rural spaces, feeling safe, … so much more.  I wish that I could type faster so I could capture it all.

11:27am: Avery is thanking Jared and opening it up to questions.

11:26am: Jared is wrapping up.  Applause!

11:17am:  We are watching this film about Pie Ranch:

11:16am: Jared described his upbringing and those transformative experiences he had in the natural world.  I can’t even try to capture what he said and is saying.  He’s way too eloquent and speaks too fast for my fingers

Because of Jared’s experience as a kid, Pie Ranch has integrated all kinds of youth programming into its mission and programs.  Clearly he is doing soul fulfilling work.

11:07am: Avery is now talking about how important farms and food are.  And now she’s introducing Jared Lawson from Pie Ranch.  Do you know Pie Ranch?

11:06am: POST is very interested in working with small farmers and increase this connection between people and land.  Paul wrapped up – applause!

11:02am: Paul: ”How do we create mechanisms that would allow young or cash poor farmers to build equity?  Keep farmland affordable?  In large part this is inspired by our work with Pie Ranch which we’ll hear more about soon.”

POST has conducted a lot of research about what tools exist around the country and what role POST can do to support small, sustainable farming operations.

10:56am: Paul is sharing slides that show the growth of the Bay Area. The maps he’s showing highlight the agricultural lands of the Bay Area, and those under the Farmland Protection Program:

“One of the concerns we hear at POST is that we are focused on the land.  We haven’t been focused on communities.  And we’re working to change that.”

10:54am: Paul admitted that he is from Los Angeles.  And he used to play under the Hollywood sign when he was young boy.  TPL has worked recently to protect that open space and park and Paul thanked Sam and TPL for their work on that.

10:53am: Avery is now introducing Paul Ringgold from POST.  Here is his bio:

Mr. Ringgold joined POST in 1999 undertaking various land acquisition projects. He continues in this role as well as being responsible for land stewardship planning and land management oversight. Prior to coming to POST he was a policy research associate at the Pinchot Institute of Conservation in Washington, D.C and served as a land manager and ecosystem research program director with the University of Washington. Mr. Ringgold holds a Master of Forest Science degree from Yale University. 

10:52am:  “We are going in and listening,” said Sam.  He talked about a few of their projects.  And he wrapped up.  Avery thanked Sam – applause!

10:46am: Sam Hodder: “The Trust for Public Land is in its nature dependent on partnerships.  This is particularly important in urban settings and that’s what I’m going to talk about today.”

10:42am: Sam wants to acknowledge the Open Space Council and how it took their involvement to actually make some rain.  It’s not here yet, but they say it’s coming!

“When we think regionally and think outside the box, this regional collaboration becomes a national model,” said Sam.

Here is Sam’s presentation:

10:41am: Welcoming Sam to the mic!

10:39am: Avery Cleary is back at the podium and is talking about Richard Louv’s new book, The Nature Principle.  Have you read it?  Avery then thanked Rue.  And is now introducing Sam Hodder from the Trust for Public Land.

10:37am: Rue is talking about authenticity.  Real relationships cannot be faked.  She closed by saying that she invites everyone her to join her in this work.  Applause!

10:34am: Rue is also Program Officer at the Foundation for Youth Investment (FYI).  FYI used to be a part of the Stewardship Council but has split off on its own.

“Sometimes it is assumed that by getting young people outside that they will transform their family.  It’s not always the case.  We need to include the whole family in the outdoors,” said Rue.

10:29am:  Rue grew up in Oakland but had a family farm in Lake County.  Then she went on an Outward Bound trip and that was a life-changing experience.  She has also loved technology since she was very young.

10:27am: Rue Mapp is now speaking.  She has a slideshow of images going in the background submitted by Outdoor Afro community members.  And she just asked the attendees – all 100+ of them – to call out their first outdoor teacher.  There were lots of names and places called out ranging from Mr. Smith to ocean and many more.

10:23am: Avery Cleary is now speaking and talking about the Children & Nature Network.  ”Today’s topic is the most important topic we could possibly talk about.”

10:20am: Bettina Ring, our fearless Executive Director, is speaking to the group about the work that the Open Space Council.  Our conference is coming up on May 10!  More informaiton about that can be found here.

Bettina is introducing Avery Cleary, the Director of Grassroots Outreach for the Children & Nature Network.  Here’s Avery’s bio:

Avery is the founder and Executive Director of Hooked On Nature. She is a member of the C&NN Grassroots Leadership Team and co-founder of the San Francisco Bay Area Children in Nature Collaborative.  Over the past two decades Avery has been a spokesperson and advocate for reuniting people and nature.  Avery has a background in early childhood education and community organizing. Her work has taken her into boardrooms, city council and law enforcement offices, juvenile justice programs, neighborhood meetings, classrooms, and living rooms where she has witnessed time and again the power people have to inspire each other when they feel hope, focus on solutions, and explore ways to integrate nature into their lives.

10:00am: Good morning!  And welcome to the first Gathering of the year – our Rainy Season Gathering!  This is Annie Burke and I’ll be blogging this morning with quotes, photos, and links.

The program just started.  Ready?

Want a space for the sharing of ideas, experiences and to build knowledge through a collaborative and democratic process that promotes equity and respect? If so, join the launch of the Urban EE Collective’s Professional Learning Community (PLC):

Thursday, January 19TH, 2012
4:00 PM TO 5:30 PM EST, 1:00 PM TO 2:30 PM PST
Limited Spaces Available

REGISTER HERE BY JANUARY 17TH

There is an immediate need for more collaboration among our community, and we are already learning from each other. This online Professional Learning Community is a natural step forward to continue advancing the field of urban environmental education. Through chat, wikis, blogs and webinars, we will be able to grow as practitioners and members of our own urban communities, while helping increase the capacity of our network.

Register today for the opening webinar, where you will learn all you need to know about this PLC and about the EECapacity project, as well as hear a presentation on the evolving practice of EE. Please make sure you register soon to secure a spot. If you are unable to attend, be sure to register as a member of the PLC to access the recorded webinar after the presentation. For more information, send us an email to: pepe@eeexchange.org

 Download the flyer for additional information regarding programming and presenters!

Today marks the book’s 50^th Anniversary, and is the first children’s picture book of its time to feature an African American boy hero. What inspires me today about the narrative is its tribute to the carefree way urban youth independently experienced nature in winter.

Using collage as a medium for illustration, Keats tells the story of young Peter who leaves his apartment alone to join neighbors across the hall to play and explore outside in the snow. Bundled in snowsuits and scarves, he and his friends make patterns in the snow using their feet and sticks and marvel at their creations. Peter is so inspired by the snow, he takes a ball of it home as a souvenir, only to find it goes “missing” later in his warm home.

Everyone should own a copy of this celebrated tale; for both its historic importance and vision for how urban youth might re-connect freely to nature today.

Learn more about this refreshing and timely approach to environmental education in this short clip:

Last Sunday was one of those perfect fall afternoons in DC:  Bright blue skies, crisp autumn air and amazing colors of yellow, orange and red shimmered in the sunlight. Who wouldn’t want to be outside? Ten families from Jack and Jill, an African American family organization said “sign me up!” and participated on a hike with  Hiking Along in Scott’s Run Nature Preserve along the Potomac River.

Twenty-three energetic kids and their parents hiked two miles underneath old growth trees to learn about the importance of them in their lives and for the Earth. They listened to a story about the seasonal cycle of tress, hammered leaves onto cloth to learn about chlorophyll, did tree back rubbings to reinforce the bark’s essential role of a tree, and played Simon says to learn about the tree life cycle.

Beyond teaching the activities, I enjoyed watching the kids be challenged by the trail, hills and water crossings, but also witness their imagination with logs, sticks, leaves and rocks. The most memorable moment was watching them use team work to carry a large tree limb down the trail. Land managers, here come the next generation of trail builders – energetic and using team work and communication.

Parents are their children’s biggest role model. My passion is helping families share the wonders of nature while hiking. On Sunday, parents and their kids shared memories and tons of smiles because they had fun in nature. The memories are the best but as one parent said to me, “there is one overlooked benefit, my kids went to bed easily.” Amen.