Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The wind will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
– John Muir
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Mountains
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The wind will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
– John Muir
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
What Does the Leave No Trace Logo Mean to You?
We’re frequently asked around the Center about the meaning of the Leave No Trace logo. It’s not uncommon to get a least 1 call a week with some reference to the logo. The following are a few of the terms we hear:
• swirly gig
• pinwheel
• hurricane
• whirlpool
• galaxy
With such creative terms for the logo, you can imagine that the explanations of the Leave No Trace emblem get quite original as well. I’ve heard folks incorporate everything from water to space in their meanings of the symbol we’re all so fond of (side note: we know of at least 3 people who have Leave No Trace tattoos!).
I thought it was time to share the Center’s “unofficial” definition of the Leave No Trace logo. Consider the circle in the middle to be a fond outdoor experience or your favorite place to play outside. The surrounding lines represent the ways we interact with that experience or in that space: with enjoyment, wonder, appreciation, and awareness we come into and out of the experience with as little impact as possible.
This is, of course, up for interpretation. Leave us a comment and let us know what the Leave No Trace logo means to you!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
National Get Outdoors Day - Denver, CO (6/14)
Free Event at Sloan’s Lake Park to introduce outdoor recreation opportunities to Denver youth.
On Saturday, June 14th, 2008, dozens of Community Partners, City, County, State, and Federal organizations will be highlighting outdoor recreation opportunities to kids during National Get Outdoors Day from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Denver’s Sloan’s Lake Park at North Stuart and West 23rd Avenue.
Some of the activities will include:
* Climbing Wall
On Saturday, June 14th, 2008, dozens of Community Partners, City, County, State, and Federal organizations will be highlighting outdoor recreation opportunities to kids during National Get Outdoors Day from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Denver’s Sloan’s Lake Park at North Stuart and West 23rd Avenue.
Some of the activities will include:
* Climbing Wall
* Wildlife Tracking in the sand
* Mountain Biking
* Mountain Biking
* “How-To” Demonstrations about Camping
* Canoeing
* Canoeing
* A “Ropes” Course
* Fossil Identification
* Fossil Identification
* “Tent” Raising Competitions
* Coloring Pages
* Coloring Pages
* Live Animal Displays
At the Junior Ranger Camp, youth can:
Become a Junior Ranger
Learn Map Reading
Explore land, water, and wildlife
Learn Outdoor Safety Skills
Participate in a Scavenger Hunt
Prizes will be awarded for participation in dozens of activities. Coleman Outdoor Products will be providing a complete camping outfit for a family of four as one of the prizes.
The U.S. Forest Service will be conducting Mule Packing demonstrations using their Rocky Mountain Region Specialty Pack String. (Mule Team)
National Get Outdoors Day is designed to get kids out of doors. Participating partners will offer opportunities for urban families to experience all types of outdoor activities. This unique event is designed to excite visitors about public lands and to introduce urban youth to the great outdoors.
At the Junior Ranger Camp, youth can:
Become a Junior Ranger
Learn Map Reading
Explore land, water, and wildlife
Learn Outdoor Safety Skills
Participate in a Scavenger Hunt
Prizes will be awarded for participation in dozens of activities. Coleman Outdoor Products will be providing a complete camping outfit for a family of four as one of the prizes.
The U.S. Forest Service will be conducting Mule Packing demonstrations using their Rocky Mountain Region Specialty Pack String. (Mule Team)
National Get Outdoors Day is designed to get kids out of doors. Participating partners will offer opportunities for urban families to experience all types of outdoor activities. This unique event is designed to excite visitors about public lands and to introduce urban youth to the great outdoors.
Get your summer started and get outdoors by participating in the Denver Get Outdoors Day on Saturday, June 14, 2008 at Sloan’s Lake Park.
You can reach the park by riding the 28 RTD Bus, then use the Quitman Street and West 23rd Avenue stop and walk two blocks west to the event.
For more information visit: www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org
Contact: For local information, please contact:
Ms. Jasmine Armstrong, Outreach Coordinator, National Park Service, Denver Get Outdoors Day, 303-969-2489 or email at Jasmine_Armstrong@nps.gov
You can reach the park by riding the 28 RTD Bus, then use the Quitman Street and West 23rd Avenue stop and walk two blocks west to the event.
For more information visit: www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org
Contact: For local information, please contact:
Ms. Jasmine Armstrong, Outreach Coordinator, National Park Service, Denver Get Outdoors Day, 303-969-2489 or email at Jasmine_Armstrong@nps.gov
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
National Get Outdoors Day - Denver, CO
JUNE 14, 2008: DENVER COLORADO
May 21, 2008
Contact: [Susan Alden-Weingardt, Partnership Coordinator, USFS, Rocky Mountain Region and Co-Chair of June 14 event, 303-275-5401, salden@fs.fed.us]
Fun in the sun at Sloan’s Lake Park on National Get Outdoors Day
DENVER, Colorado, (May 21, 2008) – Governor Bill Ritter has declared June Great Outdoors Month in Colorado and President Bush has proclaimed June 14 as National Get Outdoors Day. Denver’s celebration will be a signature event highlighting the importance of enjoying our amazing outdoor recreation opportunities.
Avid4 Adventure, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Parks and Recreation, Outward Bound, REI, The US Forest Service, The National Park Service, Vail Resorts, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado and many more sponsors will host the inaugural National Get Outdoors Day on Saturday, June 14, 2008, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Sloan’s Lake Park in Denver. Designed to become an annual summer event, National Get Outdoors Day encourages healthy, active outdoor fun. Participating partners will offer opportunities for families across the United States to experience traditional and non-traditional types of outdoor activities.
This exciting, unique event is designed to reach first-time visitors to public lands and to reconnect our youth to the great outdoors. Booths and outdoor stations will offer a variety of fun activities such as a mountain bike course, rock climbing and geocaching.
National Get Outdoors Day is an outgrowth of the Get Outdoors USA! campaign, which encourages everyone, especially our youth, to seek out healthy, active outdoor lives and embrace our parks, forests, refuges and other public lands and waters.
For more information visit www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org. To reserve space for a booth call Bill Kight at 970-948-1894 or email bkight@fs.fed.us.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Where are all the kids?
I was recently looking at visitation statistics* for lands managed by the National Park Service and noticed an alarming trend - numbers of visitors to our nations national parks, national recreation areas, national seashores, etc. have been on the decline since the late 90's:
1997: 275,236,335
1998: 286,762,265
1999: 287,130,879
2000: 285,891,275
2001: 279,873,926
2002: 277,299,880
2003: 266,099,641
2004: 276,908,337
2005: 273,488,751
2006: 272,623,980
*Data from Public Use Statistics Office of the NPS
While some may view this as welcome relief for our sometimes overused national park lands, I view it as part of a larger problems that we're experiencing - less and less people are being exposed to the wonders of the out-of-doors. Why is this a concern? It's a concern because it begs the question of who will be the next generation of supporters of national parks and other public lands. As you've no doubt heard, there has been a great emphasis placed on getting more kids outside. The book Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv sparked much action to combat what he termed nature deficit disorder. Many of the federal land management agencies have programs such as the Bureau of Land Management's Take It Outside program. There are also many web-based resources such as the Children and Nature Network which are specifically trying to provide more opportunities for children to get out and experience the out-of-doors.
With all the increased emphasis on getting kids outside, Leave No Trace certainly has a role to play. More people on the land means more opportunities for impact. However, it also mean more opportunities for education! If every kid who experiences the out-of-doors were introduced to Leave No Trace, think what the future of our shared lands would look like. While it saddens me greatly to think that we've become so technologically advanced that our kids our now suffering from nature deficit disorder, I do find great hope in the fact that steps, BIG steps, are being taken to expose our youth to all that nature has to offer.
1997: 275,236,335
1998: 286,762,265
1999: 287,130,879
2000: 285,891,275
2001: 279,873,926
2002: 277,299,880
2003: 266,099,641
2004: 276,908,337
2005: 273,488,751
2006: 272,623,980
*Data from Public Use Statistics Office of the NPS
While some may view this as welcome relief for our sometimes overused national park lands, I view it as part of a larger problems that we're experiencing - less and less people are being exposed to the wonders of the out-of-doors. Why is this a concern? It's a concern because it begs the question of who will be the next generation of supporters of national parks and other public lands. As you've no doubt heard, there has been a great emphasis placed on getting more kids outside. The book Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv sparked much action to combat what he termed nature deficit disorder. Many of the federal land management agencies have programs such as the Bureau of Land Management's Take It Outside program. There are also many web-based resources such as the Children and Nature Network which are specifically trying to provide more opportunities for children to get out and experience the out-of-doors.
With all the increased emphasis on getting kids outside, Leave No Trace certainly has a role to play. More people on the land means more opportunities for impact. However, it also mean more opportunities for education! If every kid who experiences the out-of-doors were introduced to Leave No Trace, think what the future of our shared lands would look like. While it saddens me greatly to think that we've become so technologically advanced that our kids our now suffering from nature deficit disorder, I do find great hope in the fact that steps, BIG steps, are being taken to expose our youth to all that nature has to offer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
