Now, a local initiative based on the national No Child Left Inside movement is ready to launch the first phase of its action plan. Known as Getting Kids Outdoors: Emmet County, the mission of this coalition is “to build a community that embraces and promotes getting kids outdoors as part of a healthy lifestyle.” Little Traverse Conservancy is taking a supportive role in the coalition, and partners include representatives from many sectors of the community including:

- Emmet County Planning, Zoning, and Construction Resources
- Harbor Springs and Petoskey Public Schools
- Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians
- MSU Extension-Emmet County
- North Country Kids
- Northern Michigan Regional Hospital
- North Country Trail Association
- Raven Hill Discovery Center
- The Outfitter
- as well as support from family practice physicians and pediatricians.

“Many of us have been concerned about how the draw of abundant technology and lack of unstructured play time outside are negatively affecting children,” said Molly Ames Baker, the volunteer chair for Getting Kids Outdoors: Emmet County.

“We feel that every child in Emmet County should have access, opportunities, and encouragement to get outdoors and explore. By developing a coordinated, community wide effort, we hope to raise awareness and provide resources so that parents, teachers, doctors and others can address ‘nature deficit’ with a simple solution: get kids to ‘Go outside and play!’”

To those already involved in and committed to the care and enjoyment of our natural world, it may be difficult to believe or understand the need to create a “movement” to do what feels like common sense. Yet the data is disturbing. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that the average American child spends 44.5 hours per week — more than 6 hours a day — plugged into electronic media.

The pull is strong. In the latest version of its dictionary for schoolchildren, Oxford University Press cut nature terms such as heron, magpie, otter, acorn, clover, ivy, sycamore, willow, and blackberry. In their place, the university publishing house substituted more modern terms, like the electronic Blackberry, blog, MP3 player, voicemail, and broadband.
But the research is showing how detrimental these trends can be.

A 2003 study by Nancy Wells at Cornell University found that even a view of nature — green plants and vistas — helps reduce anxiety among highly stressed children. While it may seem that these issues wouldn’t relate to those of us living in the “great up north,” you might be surprised. “While out on school programs, we often encounter children who struggle to walk very far, and aren’t able to identify or recognize a trillium — the harbinger of spring in northern Michigan,” said Alison Berry, Conservancy education specialist. “The benefits of simply making outdoor time a regular part of a child’s life are so far reaching.” (See box page 1.)

So what is happening next? And what can you do to help? Just this month, Getting Kids Outdoors launched its website, www.gettingkidsoutdoors.org. The website will provide a central location to post upcoming events, ideas, and tips for families and teachers, along with a multitude of resources. Funding for the website came from a grant from the Harbor Springs-Petoskey Community Foundation. The initiative is now seeking funding for the next stages of their efforts. This includes funds for marketing materials, workshops, supplies, and giveaway items that promote outdoor exploration and discovery.

A community breakfast is planned for May 1 to provide an opportunity to “rally the troops.” Join us if you can! “We’ve spent a lot of time creating our work plan and are now quite clear in what steps we need to take next,” Ames Baker said. “Yet we are seeking more partners who are passionate about helping our community in this way.”

For more information about the initiative, please contact Molly at molly@gettingkidsoutdoors.org or call the Conservancy office at 231.347.0991.