Get Out And See The 'Great Outdoors'

A 21st Century Strategy for America's Great Outdoors

Remember when you were growing up and your mom told you "go outside and play"?

If you look at neighborhoods, these days, across America you may not find as many kids outside playing. TV, electronic devices, safety issues, childcare issues, outdoor space, air quality, and computers have seeminngly kept Americans from experiencing the great outdoors.

President Obama wants Americans, especially kids, to reconnect with the great outdoors.

"Our working landscapes, cultural sites, parks, coasts, wild lands, rivers, and streams are gifts that we have inherited from previous generations. They are the places that offer us refuge from daily demands, renew our spirits, and enhance our fondest memories, whether they are fishing with a grandchild in a favorite spot, hiking a trail with a friend, or enjoying a family picnic in a neighborhood park. They also are our farms, ranches, and forests -- the working lands that have fed and sustained us for generations", said Obama at the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors last week at the Department of the Interior.

In conjunction with the Department of the Interior the president is creating a 21st century initiative to get Americans reconnected with America's great outdoors.

The goals of the initiative shall be to reconnect Americans, especially children, to
America's rivers and waterways, landscapes of national significance, ranches, farms and forests, great parks, and coasts and beaches by exploring a variety of efforts, including: promoting community-based recreation and conservation, including local parks, greenways, beaches, and waterways; and by advancing job and volunteer opportunities related to conservation and outdoor recreation; and also through supporting existing programs and projects that educate and engage Americans in our history, culture, and natural bounty.

"Americans take pride in these places, and share a responsibility to preserve them for our children and grandchildren.

More on the initiative here.

Related
National Park Week

Comments

In wake of the Zika virus, travel, spring break still O.K.

Representatives from the CDC and the NIH were on hand at the White House during Monday's press briefing to update the public and address concerns over the Zika virus that has caused some babies to be born with deformities. Dr. Anne Schuchat from the Centers for Disease Control and Dr. Tony Fauci from the National Institutes of Health told reporters that a vaccine is in the making. The pair also said they are particulary concerned about women who are pregnant, or plan to get pregnant, who have either traveled to or plan to travel to areas of South America and the Carribean known to have the Zika virus. Despite those bold statements, the doctors said there is no wide-spread concern and that Americans should continue to travel, including during upcoming college spring breaks -- when college students travel to warmer climate destinations to escape winter weather. "Travel to Zika-affected areas is very common among Americans, and we don’t think that needs to stop...

ACA Health Care Operator Fired For Doing Her Job?

More woes for the Obama administration's roll out of HealthCare.gov . During the president's weekly address he urged Americans to call a toll-free number to get help enrolling in a health care plan as the website continues to be 'improved'. Said the president, "But even as we improve the website, remember that the website isn’t the only way to apply for coverage under these new plans. We’ve updated HealthCare.gov to offer more information about enrolling over the phone, by mail, or in person with a specially-trained navigator who can help answer your questions. Just call 1-800-318-2596 or visit LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov . No sooner than the president gives out the 800 number for Americans to speak to one of the 'specially-trained navigators', one of them gets fired, perhaps loosing her own healthcare benefits. Her malfeasance? Talking to talk show host Sean Hannity. Hannity called the 800 number with his...

Saying goodbye to Mrs. Robinson, mother of First Lady Michelle Obama.

The woman who made her mark as grandma-in-chief when President Barack Obama was elected 44th president of the United States, passed Friday. The woman who was considered the backbone of the Obama household will be remembered as a family-oriented, kind person, who remained poised as she assumed the responsibility of helping raise her two beautiful granddaughters in an environment, and in a world, far from what she ever imagined. Mrs. Marian Robinson, mother of First Lady Michelle Obama, waves to reporters during Easter egg hunt at the White House. (photo CD Brown) I recall seeing her that day in March during Women's History Month at the Smithsonian when her daughter's Inaugural gown, like all the other first lady inaugural gowns, was being cemented in Smithsonian history . She was smiling as she walked alone prompting me to ask, "is there no security, no secret service, for the first grandmother?" ADVERTISEMENT CMB BUSINESS SOLUTIONS I am also reminded of the time w...

Politics. On Point.

Search This Blog