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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
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