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NH Children In Nature Coalition

The New Hampshire Children In Nature Coalition is dedicated to fostering experiences in nature that:

  1. Improve physical and emotional health and well-being
  2. Increase understanding of and care for the natural world
  3. Promote stronger connections to community and landscape

...and to providing a forum for continued collaboration. 
 

Looking for a great reason to get outside this spring? Here's a bunch!!:

New Hampshire Leave No Child Inside Forum:
A Community Conversation about Connecting Children and Nature, co-sponsored by the Children and Nature Network, Sierra Club and the N.H. Children in Nature Initiative

In November 2007, more than 600 people gathered at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, N.H., for the N.H. Leave No Child Inside Forum. The day began witha public forum featuring Richard Louv, author of the seminboy with binocularsal book Last Child in theWoods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.  His talk was followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Cotton Cleveland, with special guests representing the environment, education, health, recreation, the built environment, and culture, including David Sobel, Jan McLaughlin, Martin LeBlanc, Steve Whitman, and Dr. Jose Montero.  During the afternoon, participants gathered in five strategic planning sessions.

CLICK HERE to download a report of the November 2007 Forum (PDF, 108 KB).

Following the public forum, a new initiative to reconnect children and nature in New Hampshire has emerged, called the N.H. Children in Nature Coalition. Get involved and share ideas by joining the N.H. Children in Nature Coalition listserv -- contact Marilyn Wyzga at NH Fish and Game at marilyn.c.wyzga@wildlife.nh.gov

A Message From NH First Lady, Dr. Susan Lynch:

I am pleased to see this initiative moving forward in New Hampshire, following on the success of the first Leave No Child Inside Summit held here in May.  New Hampshire is taking a leading role in this nationwide effort to make a difference in the lives of children, families and communities by reconnecting them with nature.  From my own work with child health issues, I know how important it is for children and their families to get outside, get moving and learn about the natural world, to lay a foundation for healthy, active lives.  We all hold a stake in our children’s future.  I am committed to supporting creative solutions for connecting children to New Hampshire’s great outdoors, and I encourage you to join me.

Sincerely,
Susan Lynch, MD
Honorary Chairperson

   

RESOURCES

Join the N.H. Children in Nature Coalition listserv! Contact Marilyn Wyzga at NH Fish and Game at marilyn.c.wyzga@wildlife.nh.gov.

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, appeared on NHPR's The Exchangelast fall. Click here to listen to a recording or add your comments.

Children & Nature Network: Building a movement to reconnect Children & Nature

Leave No Child Inside (PDF): To create a better future for our children, let's help them connect with their wild roots - Article from NH Wildlife Journal by Marilyn Wyzga

Click here to download the report from the Leave No Child Inside Public Forum, November 2007 (PDF, 108 KB).

Click here to download the full report from the Leave No Child Inside Summit, May 2007 (PDF, 219 KB).

KidPower! Seasonal newsletter for kids and their caregivers - from DHHS

How the New Hampshire Initiative Began:

The NH Children In Nature Coalition began to form in January 2007, when a group of twenty people representing health, education, community planning and environmental concerns came together and got the ball rolling on the New Hampshire initiative to reconnect children with nature.

That initial meeting was followed by a Leave No Child Inside Summit at the Public Service of New Hampshire Five Rivers Auditorium in Manchester in May 2007, where nearly 100 invited participants met to discuss the issue of children and families getting out into nature.  After hearing from First Lady Dr. Susan Lynch and Dr. Cheryl Charles from the Children in Nature Network, participants were assigned to break-out sessions to brainstorm about:

  • existing programs and activities to get children and families into nature,
  • barriers to increasing these activities and encouraging children to have free play outside in nature, and
  • possible strategies to address these barriers and issues.

Click here to download the full summit report (PDF, 219 KB).
 
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