In This Issue:

   1.  NWF Launches Be Out There Campaign with Warner Bros. Pictures

   2.  NWF’s Kevin Coyle Testifies in Support of NOAA’s Environmental Education Bill

   3.  New Leadership at the Federal Land Management Agencies

   4.  NWF Is Hiring DC-Based Senior Legislative Representative for Education

   5.  National Parks Second Century Commission Report

   6.  TV Viewing among Kids at an Eight-Year High

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

*** NOTE: Please keep an eye out for a new and improved look to the NWF Policy Bulletin on Connecting Children with Nature in the coming months. ***

1. NWF Launches Be Out There Campaign with Warner Bros. Pictures:

On Thursday, October 15th, the National Wildlife Federation officially launched ”Be Out There,” a national campaign to get families and kids to spend daily time outdoors for their health, happiness and well-being. For the launch, NWF teamed up with the Warner Bros. Pictures’ major motion picture, Where The Wild Things Are, a collaborative effort between innovative director Spike Jonze and celebrated author Maurice Sendak that tells the story of a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to the island of the Wild Things.

The Be Out There launch events began with a “Wild Rumpus Day” at three Washington, DC, schools where more than 600 students expanded their imaginations and experienced nature with a series of fun, educational activities. The school event culminated with an assembly of inspirational presentations by Jayni Chase, author and environmental activist (wife of Chevy Chase), Associate Chief Hank Kashdan, USDA Forest Service, and NWF COO Jaime Matyas, with special guest appearances from NWF’s own Ranger Rick and Scarlet Fox.  The grand finale that evening was the Where the Wild Things Are DC movie premiere that played to a packed house of 850 school children, donors and dignitaries who lined up in the rain to walk the red carpet at the Uptown Theater. Before the movie Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) spoke about the importance of getting kids outside and the important role of NWF’s Be Out There campaign.

Be Out There engages American families, educators, healthcare practitioners, corporate leaders, policymakers, and the media in persuading others to spend more time outdoors. The goal is to re-connect families to the outdoors to raise healthier kids and inspire a life-long appreciation of wildlife and nature. The Be Out There website offers ideas for outdoor activities for children and families, educational materials for educators and parents, and helpful tools such as Nature Find.

Learn More About the Be Out There Campaign:

http://www.BeOutThere.org

Watch the Video of Wild Rumpus Day:

http://blogs.nwf.org/arctic_promise/2009/10/recap-of-nwfs-wild-rumpus-day.html

2. NWF’s Kevin Coyle Testifies in Support of NOAA’s Environmental Education Bill:

On October 15, 2009, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife, held a hearing to consider the expansion of key environmental education programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  H.R. 3644, the Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Regional Program and National Environmental Literacy Grant Program Act, currently has 15 sponsors in the House.  More than 75 national, state and local organizations have signed on in support of the legislation (please email Patrick Fitzgerald at fitzgeraldp@nwf.org for a copy of the letter or to sign-on).  The bill would authorize key existing environmental education programs at NOAA with total funding for these programs at $235 million over 5 years. Over the past several years, the NOAA B-WET and Environmental Literacy Grants programs have already made great strides in advancing ocean, atmospheric, and environmental literacy in the United States.  With a focus on kids from grades K-12, B-WET and Environmental Literacy Grants have promoted public awareness and appreciation of the economic, social, and environmental benefits of coastal watersheds.

Kevin Coyle, Vice President for Education and Training at the National Wildlife Education, testified in support of the bill, focusing on the importance of experiential environmental education.  He emphasized the need for young people to understand their role in stewardship of coastal and marine resources and the impact of climate change on those resources.  Coyle also highlighted the troubling shift towards an “indoor childhood,” as evidenced by the fact that children today spend half as much time outdoors as they did just 20 years ago.  This legislation would not only bolster hands-on environmental education to get kids outdoors, it would also provide opportunities for recreational experiences on the water.  Other witnesses included: Louisa Koch, Director, Office of Education, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce; Doug Siglin, Federal Affairs Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Jim Elder, Director Campaign for Environmental Literacy; Teresa Ellingson, Teacher, Montalvo Elementary; and Eric Rhoades, Supervisor of Mathematics and Science, Stafford County Schools.

Read the NWF Press Statement on the Hearing:

http://www.nwf.org/news/story.cfm?pageId=5844C1EF-5056-A868-A0AB7407D3851E9D

Watch the Hearing Video and Read the Written Testimony:

http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=32&extmode=view&extid=297

Learn More About the Current NOAA Education Programs:

http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/

3. New Leadership at the Federal Land Management Agencies:

With the change in Administration this year, new leadership has been put in place at the major federal land management agencies which are engaged in numerous efforts around conservation education, recreation, and connecting people with nature.  In June, the USDA Forest Service announced Thomas Tidwell as its new chief. Tidwell has 32 years of experience in the Forest Service including times as the Deputy Regional Forester in the Pacific Southwest region as well as Regional Forester for the Northern Region.  Tidwell is a proponent of community integration to find solutions for healthy forests.  The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) confirmed Bob Abbey as the agency’s new director in August. Abbey has 32 years of experience working with states and federal land management agencies.  He served eight years as the Nevada State Director of BLM overseeing more than 48 million acres.  Abbey was recently a private land consultant living in Nevada and now manages 13 percent of the land in the United States under the BLM.

The National Park Service (NPS) confirmed Jon Jarvis as its new director in September.  Jarvis has worked with NPS for 30 years where he oversaw the Pacific Northwest region with a $350 million annual budget.  Jarvis was originally a biologist, but moved into land management. Jarvis supports getting kids back outdoors and served as co-leader of the Children in Nature taskforce of the National Association of State Park Directors.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) confirmed Sam D. Hamilton as its new director in July.  Hamilton comes from the USFWS Southeast Region where he managed over 128 national wildlife refuges and a $484 million dollar budget.  With a biology background, Hamilton places emphasis on fishery and wildlife habitat restoration and management.  He led the efforts for the largest U.S. habitat restoration project in the Everglades and plans to continue protecting wildlife and find solutions for carbon emissions through ecosystem services.

Read the Announcement of Thomas Tidwell as USDA Forest Service Chief:

http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2009/releases/09/tidwell.pdf

Read the Announcement of Bob Abbey as BLM Director:

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2009/august/NR_0807_2006.html

Read the Announcement of Jon Jarvis as NPS Director:

http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=8242

Read the Announcement of Sam Hamilton as US Fish and Wildlife Service Director:

http://www.fws.gov/offices/samdhamiltonbio.html

4. NWF Is Hiring DC-Based Senior Legislative Representative for Education:

The National Wildlife Federation’s Education Advocacy team is hiring!  We seek a Senior Legislative Representative based in Washington, DC, to advance federal policies that increase the time children and families spend in the outdoors, as well as federal policies that foster sustainability education and green jobs training on college campuses. To achieve these goals the position will need to recruit or engage a broad range of coalition partners, allies, and constituencies, and effectively engage the media. The position must also serve as a key contact within NWF for all of the federal advocacy education work, coordinating with staff in DC and our regional offices, as well as serve as a resource on federal policy for our state affiliate partners.

The successful candidate must have a B.A or B.S in environmental science, natural resource policy, education, political science or a related field. The candidate should also possess a minimum of 7 years professional experience working on legislative, environmental or education policy issues for a congressional office, government agency or advocacy group. The ideal candidate must also have a good understanding of the non-profit environmental and/or education communities. Additionally, excellent political and advocacy skills are required as well as outstanding verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to work in a fast-paced setting and evaluate quickly and thoughtfully the potential impacts of a proposed policy/legislation on wildlife, the ability for children and families to connect with nature, etc.

Visit the NWF Career Gateway to Apply:

https://secure.nwf.org/careergateway/index.cfm?fuseAction=view&positionID=10611

5. National Parks Second Century Commission Report:

In September the National Parks Second Century Commission released a report called Advancing the National Park Idea, which includes recommendations for the future of the National Parks.  The commission was led by co-chairs Howard H. Baker, Jr., Former U.S. Senator (R-TN), and J. Bennett Johnston, Former U.S. Senator (D-LA), and included 28 total commission members, including health professionals, scientists, public officials, professors, recreation enthusiasts, and non-profit professionals.  Their goal was to create a comprehensive report reflecting the current needs of the National Parks and a review of NPS progress. 

The report is separated into eight committee report topics, two of which are particularly relevant to connecting children with nature: the Education and Learning report and the Connecting People and Parks report.  The Education and Learning report urges NPS to improve children’s education and outdoor access through programs that enhance place-based learning, environmental education, and field programs, especially through collaboration with non-profits, private sector, and state and federal education departments.  To accomplish this, the Committee advises NPS to support legislation that promotes educational advancement and creates a “Fund for Education for the NPS and its partners.”  They promote reaching the greatest number of people possible to instill life-long environmental stewardship and learning, through community integration and partnerships.  The Subcommittee also calls on NPS to create management positions focusing on education, lay out strategies for collaboration and educational programs, and hire employees from diverse backgrounds who are committed to getting kids in the national parks.

Read the Full Report:

http://www.visionfortheparks.org/resources/npscc_report.pdf

Read the Eight Committee Reports:

http://www.visionfortheparks.org/resources/npscc-committee-reports.pdf

6. TV Viewing among Kids at an Eight-Year High

New Nielsen Company Report:  “American children aged 2-11 are watching more and more television than they have in years. New findings from The Nielsen Company show kids aged 2-5 now spend more than 32 hours a week on average in front of a TV screen. The older segment of that group (ages 6-11) spend a little less time, about 28 hours per week watching TV, due in part that they are more likely to be attending school for longer hours...”

Read the Full Article:

http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/tv-viewing-among-kids-at-an-eight-year-high/print/

 Patrick Fitzgerald

Director of Education Advocacy

National Wildlife Federation

National Advocacy Center

901 E St, NW, Suite 400

Washington, DC  20004

www.nwf.org

Phone: (202) 797-6821 |  Fax: (202) 797-6646  |  FitzgeraldP@nwf.org  

NWF's mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future.

Learn More:

www.nwf.org/beoutthere

www.nwf.org/campusecology

www.nwf.org/ecoschools

www.greenhour.org

Professional Development Online Courses on Climate Change and Earth