Children & Nature Network

🌿 Nature is for everyone — here's how we can ensure it truly is. Mark Davison is the park planning manager for the City of Boulder, Colorado. He’s also the father of three wonderful children, one of whom, Lydia, experiences disability. Over the past decade, he and his family have built a supportive network to increase Lydia's "Wildometer" and ensure that she has a full range of access to the outdoors. Now, Mark is imagining how Lydia’s personal network might be replicated in other cities through similar systems of support to help children with disabilities better engage in all types of nature — and he’s sharing his ideas with you. “This is a call to ensure that when you design, program or support access to nature, you never leave a child with a disability behind,” writes Davison in our most recent edition of Finding Nature News. Check it out now! https://bit.ly/4c2bo6m #FindingNatureNews #AccessibleAdventures #PediatricDisability #Caregiver #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityInclusion #FindingNatureNews #DisabilitySupport #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #ChildrenAndNature

“We want the public to understand that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a place for all people, including people with mobility needs,” reports Park Ranger Katie Corrigan. Smoky Mountains National Park now provides off-road wheelchairs and a range of adaptive activities, allowing people with disabilities to explore the park in ways previously impossible. Community response has been positive, serving as a reminder of the need for all-terrain wheelchairs, adaptive programming and other accessible features in park systems across the country. https://bit.ly/4dliUdK #RoundUp #NationalParks #AccessibleParks #AccessibleAdventures #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilitySupport #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #ChildrenAndNature

We got so many requests for content from those who couldn’t make it to the conference this year – now, you can experience some key moments from the 2024 Nature Everywhere Conference with our conference recordings! These recordings include sessions like: 🌱 Nature’s Benefits 101, with Children & Nature Network’s Director of Research Cathy Jordan 🌱 Let them play! How to bring the benefits of unstructured play to children in your community 🌱 The Fifth Freedom: Guaranteeing an opportunity-rich childhood for all 🌱 Sharing Power & Deepening Trust: Philanthropy to Grow a Movement 🌱 The Transformative Power of Equitable Access to Nature for Communities Check out the full playlist here! https://bit.ly/4cimZyF #NatureEverywhere #Conference #Recordings #MononaTerrace #MadisonWI #NatureAdvocates #Leadership #ChildrenAndNature

2.6 million households in the U.S. have at least one child with a disability, which accounts for more than 7 percent of all households with children. Celebrate Disability Pride Month with this stat and others in this week's Stat Sheet. https://bit.ly/3xYhiVZ #FindingNatureNews #StatSheet #Disability #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilitySupport #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #ChildrenAndNature

“When trails are inclusive, I truly am the happiest version of myself,” says Cory Lee, wheelchair user, travel advocate for people with disabilities and blogger. Cory has compiled a list of parks around the U.S. that are truly accessible for everyone, regardless of abilities and mobility devices. These parks feature smooth paths and beautiful scenery for all to enjoy! Check out this list of parks here. https://bit.ly/3SqlhEi #NationalParks #AccessibleParks #AccessibleAdventures #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilitySupport #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #ChildrenAndNature

Today’s nature challenge? Get real close to the ground... a little closer... a little closer... Stop! Perfect. Now — find an ant. What are they doing? Is there more than one? Where are they going? Are they carrying anything along with them? Follow them on their journey 🐜 Nature is all around us, yet we often get caught up in our day-to-day lives and forget to notice it. The #VitaminNChallenge is an easy way to remind ourselves to slow down and enjoy nature. Were you able to find an ant and follow its journey? What did you discover? https://bit.ly/3b44Bzl Nature's Way #VitaminNChallenge #NaturesWay #VitaminNature #NatureChallenge #NatureEverywhere #ChildrenAndNature

What might a park system that better supports children with disabilities and their families look like? In his role as Park Planning Manager for the City of Boulder and as a father to three wonderful children, one of whom experiences disability, Mark Davison has learned how crucial it is to remove both visible and hidden barriers to nature. Now, Davison has a handful of ideas that can be used to help practitioners create a broader network of care to support children with disabilities and their families as they engage in the outdoors. Read this week’s Finding Nature News to explore how we can create outdoor opportunities that benefit every child, everywhere. https://bit.ly/4c2bo6m #FindingNatureNews #AccessibleAdventures #PediatricDisability #Caregiver #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityInclusion #FindingNatureNews #DisabilitySupport #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #ChildrenAndNature

“AANHPI communities and other communities of color have been historically excluded from the outdoors,” said Saira Shahid. “[Outdoor Asian] aims to remove these barriers and ensure that members of these communities have an opportunity to experience the joy of being outdoors.” “It is important that we understand this history and connect it to injustices that are happening today.” Created as a community space for people of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and/or Pacific Islander (AANHPI) heritage, Outdoor Asian is on a mission to help people connect outdoors. The organization hosts beginner-friendly outdoor events, including group cultural events, such as a recent trip to the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial in Bainbridge Island, Washington. https://bit.ly/3YffJjp #RoundUp #AANHPI #OutdoorAsian #AsianAmerican #Outdoors #FindingNatureNews #ChildrenAndNature

Did you know? More than 600 attendees gathered for the 2024 Nature Everywhere Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, representing 10 different countries. Our annual conference is the largest gathering of advocates for children and nature in the world! 🌏 See this and other conference stats in our Stat Sheet. https://bit.ly/3LAbirV #NatureEverywhere #Conference #Stats #MadisonWI #ChildrenAndNature #FindingNatureNews

Need some inspiration for your #VitaminNChallenge? Join us for our next Families Together in Nature event — special bilingual edition: “Inspiration & Innovative Strategies from Brazil” 🇧🇷 During this free event, we’ll hear from Ana Carol Thomé, founder of Ser Criança é Natural, who will share innovative strategies that she has developed to provide opportunities for all children in Brazil to connect with the natural world. She will be joined by Laís Fleury of the Alana Foundation. Their conversation will leave you excited to incorporate new approaches and resources into your outdoor activities. The discussion will be conducted in Portuguese, with live English translation available. Registration for our Families Together in Nature series is known to go quickly… Secure your (free) spot here! https://bit.ly/46iDpoY Instituto Alana #VitaminNChallenge #FamiliesTogetherInNature #Brazil #OptOutside #NatureStrategies #ChildrenAndNature