To be honest, I’ve spent a fair deal of this past year observing Norwegian children playing in nature. Picking berries, building shelters, “selling” all varieties of stone and pinecone merchandise in imaginary boutiques. There is romping and clambering. Clothes get muddy.

When I recently stumbled upon this excellent Slate article by Emma Marris,…

May 27, 2014

I had a dream the other day that I walked down a very long pier. I was in a place that was called Ludington in Michigan. People were sunning on the sand and dipping their toes in the icy water. The pier seemed to go on for days...Ludington's history belongs to logging and the incorporation of sawmills in all the surrounding areas back in the 1800s and also became a major Great…

Latest Blog Post on Earth & Rosie explores how nature can help us teach kids about cooperation.  From ants to dolphins, check out some examples  that are easy to share! 

http://www.earthandrosie.com

New from Ink Pinn Press, a teacher's kit based on the book Three Green Rats, An Eco Tale. Kit includes books, posters, postcards, bookmarks, stickers, and eco-projects kits can do at home or in the classroom. Kits can be customized, starting at $40. E-book available through…

Go Outside And Play!!!

By Renee Sherkness

http://reneesherkness.webs.com/

Remember when we were children and we often would hear our parents…

My wife and I have applied for a new non-profit in Arizona, Back to Nature, Classroom Connection. We have been doing family/kids natural resource education for many years in several states. We noticed SE Arizona has many natural resources yet the children don't know what's outside their homes or computer screens. This organization is designed to get kids from the Southeastern region of Arizona to connect with nature and open up a whole new world for them. We will be working with…

"I want to catch a bluebird for Millie," Stephen declared one day after school.

"Catching a bluebird might be tricky. Maybe you could help Millie create a bluebird environment at her house. If she's successful, a pair of bluebirds might move in, build a nest, and have a family right in Millie's backyard. Millie could watch their activity, learn about bluebirds, and…

An excellent book for ages 6 to 12 teaching kids to live in balance with nature. A fun, hopeful fable, good to read out loud. www.threegreenrats.com. contact Linda@threegreenrats.com. Available on Amazon, print or Kindle.

The first outing of Columbia Families in Nature (CFIN) was on Sunday March 23, 2014 in Columbia, Maryland.   We had over 120 people signed up before I closed the event to any further registrants because 1) I didn't know what I would do with that many people on a hike and 2) I had paid to have the Maryland Department of Natural Resources come out and give a Scales and Tales presentation and I would have to pay extra for every person over 100 that showed up.   I learned a couple of great…

Inspired by participation in a Children and Nature Network (C&NN) Grassroots Gathering, in the fall of 2013 I began planning to start a family nature club in my hometown of Columbia, Maryland.  The C&NN has created a Nature Clubs for Families Toolkit that is an essential guide to creating a new club. My copy became quite dog eared and note-filled as I sought to heed the guide’s credo of “Do it yourself. Do it…

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Cute baby foxes and leaping dolphins remind us that family is alive and well in the animal kingdom.  

May 2, 2014

I am on my #dakotagoesusa trip and the first stop is Grand Canyon National Park! It's a big hole in the earth cut by the Colorado River.  The river has been running through it for millions of years to help carve into the rock and make this giant canyon 6,000 feet (1800 meters) deep.  That is…