[PAEE] PAEE/ NWF Connecting Children with Nature (November 2009)
rroperti at zoominternet.net
rroperti at zoominternet.net
Sun Nov 22 21:48:53 EST 2009
This email came to me from Patrick Fitzgerald at the National Wildlife Federation. Some of you may recognize Patrick as our speaker for the PAEE speaker series at St. Vincent College last year. There is some really good information in the email about what is happening in DC. PAEE is signed on is support of #1 and #2. #3 has a great opportunity for schools. Please don't miss reading what is here! Ruth Roperti
----- Original Message -----
From: Patrick Fitzgerald
To: EDBULLETIN at LISTS.NATIONALWILDLIFE.ORG
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 9:15 AM
Subject: NWF Policy Bulletin on Connecting Children with Nature (November 2009)
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NWF Policy Bulletin on Connecting Children with Nature
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In This Issue:
1. Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act Passes in Committee
2. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin Confirmed by U.S. Senate
3. NWF Launches Eco-Schools USA
4. Senate Holds Public Lands Service Corps Hearing
5. Governor O’Malley Releases Maryland’s Children and Nature Action Plan for 2010
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*** NOTE: Please keep an eye out for a NEW look to the NWF Policy Bulletin on Connecting Children and Nature in the coming months. ***
1. Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act Passes in Committee:
On November 18th, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup on H.R. 3644, the Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act. In a big victory for environmental education, the Committee approved the legislation by a 22 to 13 vote and will now be place on the calendar for a full vote by the House of Representatives. H.R. 3644 was introduced in the House by Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) to authorize key environmental education programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) and the Environmental Literacy Grants (ELG) programs. Over the past several years the NOAA B-WET and ELG programs have already made great strides in advancing ocean, atmospheric, and environmental literacy in the United States.
The bill has a total of 31 sponsors, adding 10 the day before the mark up and Congresswoman Capps referenced the organizational sign-on letter from 100 national, state and local groups more than once during the mark up. Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU) stated that, among other reasons, she supported the Act because it would grow the existing NOAA programs and expand them to new regions giving more students access to outdoor resources. When describing the bill, Congresswoman Capps stated, “I’ve witnessed firsthand how this program has provided opportunities for hundreds of children and teachers on the Central and South Coast to learn about the importance of our coastal and marine environment. Under my legislation, more watershed communities across the country will be able to replicate the success we’ve experienced on California’s coast.” Kevin Coyle, NWF’s Vice President for Education and Training, testified at the bill’s hearing last month and NWF is excited to continue helping the bill move forward to a full vote in the U.S. House and introduction in the Senate. Organizations wishing to join the sign-on letter in support of H.R. 3644 should contact Patrick Fitzgerald at fitzgearldp at nwf.org.
Read NWF’s Press Statement on Committee Approval of H.R. 3644:
http://www.nwf.org/news/story.cfm?pageId=03DAEB98%2D5056%2DA868%2DA0B2BA90EF5C0325
Read the Factsheet on H.R. 3644:
http://www.nwf.org/nwfwebadmin/binaryVault/Fact%20Sheet%20HR3644.pdf
Read the Final Bill and Mark Up Vote:
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=27&extmode=view&extid=311
2. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin Confirmed by U.S. Senate:
On October 29th, the United States Senate confirmed Dr. Regina Benjamin as our nation’s next Surgeon General. Dr. Benjamin, a family practice physician from Bayou La Batre, Alabama, received bipartisan support and was confirmed by a unanimous voice vote. Dr. Benjamin received a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University of Louisiana and a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Benjamin is known for her commitment to her patients in the small fishing town where her clinic is located. She has remained devoted to the people of Bayou La Batre, and they have returned the favor helping her rebuild her clinic three times after being destroyed by two hurricanes and a fire.
The Surgeon General, as our nation’s principal health educator, provides the American public with information and guidance on how to live a healthier life. As more and more children tune out nature (and tune into televisions and video games), rates of childhood obesity continue to reach alarming levels. This is a national health issue that requires national attention and NWF and its partners are continuing a campaign started last fall to ask the new Surgeon General to issue a "Call to Action" to promote the health benefits of daily, unstructured outdoor play for children and families. In the coming weeks we will be sending her a public petition signed by more than 16,500 Americans and a sign-on letter signed by more than 190 public health, medical, youth, education, parks, recreation, built environment, and conservation organizations, asking that she make outdoor time a part of her official recommendations for healthy living. We look forward to working with Dr. Benjamin to raise a healthier generation of Americans. Organizations wishing to join the letter should contact Patrick Fitzgerald at fitzgearldp at nwf.org, and individuals that would like to sign the citizen’s petition can follow the link below.
Sign the Surgeon General Petition:
http://online.nwf.org/GetAmericaOutdoors
Read NWF’s Press Statement on Dr. Benjamin’s Confirmation:
http://www.nwf.org/news/story.cfm?pageId=BFB37868-5056-A868-A004872EEF22E199
Read the White House Statement on Dr. Regina Benjamin and the Nomination:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Dr-Regina-Benjamin-Nominee-for-Surgeon-General/
3. NWF Launches Eco-Schools USA:
On November 1st, NWF launched a program called Eco-Schools USA, which is the new U.S. component of an international network of 30,000 schools in 43 countries around the world. In 2003, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) named Eco-Schools a model for Education for Sustainable Development. NWF was honored to be given the opportunity to implement this program and work with U.S. schools. The program’s goals are to green the school building, green the school grounds, and green the educational programming. It benefits schools by helping to improve students’ academic performance, economic savings for schools, increasing environmental stewardship and awareness, conservation of school resources, and it increases student, teacher, parent, and community relationships. Kids can be involved with projects such as composting and school gardens.
In just two and a half weeks, 70 U.S. schools have joined the Eco-Schools network and they represent 30,000 U.S. students in 21 states. The program encompasses a rich set of educational "pathways" such as energy, water, green hour outdoors and climate change. Our new partners include SchoolTube.com, Facing the Future, Al Gore's Climate Project, and the HSBC climate initiative. Eco-Schools USA is looking for new schools to join on and partnerships with other green school programs that are evolving around America. Registration to the program can be done through the Eco-Schools website. For more information, please contact Liz Soper at soper at nwf.org.
Learn More and Help Us Spread the Word:
http://www.nwf.org/ecoschools/index.cfm
Follow Us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/EcoSchoolsUSA
4. Senate Holds Public Lands Service Corps Hearing:
On October 29th, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests, held a hearing on S. 1442, the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009. The Act would create a modernized Public Lands Service Corps which would improve opportunities for youth and young adults, particularly those from underserved communities, to gain valuable job skills and spend time working outdoors while providing much-needed services on our nation’s public lands. This legislation would instill in a new generation an appreciation for natural and cultural resource stewardship and public service. The bill would also lay the groundwork for training a new and diverse generation of public land and natural resource managers. The bill was introduced by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The House companion bill (H.R. 1612), introduced by Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) currently has 64 co-sponsors.
Read the Entire Public Lands Corps Act of 2009:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:s1442is.txt.pdf
Watch the Public Lands Corps Hearing:
http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=5a267b5e-be5b-8817-f389-b590b432cb09
5. Governor O’Malley Releases Maryland’s Children and Nature Action Plan for 2010:
In October, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley released Maryland’s Children in Nature Action Plan for 2010. The plan serves to strengthen state environmental literacy as well as create accessible opportunities for kids to get outdoors. It is a work in progress that will be updated as resources and programs are made available. Data monitoring on actual time spent in nature is included in the plan to enhance the quality and quantity of programs offered.
The plan intends to provide children with structured and unstructured opportunities for play, outdoor recreation, learning, and scientific study. The plan includes detailed recommendations for specific initiatives such as: a high school graduate requirement that all students must take and pass a designated environmental literacy course; a requirement that every student in Maryland have a meaningful outdoor learning experience every year; establishment of Maryland Trail Development Office to create land and water trails that connect communities, parks, waterways, and schools; development of an Interpretative and Outdoor Classroom Plan; incorporation of nature play spaces into community health planning, land use planning and community development design; and a comprehensive initiative to green all schools and school grounds to create opportunities for outdoor learning experiences for students. The plan’s programs currently have support from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and additional funding is pending and actively being sought to put these programs into action, quickly allowing kids to get outdoors.
Read more on the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature FY 2010 Action Plan: http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/cin/pdfs/stateworkplan.pdf
Visit the Maryland NCLI Coalition Website:
http://www.cbf.org/Page.aspx?pid=700
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 at 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
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