START A NATURE CLUB

Nature Clubs for Families is a great way to get started, get involved, and get the benefits of time in nature. A Nature Club for Families is a group of people with an interest in connecting children with nature. Each Nature Club is unique, with some meeting weekly and same less often. Some take boisterous family hikes that combine kid-driven play with spontaneous nature observation. Some meet at parks with children playing and families building friendships. Whatever the form, all share these basic goals: Get outside in nature on a frequent basis; gather children, friends and community members to share the outdoor adventures; and experience the benefits of time spent together outside.

“What if parents, grandparents, and kids around the country were to band together to create nature clubs for families? What if this new form of social/nature networking were to spread as quickly as book clubs and Neighborhood Watches did in recent decades? We would be well on our way to true cultural change.” – Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder and Chairman, Children & Nature Network

Families are discovering that having fun outdoors doesn’t require waiting for a special event or program. Instead, they are taking the initiative and creating their own local nature clubs. These go by different names and take slightly different forms, but they all offer accessible, easy, low- (or no) cost family fun.

Nature is good for the entire family. Evidence shows that it is important, healthy and fun for children to have frequent and varied opportunities for play outdoors. When they do, they are happier, healthier and smarter. All in all, nature is good for children and their friends and family, too!

Anyone interested in establishing a Nature Club please call Mary Jones @ 785-766-3023 or e-mail. Spring is here and we are getting ready to get “Outside for a Better Inside” for all of us!

Please contact us and we can help you create your special Nature Club!