Arlington, Virginia -- If you are a parent who wants to raise a child with ecological awareness, Arlington, Virginia, wants your attention. Two events in less than a week -- the launching of new children and nature initiative and an open house on “green schools” – showed the county’s enthusiasm about getting kids into nature.
The Arlingon Children and Nature Network (CANN) is aiming to get make sure that kids in Arlington, Virginia don’t suffer from “nature deficit disorder.” Last week, on February 24, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE) held a kick-off for this new initiative, which is a “grassroots campaign of the Children & Nature Network” (C&NN).
In the gymnasium of Campbell Elementary School, ACE Executive Director Elenor Hodges introduced CANN in front of a slideshow of images of children in nature at Potomac Overlook Regional Park and involved in a variety of nature programs. Among the attendees and speakers were Arlington Public Schools School Board member Sally Baird, Arlington County Board Member Mary Hynes, Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette.
Sandra Lochhead-Price, Campbell’s principal, talked about school gardens and the many nature-based activities children enjoy at her “expeditionary learning” school, which is within walking distance of Long Branch Nature Center. Parents with kids from all around the school district came out to hear about the initiative, gather information from supporting organizations, and enjoy some nature-based crafts.
Arlington CANN describes itself as an “alliance of agencies, organizations, individuals and businesses dedicated to connecting Arlington children to nature.” The four ways CANN hopes to achieve this goal are by facilitating the use of outdoor spaces in Arlington by children of all ages; fostering increased opportunities and time for unstructured play; working to make more safe, secure, accessible and appealing places for outdoor play; and raising awareness in our community about the consequences of "nature deficit disorder."
CANN is looking to garner 1,000 supporters by Earth Day 2010. Outside on Campbell's playground, supporters – including children -- were invited to sign the CANN mission statement and also to sign a welcome letter to invite First Lady Michelle Obama to Arlington. The photos, speakers and displays at the event demonstrated that Arlington is already doing a whole lot on this effort.
Just a few days later, on February 28, ACE hosted its third annual “Green Schools Open House” designed to “share resources and connect with others interested in greening schools, environmental education and outdoor learning. Community groups came to exhibit at Potomac Overlook Regional Park as did representatives from some county schools who shared information about their grounds and landscaping initiatives, outdoor education opportunities, and “green fundraising” efforts. ACE lists many of the county’s schools’ green initiatives on its website, and Hodges announced at the open house that ACE would like to find a parent representative on green issues from each county school.
Well before spring makes its official arrival, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment is helping Arlington-area parents and their children think about their connections to nature and to their community.
Jessica Claire Haney is a freelance writer, editor and tutor. Her writing has appeared in parenting publications and poetry journals. A former high school English teacher, Jessica is mother to one son and is passionate about holistic health and well-being and is a leader of a chapter of Holistic Moms Network. Find more personal reflections on parenting at her blog, Crunchy-Chewy Mama, and on DC Metro Moms Blog. Jessica also shares health reflections and recipes at Inexact Science: Raising Healthy Families
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