Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
888 N EUCLID AVE
TUCSON,AZ 85719-4824
Performing Department
Extension Administration
Non Technical Summary
Time in nature is not leisure time; it is an essential investment in our children's health and our own as well. It takes a special kind of time-loose, unstructured dreamtime-to experience nature in a meaningful way. When people argue for the end of hunting and fishing without suggesting options equaling or surpassing the importance of these nature experiences for children, they should be careful what they wish for. Remove hunting and fishing from human activity and we lose many of the voters and organizations that now work for the protection of woods, fields, wildlife and watersheds. The future is in the hands of today's children, many of whom are more likely to view nature through the television screen than the tent screen. Not surprisingly, a variety of authors and educators have begun to warn of the dangers of "nature-deficit disorder" in the current generation. The National Park Service, for example, has begun to cite declining park visitation as a trend where people are more likely to visit parks through on-line web cams than to experience the parks firsthand. It's not too much of a stretch to say that if children don't care about nature today, they won't care about conserving it tomorrow when they're adults. When children or anyone interacts with nature, there's adaptation to new environments, response to different conditions, challenge, mastery, uncertainty and surprise. Nature increases the opportunities for kids to come together and interact. The current concern about childhood obesity also concerns children's lack of physical activity because of a pre-occupation with video games and computers. Children who have more positive and enriching experiences in the natural world are more likely to become better-informed adult consumers and savers who are environmentally alert to their own lifestyles and practices. This project will engage the expertise of an independent contractor to provide leadership and fully develop one or more of the initiatives identified at the Biosphere2 think tank from February 2009. Outcomes are that curricula or other professional development tools will be created, resulting in youth having greater connections to nature and the outdoors. Youth will be healthier, happier and more fit along with gaining an enhanced appreciation of nature.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Goals / Objectives
Arizona 4-H proposes to support the continued development and implementation of programs that support the initiative to re-connect youth with the outdoors and their immediate environment. This project will follow up on and implement one or more of the ideas generated at the Biosphere2 think tank in January 2009--Family Camps, Outdoor Adventure Clubs, Neighborhood Nature Clubs or community gardening. The final products may include a new curriculum, training and technical assistance materials, planning guides, and/or professional development support materials. Ultimately, the new program will engage young people in new ways and not only connect them with the outdoors but also their parents/guardians, volunteers, community members, and peers.
Project Methods
An independent contractor will be hired to provide leadership to this project and directed to put wheels under one or more of the initiatives identified at the Biosphere think tank. She/he will assemble task groups, review curriculum, and develop products to help 4-H implement these initiatives nationwide.