45 pages (1.5mb); available online as a PDF document at the resource link below.
Resource: http://www.childrenandnature.org/uploads/CNActGuide1.1.pdf
The Children and Nature Network (C&NN) was created to encourage and support people and organizations working toward the goal of reconnecting children and nature. C&NN provides a critical link between researchers, individuals, educators, organizations, businesses and government agencies dedicated to children's health and well-being.
C&NN's priorities range from developing public awareness through education and outreach, to developing new generations of Natural Leaders®, to supporting the grassroots, to helping to identify the trends and fill the gaps in public understanding of the importance of the people-nature connection for us all. C&NN promotes fundamental institutional, community and cultural change while providing resources for sharing information, strategic initiatives and success stories. This C&NN Community Action Guide: Building the Children & Nature Movement from the Ground Up is one such resource.
While the children-and-nature movement is developing a national and international presence, community-based, regional and state campaigns will likely be the most dynamic engines. Such efforts are reaching across communities and professions to bring unlikely allies to the table. Conservation organizations, agencies, homebuilders, teachers, artists, business leaders, physicians and elected officials are developing programs, policies and initiatives to foster change in order to reconnect children with nature.
The C&NN Community Action Guide was written especially for local C&NN startup groups. The guide describes three adaptable phases to target and organize your community; create shared, viable strategic visions and plans; and get started on the continuously improving process of implementation. The three phases are: 1) Engaging Your Community; 2) Developing Strategies & Products; and 3) Implementation. Phase One focuses largely on engaging the interests of the community in a joint strategic planning process. Phase Two involves identified community members in creating a common vision for reconnecting children to nature, ways for achieving that vision, plus detailed action steps for accomplishing specified goals. Phase Three is implementing the action plan, analyzing the results and continually revising the plan and action strategies. Each phase involves increasing the number of people and organizations participating in taking action together that will reverse the negative trends and barriers to reconnecting children with nature.
