Netting a love of nature The writer’s son looking for insects at Mud Lake as part of a Bear Cubs summer camp through Wild Bear. PHOTO BY BREANNA LAMBERT[/caption]

Tomorrow is truly a global holiday. It’s Earth Day! Around the world, including here in our Peak to Peak back yard, people will gather to celebrate the awesomeness of our planet and, more pressingly, what we need to do to heal and preserve earth’s natural beauty and resources.

A day (or a few days) focused on our relationship with the earth is meaningful and impactful, but how can we get kids to appreciate, protect, and advocate for nature year-round?

NatureBridge, a nonprofit that connects students to the “wonder and science of the natural world” in six national parks, says that to build the “stewards of tomorrow,” you have to get them outside today. The core of NatureBridge’s programs is an immersion in nature, but activities go beyond hiking. Kids are encouraged to look closer at what’s going on in the trees, underfoot, and on the banks of streams. The Yosemite National Park program lists studying “ecological relationships from the perspective of a 2,000-year-old giant sequoia tree” as a sample activity. NatureBridge says this approach helps foster “a generation of environmental stewards who have the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to collaborate to protect and advocate for the natural world.”

The National Wildlife Federation agrees that getting kids outside is crucial. The conservation education and advocacy organization says research shows the best way to instill in kids a lifelong concern for nature is through regular positive experiences. Yet The Connected Kids report, compiled by market researcher Childwise, found that children aged five to 16 spend an average of six and a half hours a day in front of a screen, often at the expense of time spent outside. So it’s no wonder humans are disconnected from nature today; we rarely spend time outside.

But there are simple, low-lift ways to get kids outside, even if you’re fresh out of ideas for activities that would ensure a positive experience. At the end of 2020, the NWF launched Green Hour, a program that provides kids and families with safe, fun, and easy activities to do outdoors. Depending on your child’s interests, you can choose from ideas like creating a nature notebook, observing hawk migrations, or climbing trees. Check out thegreenhour.org for a complete list of activities and to sign up for their newsletter.

For hands-on Earth Day activities and exhibits alongside neighbors and friends, Wild Bear is the place to be. Starting tomorrow, our beloved nature center hosts its Wild Earth Weekend featuring earth-friendly crafts, special Earth Day exhibits, and prizes with festivities culminating in a Sunday nature hike.

Wild Bear says, “Connecting people to nature is a vital step in conserving wild places and addressing the climate crisis.” Their programming reaches even the youngest budding nature steward, including the parent and child program, Bear Cubs, which gets kids as young as three into the forest for hikes, insect observations at Mud Lake, small-handfriendly nature crafts, and much more. Through these programs, kids learn to “love the wild, and the wild in me.” Check wildbear.org for the full schedule of Wild Earth Weekend events and other Wild Bear programs.

Another way to emphasize a connection with nature is through kid-friendly stories. Littles will love the mixed-media illustrations in Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals. A familiar old friend comes to visit with some planet-loving tips in How to Help the Earth—by the Lorax by Tish Rabe. For the older nature activists, get your hands on Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco- Friendly Life by Linda Sivertsen. Check the Nederland Library to see what’s already on the shelves and ask for help requesting titles that may be available elsewhere.

Put your child’s love of nature into action and activism by volunteering as a family. The Nederland Food Pantry Community Garden and Nederland Victory Garden always welcome helping hands to tend to their soil. Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado will help match your group with the perfect opportunity, like trail construction at state parks and restoring habitats by removing non-native plants. Even unorganized volunteering, like collecting trash on a hike, can make a big impact.

The calendar may show April 22 as Earth Day, but in reality, every day is earth day. There are many approaches to helping your child discover and strengthen their love for our glorious earth, but the most important thing you can do is to simply get them outside. Happy Earth Day!