More Bad News on Childhood Obesity

Things are not getting better. The Kansas City Star Reports:

Two research studies published today link childhood and adolescent obesity to substantially greater risks of heart disease. That means in the years ahead, thousands more people may be suffering heart attacks or chronic chest pain, or dying before they reach their 50th birthday.

and

“The prospects if nothing is done are potentially catastrophic,” warned David Ludwig, director of the weight-management program at Children’s Hospital Boston and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, who did not participate in the studies. “The economic costs will be staggering.”

So now we have a public health issue, a conservation issue, and an economic issue. groups like those in the link list, and folks like Rich Louv are speaking out every day. What's it going to take for maybe one Presidential candidate to start talking about the issue of nature deficit? What's it going to take to really ignite this issue with the public? The fuel is all there.

More here.

Snowflake Bentley

We have family that lives in Jericho Center, Vermont, so we're familiar with the work of Wilson Bentley, also known as Snowflake Bentley. Bentley "captured" and photographed more than 5,000 snowflakes, each on unique. Like birding or catching frogs, checking out snowflakes is a great way to connect kids with nature, especially when school is cancelled.

The Bentley Website says:

From the earliest memories of our childhood, many of us can remember hearing the phrase "no two snowflakes are alike". This discovery was made in the small rural town of Jericho, Vermont by Wilson A. Bentley (1865-1931).

Check out the Snowflake Bentley Site here. Lots of good info and links.

First Snow Misc.

Driving overe the Blue Ridge last night I saw the lights on at Whitetail Ski Area and I knew that winter was coming. Then today we got the first snowstorm of the winter here in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Blue Ridge, one of those Alberta Clippers. Nothing like what hit New England a few days ago, but enough to close the schools and strain the limited number of snowplows in this neck of the woods.

We've had a link on the site for some time to the Greater Cincinnati’s Leave No Child Inside site. There's another site in Ohio-- Leave No Child INSIDE Central Ohio Collaborative, check it out here. Lots of good stuff coming from Ohio.

Dirty Hands

The Center for Land-Based Learning's programs ensure kids come home with dirty hands. They also prepare kids to be the next generation of conservation leaders. Those are good things.

At the Center for Land-Based Learning, we believe that young people have the capacity to think critically, make positive decisions, work together and lead their communities. Our programs target high school students because:

* There are so few experience-based programs in agriculture and environmental sciences for this age group.
* The mid-teens are developmentally the appropriate time to instill skills that help students make positive, informed decisions about their futures.
* It's the right time to introduce students to the resources and practical information that encourages post-secondary studies related to environmental sustainability.

More here.

Allegheny

We dodged a weather bullet this weekend and now that the front has passed the wind is howling. In weather like this, the winds blow from the northwest, across the Allegheny Front, the long series of north south ridges whose eastern side rims the west edges of the Cumberland and Shenandoah Valleys. Further west in PA and WV lie some wild places, and rare habitats that go unknown to many. heck, they get as much snow in the Lots of opportunities to get out in those hills.

Matthew Craig is an artist and journalist based in Pittsburgh that has a number of projects, including a public television show and a radio show called The Allegheny Front. Some interesting interviews.

and Scotland...

However, some experts believe this is a struggle that today's parents are losing. No matter how many organizScotlanded sports events or craft sessions urban children are ferried to in their parents' cars, the fact that these activities take place in a controlled and risk-free environment far away from the natural world of rivers, woods and wildlife is a cause for profound concern.

More here.

From the Heartland

Another good editorial, this time from Kansas:

Do you have a memorable experience or place from childhood that shaped your view of the world, or perhaps yourself? Maybe it was time spent at a nearby woods or stream where you could play undisturbed for hours on end. And your parents probably didn't worry about you as long as your chores were done and you came home for supper.

Read it here.