Nowadays, some kids who visit their doctor are fortunate enough to leave with more than a traditional prescription and a lollie pop – - they are armed with a prescription to get outside! This is a growing practice all over the country and kids of all ages and benefitting from this forward thinking.
The National Environmental Education Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have partnered to create ‘Nature Champions’.
Professionals from the health care community (pediatricians, school nurses, health professionals, etc.) trained and partnered with FWS employees from their geographic areas. The weekend training session provided the research, background and understanding of the urgency for kids to get outside and get healthy.
Back in their hometowns, the health care professionals actually write prescriptions for their patients to visit local nature areas – - thus the partnership with employees at nearby Service sites. Other participating nature sites include Audubon locations also. The idea is for the patients to visit these natural areas with their families and get hooked on being outdoors and begin a more active and healthy lifestyle. Upon repeat visits to the sites, they receive incentives (ie, binoculars, pedometers) and encouragement to return for subsequent visits.
The Nature Champion program is being piloted at a number of locations throughout the country and already has many success stories – - from afterschool activities and family-oriented programming to youth club members’ participation in outdoor activities. The momentum continues as the trained Nature Champions have committed to and begun training thirty of their professional peers over the next two years… and so on, and so on…
So, the wonderful ripple effect begins!
Mary Danno, Assistant Connecting People With Nature Program Coordinator, National Conservation Training Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
