Go Outside! Take A Child Outside Week & National Public Lands Day

Go outside and enjoy this weekend! It's that perfect time of year when the height of the summer heat has passed, and the autumn breeze is taking over. The weather is perfect - not too hot, not cold. Plus, it is National Take a Child Outside Week! No kidding, September 24 - 30, 2008, is recommended as a time to take your family outdoors and share the love of nature and fresh air with your children, or the children in your life.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has a host of ideas for this week(end) to get you and yours out of doors.

And here's a recommendation from me - Celebrate National Public Lands Day, which is tomorrow, September 27, 2008.

National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy.

In 2007, 110,000 volunteers built trails and bridges, planted trees and plants, and removed trash and invasive plants.

This annual event:

• Educates Americans about critical environmental and natural resources issues and the need for shared stewardship of these valued, irreplaceable lands
• Builds partnerships between the public sector and the local community based upon mutual interests in the enhancement and restoration of America's public lands; and
• Improves public lands for outdoor recreation, with volunteers assisting land managers in hands-on work.
  

This year marks the 15th annual celebration of our nation's public lands such as city parks, state parks, national parks and forests, scenic drives and waterways, prairies and wildflower fields, evenmedians. These are all public lands. They belong to all of us. And since it's ours, shouldn't we pitch in?



If you live in the St. Louis, Missouri Metro Area there are several opportunities for you to get outside and participate. Several public lands in the area will be hosting hands-on workdays and exhibits this weekend.

Sat Sept 27 – Sun Sept 28

Visit one of these natural places.

National Park Service Jefferson National Expansion Memorial at the Gateway Arch

Columbia Bottom Conservation Area - Missouri Department of Conservation

Confluence Point State Park - Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Ruth Park Woods - The Green Center


Learn more about these events on The Confluence website

See you Outside!
DNLee