[Sust-mar] Almost 2,000 Participated in Take Me Outside Week

[J. Barlow]

Almost 2,000 Participated in Take Me Outside Week 

 

Over 1,900 children, youth and adults fought back against nature deficit
disorder in late September. Take Me Outside Week, which took place from
September 20 to 26, supported families, groups and organizations in Nova
Scotia in a growing "back to nature" movement, inviting more children and
youth into the great outdoors.

 

It was all in the name of countering "nature deficit disorder," which
describes the negative effects of extended hours of "screen time," lack of
physical activity and a general alienation from nature among our young
people. They are losing out on nature's benefits including stress reduction
and physical activity among many more benefits. Take Me Outside Week aimed
to entice kids back outside.

 

According to the numbers, it did just that. Over 70 families and small
groups registered 379 children and youth and 204 adults. They spent time in
the outdoors doing a whole variety of things such as hiking, biking,
swimming, family play time, star-watching, gardening, going on a treasure
hunt, going to the playground, camping, horseback riding, geocaching,
beachcombing, searching for frogs, garbage clean-up, visiting a farm,
kite-flying, apple-picking, bird-watching, catching insects and exploring
the woods.

 

Families and small groups registered their outdoor activities during the
week online and were eligible to win prizes, which will be announced this
week on the website at www.takemeoutsideweek.ca
<http://www.takemeoutsideweek.ca/> . 

 

Organizations including recreation departments, schools, libraries and
others got in on the act as well. Thirty-six organizations coordinated and
registered 56 different events that involved over 700 children and youth and
more than 650 adults. The events involved a wide range of outdoor activities
including guided hikes, star-watching, cycling, shelter-building,
Earthwalks, geocaching, orienteering, horseback riding, fossil hunting and
showing a documentary on connecting kids with nature.

 

Take Me Outside Week was organized through Recreation Nova Scotia in
partnership with Sense of Wonder Environmental Education and the Sharing
Nature Foundation. It was generously supported by the IWK Community Grants
and Mountain Equipment Co-op.