Get Outta Here

It’s time to turn off the computer. Walk outside. Get in your car and go back to nature. I mean it. After you finish reading this blog, you will know the best time to get out there. Haven’t you missed feeling a real breeze on your arms instead of air conditioning? Or the way the trees look against the sky?

September is a month of loving the outdoors. Summer starts to cool down and you can get outside. Believe it or not, you can do this for free and help a charity at the same time.

Here’s your chance. Next Saturday, September 29^th, is National Public Lands Day. The National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have all declared it as a fee-free day. You can check the links above to find a wildlife refuge, park or other recreation area you want to visit and make sure it is included.

As part of Serve Outside September (S.O.S.) this month the Children and Nature Network (C&NN) will get a buck for everyone who signs up to spend some time outside and take someone with them.

It’s sponsored by The North Face and you may also win free North Face gear or even a trip to the Bay area if you tell your nature visit story. Since the pledge is on Facebook, you can even say whom on your Friend list you’ll take with you.

C&NN works to get kids connected to nature and has resources for families, teachers, leaders, pediatricians and more. It also has links to grassroot events around the nation.

Want to get in on an extra free day of your choice? Just volunteer to help at a national park this month and you can get a coupon to get in to any national park as well. You can find an event at the Serve Outside September website or call your nearest national park.

The International Coastal Cleanup by the Ocean Conservancy was last Saturday. I’ve participated in the cleanups before and they’re a great way to meet some new people while making your community more beautiful. S.O.S. is another great way to do that.

Need a reason to get outside? How about health benefits for you and your kids? As S.O.S. says, you can restore your planet as you restore yourself. It’s the perfect time to do it, help your world as you help yourself, that is.

Just a teaser, next week I'll have an interview for World Habitat Day and World Homeless Day with Angela Y. Smith, who experienced being homeless and wants to share what can be done about it.