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Backpacker magazine's Jonathan Dorn spoke with Harry Smith on CBS's The Early Show about "The Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid," an article created through a partnership between The Outdoor Foundation and Backpacker Magazine. Watch the video below.
In a partnership project with Backpacker Magazine, The Outdoor Foundation worked to identify America's top 25 places in the US to beat nature deficit disorder. Which towns offer the ideal mix of accessible trails, inspiring teachers, and great recreational resources? "The Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid" in the August 2009 issue of Backpacker highlights the best cities for young naturalists, birders, rock climbers, ice climbers, paddlers, kayakers, park rangers, thru-hikers and skiers./snowboarders. . Read the article...
Learn more about The Outdoor Foundation's Executive Director, Chris Fanning, in her recent interview with The Case Foundation. Read about the foundation's unique and powerful approach to connecting youth and the outdoors and the exciting new programs and events you can expect to see soon. Read the article...
"Television, computers and video games offer an easy path to peace in our homes, but they come at a big cost to our kids," reports the Bismarck Tribune in a story on the the decreasing time spent outdoors by kids. "A recent report conducted by the Colorado-based Outdoor Foundation shows that an increasing number of Americans participated in nature-based, outdoor activities in 2008. Great news. However, outdoor activity for one critical group - children ages 6 to 17 - continues to decline. Down 6 percent in 2008, which follows an 11 percent decline the previous year." Read the article...
In an article on Americans' return to outdoor recreation in tough economic times, the Arizona Republic cites recent findings from The Outdoor Foundation's 2009 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report and quotes Executive Director, Chris Fanning. "It's really quite encouraging," she says. "In these days and times, not many industries are seeing a silver lining." Read the article...
"An online survey conducted in 2008 by the non-profit Outdoor Foundation indicates that, overall, Americans spent more time than they did the previous year enjoying outdoor activities like camping, hiking and biking," reports Voice of America in a story on the 2009 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report. Read the article...
In a fun article on The Outdoor Foundation and The Coleman Company's Special Report on Camping, entitled "Survey Says: Campers Love Bowling, Hate Snowshoeing," Backpacker Magazine reports on the trends in camping participation and some of the more unique data in The Foundation's latest report. Read the article...
"Now it's official," says the L.A. Times blog in a story on The Outdoor Foundation and The Coleman Company's Special Report on Camping. "More people are camping, in tents and RVs. Why? Because more people are trying to save money by enjoying a simpler existence." Read the article...
In a story picked up by business journals across the country, the Denver Business Journal reports on The Outdoor Foundation and The Coleman Company's Special Report on Camping. Read the article...
CBS Montana News reports on Bozeman's selection for The Outdoor Foundation and Backpacker Magazine's article on "The Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid." "Why did Bozeman make the list?" they ask, "The answer is the community's proximity to park and forest land, its biking population and opportunities provided through the Montana Outdoor Science School. Read the article...
The Rutland Herald reports on the selection of two Vermont towns for The Outdoor Foundation and Backpacker Magazine's article on "The Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid." "Vermont continues to earn national praise from the outdoor community," they say. Read the article...
The Denver Post reports on the selection of four Colorado towns selected for The Outdoor Foundation and Backpacker Magazine's article on "The Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid." Selected Colorado towns were: Boulder (No. 1), Durango (No. 3), Colorado Springs (No. 7) and Fort Collins (No. 9). Read the article...
"It turns out adults in their 20s or 30s just aren't going outside that much. One author even calls it 'nature deficit disorder,'" reports the Kansas City Star. Citing data from The Outdoor Foundation and Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation's Special Report on Fishing and Boating, the newspaper explores the "video game generation." Read the article...
"The sinking economy may have put the brakes on taking the Grand Tour, but many Americans still want to get away," says USA Today in a news article quoting foundation Executive Director Chris Fanning and statistics from The Foundation's recent 2009 Topline Outdoor Recreation Participation Report. "And with relatively low gas prices, more people are pulling into campgrounds." Read the article...
In a story on the rise in popularity in ultra-running in central Oregon, KATU 2 sites data from The Outdoor Foundation's annual Outdoor Recreation Participation Report. Read the article...
American families are getting kids outdoors and enjoying vacations that won't break the bank, reports Eileen Ogintz in a widely published column by Tribune Media Services. Reservations for campsites and sales for camping gear are up. "Camping has become cool," says Christine Fanning, executive director of The Outdoor Foundation. Read the article...
In the Spring 2009 issue of Open Air magazine, The Outdoor Foundation launched a partnership, 'Outdoor Ambassadors,' with USA Today that will highlight over the next year the work of inspiring youth mentors around the country. In this issue, meet Akiima Price, an urban environmentalist instilling a love of nature in inner-city youth as head of the educational programs at the New York Restoration Project. Join the Open Air online community and submit your own childhood stories as they relate to the outdoors and adventure you experienced in your youth. Read the article...
"Whether to avoid eye-popping gas prices, commune with nature, cut one's carbon footprint or shed pounds, the popularity of bicycling is on the upswing," reports the Detroit News. "Last year, The Outdoor Foundation cited bicycling as the second most-enjoyed outdoor activity of Americans. The first is running, jogging and trail running, and third is fishing." Read the article...
In an editorial in The Burlington Free Press on Vermont's review of policy changes that would allow ATV access on state parks, forests and wildlife areas, Ann Ingerson, a resource economist with the Wilderness Society, sites The Outdoor Foundation's Active Outdoor Recreation Economy Report. "Vermont ranked second among all states in percentage of the economy related to nonmechanized outdoor recreation (12 percent)," she says. Read the article...
"Camping is making a comeback," says California's North County Times. The increase in popularity is seen both in the increasing demand for accomodations at local CA parks and in the data reported in The Outdoor Foundation's 2009 Outdoor Recreation Participation Topline Report, cited by the Times. Read the article...
In a column on National Trails Day, the Appalachian Mountain Club discusses the goals of the annual community service event and Americans' growing embrace of the outdoors seen in the 2009 Outdoor Recreation Participation Topline Report. Read the article...
Citing data from the 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, NBC news in Eau Claire, Wisconsin reports on kids increasing disconnect from nature and its effect on their health and society. Read the article...
With the release of the 2009 Topline Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, the New Jersey Courier Post reports on their blog, Into the Outside, the good news about Americans' increasing participation in outdoor recreation - and about the continuing decline in kids participation. Read the article...
Picking up the latest news from The Outdoor Foundation's 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, ESPN Outdoors outlines the key findings from the report: participation in outdoor recreation is increasing for Americans age 18 and older, but falling for kids age 6 to 17. Read the article...
The Outdoor Foundation and USA Weekend Magazine's new partnership offers a charitable grant program that encourages and rewards projects that successfully get youth outdoors and active. USA Weekend MAgazine announced the partnership in their October 10 issue. Read the article...
Ensuring future generations of outdoor enthusiasts means connecting youth with the outdoors for healthier kids, healthier communities, and healthier businesses. In the 2009 issue of the Outdoor Utah Recreation Guide, The Outdoor Foundation Executive Director, Chris Fanning, describes the health crisis facing today's youth as they increasingly turn to sedentary, indoor activities - and the work she is leading to reverse the crisis. Read the article...
