LET's G.O.! Tool Kit

8/7/2019 LET's G.O.! Tool Kit

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What: Let's G.O.! (Get Outside) Let’s G.O.! is a youth-inspired, youth-led Children &Nature Network initiative to rally people of all ages to Play, Serve and Celebrate. We invite youto participate! Plan a Let’s G.O.! event, join a Let’s G.O.! event, or partner with Let’s G.O.! toengage more people in events you and others may already have scheduled. All in all, spreadthe word and Let’s G.O.!

When : All of April 2011The whole month of April as part of C&NN’s Children

& Nature Awareness month!

Where: NationwideEvents will occur in a variety of locations coast to

coast. They can be held in many settings, from parks to

neighborhoods to schools and national wildlife refugesyou can choose, as long as the event is outdoors in nature.

Who: Everyone



Who: Everyone

INTRODUCTIONWe believe that every day should be a Get Outside Day and that projects to connect children and

nature should be encouraged throughout the year in children's daily lives. The Children & NatureNetwork (C&NN) named April as Children & Nature Awareness Month several years ago, and the NaturalLeaders launched Get Outside Day two years ago. The response of local governments, private groupsand individuals across the country has been uniformly supportive. From the special proclamations ofcivic leaders to a collection of songs written to celebrate the movement, Children & Nature AwarenessMonth has both inspired those already interested in reconnecting children with nature and focused theattention of others on the importance of outdoor play in nature for healthy childhood development.These initiatives have also helped bring attention, visibility, and a sense of community to the manyoutstanding efforts already underway.

Now, thanks to the energy, enthusiasm and vision of the C&NNNatural Leaders Network, April 2011 is the first time we have the

i ll h ll f C&NN' d i i i i

“There is an energy within us…can you feel it? It is in our genes. Generation after

generation has ventured into the unknown with that energy. We are a movement that

celebrates every day the sun rises and sets, every day a child digs into dirt or builds the firstmud pie. Let this not be the last generation that celebrates time outdoors and Let’s G.O.!

Get Outside!”

Juan Martinez, Natural Leaders Coordinator; National Co-Chair, Let’s G.O.!



10 StepsFor Planning, Registering, Sharing and Documenting Your Event

⇒ 1. Plan a let’s G.O.! Event – Find your team, decide what you want to do and set the date! Ifyou are looking for help with planning, this tool kit has lots of ideas.

⇒ 2. Or Partner with Let’s G.O.! For your April event It’s simple, use one of these to let peopleknow.

This event is part ofLet’s G.O.! (Get Outside)

We support the Natural Leaders.Let’s G.O.! (Get Outside)

⇒ 3. Use the Let’s G.O.! Web Site Badge on your own web site or blog.http://www.childrenandnature.org/getinvolved/badges

⇒ 4. Acknowledge ALL sponsors on your materials. Check with local sponsors to obtain their logos

and request permission to use the logos of national Let’s G.O.! sponsors.⇒ 5. Register your event online on the Let’s G.O.! Registration Page.

http://www.childrenandnature.org/LETSGO_REGAfter registering, you can download the event organizer’s packet including sample press release,liability and photo releases, print ready versions of the logo and badge, checklist, signs and more.

⇒ 6. Publicize your upcoming event using social media. Share on Facebook, Twitter, C&NN.Connect and other online places you frequent.

⇒ 7. Prepare the photo and liability releases that are appropriate for your event.⇒ 8. Document your event with photos and/or video.⇒ 9. Download and Print the Let’s G.O.! signs andTake them with you on the day of your event

d h h id lf d ’ G O



Let’s G.O.!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Let’s G.O.!?Let’s G.O.! is a youth-inspired, youth-led C&NN month-long intergenerational campaign in April

2011 to rally people of all ages to Play, Serve and Celebrate outdoors in nature.

Who are the youth leading this campaign?The C&NN Natural Leaders Network is a growing group of teens, college students and other young

people whose personal connection to nature comes from their experiences in their own neighborhoods,woods, fields, arroyos, mountains and oceans. At the core of this network is the youth voice. The ideasand spirit of this network are being developed by youth in constant growth and they are moving fast!For more information about the Natural Leaders Network visit: www.naturalleaders.org

The Natural Leaders have created this opportunity for Family Nature Clubs, C&NN Grassrootsinitiatives, teachers, businesses, government agencies and others to get people of all ages to worktogether to help curb nature-deficit disorder.

What is Natural Service?

The idea of Natural Service is to get people outside serving in their communities for the health andwell-being of natural landscapes and the people who live around them. These Natural Service projectswill physically enhance, restore, and maintain natural areas. The Natural Service Network was createdto inspire cultivate and nourish a life long commitment to natural service Projects are encouraged to



and C&NN Connect http://childrenandnature.ning.com to see who else in your local area might beinterested in developing an event. We encourage you to contact any of the Let’s G.O.! national partnerswho are in your local area REI, Sierra Club, USFWS, and the North Face and to invite and engage new

partners.

Once you’ve got your partners you can decide on the specifics. Would you like this to be an eventthat all community members may attend or would you like to have an event for young people in aneighborhood? What age group? The idea of the Let’s G.O.! events is that they will be intergenerationalopportunities to get people outside in nature, but you can still focus on the age group that makes themost sense for your community. Let’s G.O.! events will look different across the country, and they

should! After you decide who your audience will be, work with your partners to plan an outdoor eventthat is age and interest appropriate. It may not be a great idea to have preschool-aged children pickingup garbage and high school students may or may not be interested in a Super Bug Safari!

Okay, I know who I want to invite to attend, how do I

get them there?Enlist your allies and partners you’ll find a list of suggested

partners below. If you do not work or volunteer in a capacity that givesyou access to your audience, then you may want to consider forming apartnership with someone or an organization that has access to thataudience. For example, if you are hoping to engage local high school

students in a beach clean up, consider contacting the chair of thescience department at the high school or the person in charge of thehigh school Recycling, Community Action, or Outing Club. Remember tovisit the C&NN’s movement map and explore C&NN Connect to find



I don’t have any ideas for an event or project. Do you have any suggestions?Think about your own interests and what excites you about nature and playing outdoors. Here is a

short list of suggestions to get your ideas flowing.

NATURAL SERVICE IDEAS⇒ Plant Native Trees or Wildflowers⇒ Help with Invasive Plant Removal or Trail

Clearing⇒ Plant a Stream Buffer (talk with your local

Conservation District)⇒ Organize a beach cleanup⇒ Volunteer with a City Park, State

Park, or City Forest⇒ Host a Recycling Event⇒ Help at a Community Garden⇒ Clean up a Stream or River⇒

Build Bat Boxes or Bird Houses and Feeders

Visit these sites for local service work ideas and opportunities:

Keep America Beautifulhttp://www.kab.org/

American Rivers

http://www.amrivers.org/

To see what other network members have done, visit: http://childrenandnature.ning.com/group/naturalservicenetwork



Do you have any suggestions about organizations that I might partner with to

plan or host a Let’s G.O.! Event?

It’s best to think about the connections that you already have. Groups and individuals that know andwork with you are much more likely to participate. The Natural Leaders are rallying all the C&NNpartners and initiatives, so you may find some kindred spirits on the C&NN website by checking outthese links:

C&NN Nature Clubs for Families – on the C&NN movement maphttp://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/index/C51/

C&NN Grassroots Campaigns – on the C&NN movement maphttp://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/index/C11/

C&NN Connect – http://childrenandnature.ning.comIf after checking the links, you have questions about C&NNconnections, please contact us at [email protected]

National Let’s G.O.! Sponsors and Partners

⇒ Children & Nature Network and the Natural Leaders Network⇒ Sierra Club⇒ US Fish & Wildlife Service – Connecting People with Nature⇒ REI Stores⇒ The North Face

Here are some additional ideas to get you started brainstorming about partners and allies:

Local Stores and BusinessesO d R il

SuppliesL l B i



How do I share what I’ve done with others?Plan ahead. Be prepared to count the number of children, youth and families who participate, and

the numbers of adults. Ahead of time, register your event online through the C&NN site atwww.childrenandnature.ning.com . After you’ve finished your Let’s G.O. event, we encourage you toshare what you did with others. Consider sharing pictures and details of your event on Facebook andTwitter. If you take videos, get them up on YouTube! Please keep the C&NN informed about what youare doing post pictures and event information on C&NNConnect (http://childrenandnature.ning.com). The 10 Stepsto Planning, Registering, Sharing and Documenting guidewill give you additional detailed information about lettingothers know about your event.

Who should I contact if I have questions?If you have any questions about Let’s G.O.! specifically

or the Natural Leaders Network in general, please contactJuan Martinez, Natural Leaders Coordinator or AveryCleary, Natural Families Coordinator [email protected] .



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special thanks to the Natural Leaders for creating Let’s G.O.! and inspiring all of us to come together

to play, serve and celebrate in nature.

The Natural Leaders Network is an initiative of the Children & Nature Network with support fromthe Sierra Club, The North Face, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and REI.

The Children & Nature Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to building a worldwidemovement to reconnect children and nature. C&NN builds awareness, supports the grassroots withtools and strategies, develops publications and educational materials, synthesizes the best availableresearch and encourages collaboration. C&NN is also home to the Natural Families Network, NaturalTeachers Network and over 80 Grassroots Campaigns and Initiatives.

This Tool Kit was created by Natural Leaders Andrew Anderson, Leslie Cook, Tyrell Hughes, GeorgeLopez, Juan Martinez, Hanna Pinneo, and Katia Rossi, with support from the C&NN staff.



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LET's G.O.! Tool Kit

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