National Initiative Works to Promote Access to Nature For Children

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The Children and Nature Network (C&NN) has recently announced a new partnership with the National League of Cities (NLC) which will lead to the expansion of programs and policies aimed at connecting underserved children and youth to parks and greenspace. The three year project called the Cities Promoting Access to Nature Initiative is being made possible through a grant from the JPB Foundation.

According to a press release from the C&NN, representatives from the NLC, the YMCA, and the U.S. Department of the Interior signed a Memorandum of Understanding in April 2014, where they pledged to coordinate efforts to reduce the disconnect between children and the outdoors. Building upon this partnership the C&NN will work with the three groups to help advance the latest research on city initiatives to improve access to greenspace. They will also work to create action guides, support cities in their efforts to develop and implement community action plans and provide grants for planning and implementation of select projects.

“The Children & Nature Network is thrilled to partner with the National League of Cities to help municipal leaders take actions that recognize the importance of a connection to nature in children’s healthy development. Sarah Milligan-Toffler, Executive Director of the Children & Nature Network said in the press release. “We believe that an investment in both the physical and human infrastructures to connect young people to nature can yield a very high return for cities.”

See more on this in the full press release here.