The February 2014 Great Maine Outdoor Weekend Results are In!

Did your organization host an event for the February 2014 Great Maine Outdoor Weekend? Did you or your family participate in an event? Are you interested in participating next time? Do you want to learn more about this fun initiative? If you answered yes to ANY of these questions… you’re in luck! We’ve finally unveiled our… Read More»
T3 Does DC

In case you missed it, Teens to Trails was selected by the White House as a “Champion of Change: Engaging the Next Generation of Conservation Leaders” for our efforts to engage communities and youth in environmental stewardship and conservation. We were honored this week on March 18, 2014 by the White House along with 13… Read More»
Nature Deficit Disorder: Miranda Anderson at TEDxKids@BC

Check out this great talk by an amazing middle school student, Miranda Anderson at TedxKids in British Columbia. “Nature-deficit disorder” was first coined by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods and part of the inspiration behind the Maine Outdoor Coalition! We found this video on the Children & Nature Network news blog… Read More»
TED Talk: 5 dangerous things you should let your kids do by Gever Tulley

I love this. Gever Tulley, founder of the Tinkering School explains why a little danger is good for kids and grownups. So, as the boundaries of what we determine as the safety zone grow ever smaller, we cut off our children from valuable opportunities to learn how to interact with the world around them.And despite all of… Read More»
Why Connecting to Nature is Good For Your Health

MOC wants to get more people connected to nature on a regular basis for a wide range of benefits. Of course this assumes a lack of connection exists already. This may seem odd in a state like Maine, given the vast expanses of open space and the fact that we are the most rural state… Read More»
AMC’s Great kids, Great Outdoors: Outdoors Kids Around the World

Check out this great blog post from the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Great Kids, Great Outdoors blog! Thanks, Heather Stephenson for your great insights and review of Christine Gross-Loh’s recent book, Parenting Without Borders: Surprising Lessons Parents Around the World Can Teach Us. You can find the original blog post on AMC’s Great Kids, Great Outdoors Blog here!… Read More»
Need another reason to get outside?

Here’s a tip from MOC Member Dr. Emily Wesolowski: Need another reason to go outside? Getting your daily sun may help you reset your circadian clock. As reported by the BBC (Science & Environment: August 1, 2013) researchers from the University of Colorado found that exposure to the natural light- dark cycle, through a week long… Read More»
“Teens to Trails” Announces Launch of Association of Maine Outing Clubs

Great news from one of the Maine Outdoor Coalition members, Teens to Trails! BRUNSWICK, MAINE – January 10, 2014 Teens to Trails, also known as “T3”, is excited to announce the launch of the Association of Maine Outing Clubs or AMOC. The Association is a membership organization serving Maine High School Outing Clubs and Advisors.… Read More»
Do These Kids Look Bored to You? A Rebuttal to the Toys “R” Us Holiday 2013 Ad Campaign

Do these kids look bored? Do you think they’d rather be at Toys”R”Us right now? Nah, I don’t think so either. We think playing outside is pretty great. Part of our mission is to connect people (especially kids) to places and activities they can enjoy regardless of who they are, where they live, or what… Read More»
Portland Press Herald Offers a Peek at What’s to Come w/the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend

Sheridan Steele, Acadia National Park’s superintendent, started a push to get kids into Maine’s outdoors during a summit back in 2006, hoping the idea would gain momentum.
In three months, the results will be felt across Maine.
It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend is scheduled for the first weekend in March. It is the culmination of what Steele started five years ago, aided by the work of a new outdoor coalition.