PRESS RELEASE:
GETTING KIDS OUTSIDE: APRIL IS CHILDREN & NATURE AWARENESS MONTH
Virginia Beach, VA – March 31-May 22, 2008 – Artist Donna Iona Drozda of Wren House Studio has been working to connect children and nature for over 12 years, and in April and May, as part of the Children and Nature Network’s "Children & Nature Awareness Month," Wren House Studio will join a growing network of individuals, organizations and agencies to help spread the word about the importance of providing opportunities for all children to experience frequent, regular play and exploration in natural outdoor settings.
Children today are far less likely than past generations to spend time playing outside, and a growing body of research says children are paying a high price for that lack. Childhood obesity, inattentiveness, diminished creativity and depression are just a few of the problems linked to what author Richard Louv has dubbed "nature deficit disorder" in his best-selling book Last Child in the Woods. "Getting kids outdoors more, riding bikes, running, swimming—and, especially, experiencing nature directly—could serve as an antidote to much of what ails the young." says Louv. This month, a new edition of Last Child in the Woods is being released, now with an added Field Guide offering 100 Actions that families and communities can take.
Wren House Studio events taking place in April and May include:
W.T.Cooke Elementary School Residency
Contemporary Art Center of Virginia After School Studios for Children
Park Place Child Life Center Middle School students Spring Festival Event
A more comprehensive list is available at C&NN website,
http://www.cnaturenet.org/
The children and nature movement is much more than a month of special events. Donna Iona Drozda and Wren House Studio, in partnership with the Children & Nature Network (C&NN), is committed to ongoing promotion of research-driven programs, policies, and practices that will reconnect children and nature in enduring, meaningful ways. Founded by Richard Louv and others, Louv serves as C&NN’s Chairman.
As C&NN President Cheryl Charles says, "We’ve an opportunity and a responsibility to right the balance in children’s everyday lives. Children who play outdoors in natural areas on a regular basis are happier, healthier, smarter, more cooperative and more self-confident. This issue is touching a chord of common sense and a movement to reconnect children and nature is burgeoning worldwide." In fact, a shift already has begun. Since C&NN was established early in 2006, children and nature initiatives have emerged from coast to coast and continent to continent. "There is much more to be done to achieve this healthy change in children’s daily lives," says Charles, "and Children & Nature Awareness Month is an important way to build momentum for this movement that is so critical to the health and well-being of our children and their future."
The following local advocates and experts are available for interviews between March 26 and April 30 to talk about Children & Nature Awareness Month, Wren House Studio related activities, and the reason this movement is so important:
Donna Iona Drozda is a professional artist in the community with decades of outreach bringing adults and children into a harmonious connection with nature through visual art explorations.
— Orion magazine, March/April 2007