Today’s youth is far less connected to the natural world than the generations that preceded them. Largely attributed to the massive amount of digital media and entertainment options available today, much of the youth of the United States simply are not finding a connection with the wild, if they’re getting the opportunity to experience it at all.
Running through August 31 2016, initiatives put forth from Obama will allow 4th graders and their accompanying adults to gain free access to any National park within the United States. All you have to do is get a free pass online before you go by clicking on their website and following a couple prompts. The website even provides ideas and local destinations (all within two hours of your home) to simplify the process. This is an exceptional idea, and one that I’m fully behind. Perhaps this will be a huge first step to bringing back that lost connection and reinvigorating a love for the outdoors. After all, our children of today will be our leaders of tomorrow, and I shudder at the thought of a leadership that cannot relate to the preciousness that is our wilderness systems and National Parks.
For your free pass to a National Park and for more information, check the link below.
https://www.everykidinapark.gov/
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