Opinion: Autumn of change
Phil Taunton
Friday, October 3, 2008
The countryside and prairie grasses are really starting to show the magic of autumn.
Last week during my travels to participate in a “classroom” oriented Twin Lakes Water Festival program at Canning Creek Park on Council Grove Reservoir and then doing a Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop at Rock Springs, I was amazed to see how magnificently splashed with color our rural surroundings have become.
Even though the trees haven’t changed into their autumn foliage just yet, the red and purple brilliance of the wild plums and sumacs and mass fields of soybeans with their yellow/green tinged leaves are something to behold. The roadside ditches and pastures, laden with goldenrod, broom weed, wild sunflowers and purple ironweed will soon be hosts (I hope) to thousands of migrating Monarch butterflies. The few I saw majestically floating through the air made my journeys that much more enjoyable. Yes, our season is changing. And so are attitudes concerning getting kids outside for learning experiences. The No Child Left Inside Act wins
On Sept.18, children and teachers won a big victory in the House of Representatives with the passage of the No Child Left Inside Act of 2008. The popular, bi-partisan bill passed by a vote of 293-109. Its aim is to better prepare teachers in using hands-on environmental education methods so students can experience learning in outdoor classrooms.
Research has shown that when exposed to Nature, basically just getting kids involved in outdoor learning activities, their achievement in the classroom improves.
“Passage of the No Child Left Inside Act is a huge victory for everyone who cares about connecting kids to nature,” said Larry Schweiger, President of the National Wildlife Federation. “The bipartisan support this bill garnered underscores what we all know — hands-on environmental education is good for kids. It’s good for their academic performance, their health, and for the future of our planet in terms of conservation.”
Kids just don’t spend as much time outside as they did 20 years ago and spend way too much time involved with some sort of electronic gadgetry.
The No Child Left Inside Act is designed to fund nonprofit organizations, state educational agencies, local educational agencies or institutions of higher education that demonstrate expertise in helping the field of environmental education become more effective and widely practiced. School districts who find funds are getting tight should especially take notice of this act.
The No Child Left Inside coalition has more than 700 members, including educational institutions, business groups, environmental, sportsmen, and healthcare organizations.
For more information about No Child Left Inside, please visit www.nclicoalition.org. For more information on how to connect kids to nature, visit www.nwf.org/kidsoutside. Fifth Annual Youth Shooting Sport Event at Council Grove Reservior
The Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), the Neosho Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited (QU), the Kansas Wildlife Officers Association, and Morris County hunter education instructors are sponsoring a special event on Oct. 11 which will provide participants an opportunity to improve their firearm shooting accuracy and archery skills in a controlled situation and to promote safe hunting in the fields this fall.
Safety while handling firearms and shooting instruction will be given by certified firearm and archery skills instructors during this event. All gear and supplies, including shotguns, pellet rifles, shells, bows, arrows, targets, and eye and ear protection will be provided by the Kansas Wildlife and Parks “Pass It On” and Hunter Education Programs. All you would need to bring is a desire to learn proper shooting techniques and have fun in the Great Outdoors!
Teaching methods are such they almost guarantee participants will be breaking clay targets by the end of the session. Council Grove will be the place to be if you feel the need to improve your shooting skills.
Anyone between the ages of 10 and 16 may participate in this event but pre-registration is required. Having completed a hunter education course is not required.
The event will begin at 12:00 p.m. at the Corps of Engineers managed area between Marina Cove and Neosho Park, approximately a quarter of a mile west of the COE office at the west end of the dam on the south side of the Lake. Check-in will be between 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. and a free lunch will be provided by the Neosho Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited. Instruction will then begin at 12:30 p.m. and the event will run until approximately 5 p.m.
Registration is required by Oct. 6. Anyone interested in registering or learning more about this special event can contact Brent Konen, Council Grove Wildlife Area Manager, at 620-767-5900.