Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature
Registration Now Open for Regional Environmental Literacy Workshops!
The Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature and the Maryland State Department of Education will co-host a series of regional environmental literacy workshops to discuss the effective development and implementation of county environmental literacy plans (ELPs). Anyone involved in planning, delivering or supporting school environmental literacy programs is invited to attend (county school system representatives, administrators, educators, environmental education providers, etc.). Seven workshops are planned for February and March to help school systems prepare for the April 30th ELP submission deadline. These workshops are designed to:
Click here for meeting dates, times and locations and to Register!
16 Organizations Partner to Expand Opportunities for Children in Nature
In a new effort supporting Governor Martin O’Malley’s Children in Nature (CIN) initiative, 16 state, federal, county and private organizations are coming together to improve and expand opportunities for children to learn about, play in and experience our natural world. The new public-private effort, which officially re-establishes the Governor’s Partnership for Children in Nature, will be responsible for putting the state’s CIN plan into action. Read more...
Nature Play Spaces
When was the last time you or your child balanced on a tree log, or jumped off a rock?
There are new nature play spaces popping off all over Maryland at local and State parks, schools and public spaces.
Explore them for yourself in the new Nature Play Spaces Pattern Book.
The Nature Play Space “Pattern Book” is a visual tool used to convey the concept of creating play areas with natural components. These areas provide an early connection for children with nature, an opportunity for both physical and creative play and support children’s physical, intellectual, and emotional development. This on-line tool provides not only a map of where some nature play spaces can be found in Maryland, but allows the user to navigate through a list of components and activities that are typically found in a nature play space such as climbing, hiding and balancing.
By showing some on the ground examples, the Partnership for Children in Nature and DNR hope to spur creativity and inspire the development of nature play spaces across the state, providing an alternative to standard metal and plastic playgrounds. Check the site often, as new images and information will be added often!
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/cin/nps/
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's Initiative
The Partners
Environmental Literacy in Schools – Information and Resources
The Partnership's Work
- Report & Recommendations
- 10 Recommendations
- Executive Summary
- 2012 Partnership Agreement
- 2012 Action Items [Draft]
- 2010 State Work Plan
- Progress Reports
Future Meetings:
Please mark your calendars for the four quarterly meetings of the full Partnership for 2012.
Thursday, January 19 - 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Maryland Department of Agriculture
50 Harry S Truman Pkwy.
Annapolis, MD
Thursday, April 19
Thursday, July 19
Thursday, October 18
Locations to be announced for April, July and October meetings, and volunteer host sites welcome!
Agendas and Documents
January 19, 2012 - Partnership Meeting
October 24, 2011 - Partnership Meeting
July 28, 2011 - Partnership Meeting
April 28, 2011 - Partnership Meeting
March 16, 2011 - Partnership Meeting
September 16, 2010 - Partnership Meeting
May 12, 2010 - Partnership Meeting
February 18, 2010 - Partnership Meeting
November 10, 2009 - Partnership Meeting
August 21, 2009 - Partnership Meeting
February 26, 2009 - Partnership Meeting
January 26, 2009 - Partnership Meeting
December 19, 2008 - Partnership Meeting
November 26, 2008 - Partnership Meeting
Development of the Children In Nature Plan
Community and Public Lands Workgroup
Environmental Literacy Workgroup
Contact Us
Governor Martin O'Malley, Congressman John Sarbanes, Superintendent Dr. Nancy Grasmick and Secretary John R. Griffin kick off the Partnership for Children in Nature.
On August 20th, we kicked off the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature with a rally hosted by the No Child Left Inside Coalition that included more than 150 students, educators and business leaders. During the rally, we introduced the program's 21-member board, who we have tasked with finding creative ways to enable children throughout our State to get outside and learn about nature and make environmental literacy a part of every curriculum.
This important effort will be chaired by our Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nancy Grasmick, as well as our Department of Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin. At the federal level Congressman John Sarbanes, who sponsored No Child Left Inside, has also been a vital partner in this effort.
- Governor Martin O'Malley
BayStat Newsletter, August 2008
