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Governor Martin O’Malley Proclaims June Great Outdoors Month
Celebration kicks off with the premier of the 2009 Bay Game Activity Book
Annapolis, MD — In celebration of Maryland’s wealth of natural resources and exciting recreational opportunities, Governor Martin O’Malley today proclaimed the month of June “Great Outdoors Month” in Maryland. This year’s first order of business was the release of the 2009 Bay Game, Celebrating Children & Our Natural World.
“This is the third year Maryland officially celebrated ‘Great Outdoors Month,’” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “This is a reminder to all Marylanders to not only get outside, enjoy our parks, our forests and waterways, but take some time to share Maryland’s natural treasures with your children and families.”
Maryland families exploring the outdoors can use the Bay Game as a guide. The 12th annual Bay Game, which this year celebrates Children and Nature, is filled with fun activities, puzzles and information children learn about the world around them, while instilling values of good stewardship and conservation. Based on Governor O’Malley’s Maryland Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights, the Bay Game will encourage children to play outdoors, learn about their culture and heritage and inspire them to try activities they may not have tried before such as fishing and camping. Families can pick up a copy of the Bay Game at their local library or visitor center.
“Maryland’s outdoors is a great classroom,” said Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin. “The Bay Game will not only provide a learning opportunity, but hours of fun for Maryland children and their families.”
The Free State is virtually unparalleled in its outdoor offerings with seemingly endless opportunities to hike, bike, fish, boat and camp -- for fun, for health and fitness, for getting away from it all, and for creating memorable experiences together.
“Great Outdoors Month” is sponsored by the American Recreation Coalition. The celebration is held each June -- an especially active time for recreation in America – during which hundreds of annual events and meetings ranging from National Trails Day to National Boating and Fishing Week, National Family Recreation Week to National Clean Beaches Week are held.
To ensure all Maryland young people have the opportunity to connect with their natural world and grow to become informed and responsible stewards, Governor Martin O’Malley established the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature in 2008. Under the initiative, which is now being used as a national model, the Governor created the Maryland Civic Justice Corps, a summer job and environmental education program that employs at risk youth in Maryland State Parks, and recently issued the Maryland Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights. A plan to implement the Partnership’s Report and Recommendations – presented to Governor O’Malley in April -- is under development. During the 2009 legislative session, the O’Malley-Brown Administration secured record funding for Maryland’s #1 ranked public schools for the third consecutive year, with an investment of more than $5.5 billion.
June 1, 2009 Contact: Josh Davidsburg
410-260-8002
jdavidsburg@dnr.state.md.usMaryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov