Our green spaces are at risk. Urban sprawl continues at a rapid pace threatening the health of our urban forests. The future of our community depends on how well we educate our children about the environment.
Today, outdoor playtime is being replaced by the internet, video games, and cable television. Many of our children are being raised without meaningful contact with the natural world. This absence is linked to some of today’s the most disturbing childhood trends: the rise in obesity, attention discords, and depression. A drug-free “nature cure” is too tantalizing to ignore. With your help, we can make it happen.
Today, outdoor playtime is being replaced by the internet, video games, and cable television. Many of our children are being raised without meaningful contact with the natural world. This absence is linked to some of today’s the most disturbing childhood trends: the rise in obesity, attention discords, and depression. A drug-free “nature cure” is too tantalizing to ignore. With your help, we can make it happen.
About UsAt Trees Indiana, we are passionate about young people from all walks of life being able to experience that magical "sense of wonder" moment, sparking a special connection to nature. Reconnecting with nature and disconnecting from a constant virtual indoor reality is taking hold around the country.
Contact UsTrees Indiana
5048 Stellhorn Road Fort Wayne, IN 46815 Phone: 260-704-4794 Fax: 260-739-3994 Email: carolc@treesindiana.org http://www.treesindiana.org |
Studies in the U.S. report that children are spending 90% of their time indoors and more than 8 hours per day in front of a screen. An indoor childhood is the new norm.
Trees Indiana is dedicated to helping reverse this norm. Caring for the environment should be everyone’s concern but how can you care for something you know nothing about? How can you aspire to something you have never experienced? Young people need to experience and understand the natural world in order to see their place and responsibility in it. Founded in March 2006, Trees Indiana’s mission is to inspire and educate Indiana’s youth to become stewards who plant, protect, and maintain their community trees. Approximately 1,500 youth are reached each year through our innovative environmental education programs. Trees Indiana uses the forest as a “window” on the world in our hands-on exploratory learning experiences. As a gift to the community, Trees Indiana opened the AEP Foundation Nature Explore Classroom in 2011 at Cedar Canyon Elementary School. In partnership with Northwest Allen County Schools this nature-rich space is open to the public during non-school hours to explore, discover and enjoy. The movement to reconnect children with the natural world crosses the usual social, political and economic dividing lines. The importance of “green issues” is in front of us in the media, at our work places and in our neighborhoods. Our youth must be educated, for they are the future stewards for our environment. |