Beginning with this issue, the Leave No Child Inside and CW Education Team newsletters have been combined into one publication. Not only will this highlight the interconnections between the initiative and the team, but it will also allow CW staff to communicate with our members and partners in a more efficient manner.

• May 22, Family Adventure Day and launch of June Leave No Child Inside Month, Northerly Island , Chicago . Expected number of participants (children + adults): 1,000;
• June 5, Leave No Child Inside event at Tri-County State Park , Bartlett , IL (near Elgin ). Expected participants: 500;
• June 12, National Get Outdoors Day, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago . Expected participants: 10,000;
• June 19, Leave No Child Inside event at William Powers Conservation Area at Wolf Lake , in Chicago (on IL/IN border). Expected participants: 500;
• June 19, Leave No Child Inside Nature & Culture event at S. Barrington , IL , Conservancy Area. Expected participants: 200+;
• (June, date TBA), Leave No Child Inside event at Illinois Beach State Park , Zion , IL . Expected participants: 500.

• Staffing a family activity station while talking to parents about your own organization and mission;
• Bringing a group of children or families to one or more of the events;
• Publicizing the events in your newsletters and event calendars.

Feel free to contact me anytime with questions about any of these events or to explore ways in which your organization may participate. Thank you!

On January 13, 2010, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) passed a resolution to support the comprehensive initiatives of the Chicago Wilderness alliance and the "Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights." Quigley introduced the bill - H. Res. 860 - to encourage lawmakers to build and support coalitions between advocacy groups and education policymakers.

"Encouraging children to get outside is a core part of a healthy planet and healthy children," said Congressman Quigley. " Chicago has offered a perfect example to Washington of what can be achieved when progressive groups and government advocates unite behind a worthy cause. In order to provide our children with a broader education and a greener future, we must continue to devote resources to our open spaces and parks, and encourage our kids to enjoy them."

Earlier this year, Quigley sent a letter to the Illinois State Board of Education supporting the creation of an Illinois State Environmental Literacy Plan. The plan would facilitate substantial federal education funding available to Illinois upon the passage of the No Child Left Inside Act (H.R. 2054), which Quigley co-sponsored.

Rep. Quigley's speech prior to the H. Res. 860 vote is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wjp3jMgfG4

For the past several months, the Chicago Wilderness Climate Change Task Force has been working to develop an action plan for Chicago Wilderness that addresses climate change threats facing our native species and ecosystems. The Task Force presented an early draft of the plan for discussion at the November 18 CW Executive Council meeting.

CW Education Team members are encouraged to review the draft plan, available here, as well as the draft Education Section of the plan, available here. Please note that the CW Education Team's involvement has been identified as critical to the plan's successful implementation.

To submit comments or learn how to become directly involved in the plan's development, contact Abigail Derby at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 773-750-6337, by February 12.

Brookfield Zoo's Hamill Family Play Zoo is in the process of developing a formal training curriculum for educators on the topic of early childhood nature play. As this is a topic of interest to many Chicago Wilderness members, they are inviting you to complete a short online questionnaire to assess your needs and experience.

The Zoo will be collecting responses through Friday, February 12.

Please note that there are two (2) survey links below, one for Education Department Managers and one for Educators.  In addition, please feel free to distribute this email to any other interested staff members at your organization.

If you hold a management position in the education department of your organization, please complete the questionnaire that is located at this link (only needs to be completed once for your entire organization).

If you are a member of the education staff, please complete the questionnaire that is located at this link (can be completed by all educators).

All responses to both questionnaires will be kept confidential. Managers will have an opportunity in their survey to provide an email address and receive a copy of the summarized results from the educator survey. Individual organizations and educators will not be identified. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Matiasek, Research Program Coordinator, Chicago Zoological Society, at 708-688-8838.

The Barrington, Deer Park, and Lake Zurich Area LNCI Consortium is collecting contact information for environmental educators who serve the three communities and are available to the public as guest speakers, children's program leaders, and teacher training.

If you would like to add your information to this list, please contact Cyndi Duda, Environmental Education Specialist, US Fish and Wildlife Service, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 847-381-2253, ext. 13.

Museums from across Illinois will gather in Springfield on Wednesday, February 24 to attend a training workshop, sponsored by the Illinois Association of Museums, Museums In the Park, and the Illinois State Museum , that will focus on communicating and working effectively with lawmakers.  A discussion of the legislative issues specific to the Illinois museum community and visits with elected officials at the State Capitol will follow the workshop. For more info and to register, visit the Illinois Association of Museums' website.

Rural Youth Assembly Seeking Nominations
The National Rural Assembly will host a National Rural Youth Assembly on April 22-25, 2010, at the Institute for American Indian Arts in Santa Fe , New Mexico . The Assembly seeks 50 young adults from rural communities across the country who will gather to discuss the issues they see as critical to their lives and communities. The Assembly will cover the youth's participation costs. To nominate young people who are interested in rural issues and invested in making an impact in their local communities, visit the Rural Youth Assembly's website.

Coral Reef Conservation Education at Scuba Diving Show
Our World Underwater is the Midwest's oldest and largest Scuba Diving show.This year, The Field Museum will be a featured exhibitor in Our World Underwater's children's section.The exhibit will highlight WhyReef, an innovative project that uses the virtual world Whyville to teach children 8-16 years old about coral reef science and conservation. The Field Museum invites CW educators and other interested parties to stop by the WhyReef booth at Our World Underwater, February 19-21, 2010. For more information and tickets, please visit http://www.ourworldunderwater.com/.

Building a Healthier Chicago Conference
Registration is now open for the April 7-8, 2010, conference that brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to highlight innovative programs, identify perceived challenges, and develop a plan of action to improve nutrition, physical activity, and health throughout the Chicagoland communities. For more information, visit the conference website.