What:

Let's G.O.! (Get Outside) Lets G.O.! is a youth-inspired, youth-led Children &
Nature Network initiative to rally people of all ages to Play, Serve and Celebrate. We invite you to participate and spread the word and Lets G.O.!

When: All of April 2011

The whole month of April as part of C&NNs Children & Nature Awareness month!

Where: Nationwide
Events will occur in a variety of locations, from coast to coast. They will be held in many different settings -- from parks, schools and national wildlife refuges to neighborhoods, cities, states and regions.

Who: Everyone

The goal of Lets G.O.! is to bring together intergenerational groups of people to get outside together to be active, have fun and connect with nature. Families, teachers, students, mentors, grandparents and grand friendsand especially children and youthare invited and encouraged to participate!

Lets G.O.! is a potentially historic opportunity to bring together the work of the Children
& Nature Networks grassroots campaigns, key initiatives, and many partners and supporters to collaborate on a month of memories in the outdoors. Join the fun and find an event in your area. http://www.childrenandnature.org/LETSGO_FIND Want your event to be part of Lets G.O.!? http://www.childrenandnature.org/LETSGO_REG Find Out More: http://childrenandnature.ning.com/group/letsgo

Play
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There is an energy within uscan you feel it? It is in our genes. Generation after generation has ventured into the unknown with that energy. We are a movement that celebrates every day the sun rises and sets, every day a child digs into dirt or builds the first mud pie. Let this not be the last generation that celebrates time outdoors and Lets G.O.! Get Outside! Juan Martinez, Natural Leaders Coordinator; National Co-Chair, Lets G.O.!

INTRODUCTION
We believe that every day should be a Get Outside Dayand that projects to connect children and nature should be encouraged throughout the year in children's daily lives. The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) named April as Children & Nature Awareness Month several years ago, and the Natural Leaders launched Get Outside Day two years ago. The response of local governments, private groups and individuals across the country has been uniformly supportive. From the special proclamations of civic leaders to a collection of songs written to celebrate the movement, Children & Nature Awareness Month has both inspired those already interested in reconnecting children with nature and focused the attention of others on the importance of outdoor play in nature for healthy childhood development. These initiatives have also helped bring attention, visibility, and a sense of community to the many outstanding efforts already underway. Now, thanks to the energy, enthusiasm and vision of the C&NN Natural Leaders Network, April 2011 is the first time we have the opportunity to pull together all of C&NN's partners and initiatives with a huge and inspiring push to get all people outside, and to encourage service projects to benefit the natural world as part of the process. This is not just a call to action, it is a call for fun! Think of it as a party invitation, and the party location is all the green and living space around us. Community gardening, local hikes, river clean-ups, bird watching, fishing, biking, beach days, trail maintenance and habitat restorationhowever and where ever you get outside in nature, we want to hear about it! April 2011 can be the tipping point where people everywhere help build the movement to reconnect children and nature! PLAY, SERVE AND CELEBRATELets G.O.!!!!
NOTE: The role of the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) is to help build the children and nature movement, and to help parents and others learn about ways they can connect children to nature. Lets G.O.! is an approach we wish to encourage. However, C&NN is not responsible for the activities and safeguards associated with events scheduled to reconnect children and nature. At any time, when children are outside on their own, or with families and friends, everyone should take safety precautions and be mindful of risks.
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10 Steps For Planning, Registering, Sharing and Documenting Your Event

1. Plan a lets G.O.! Event Find your team, decide what you want to do and set the date! If you are looking for help with planning, this tool kit has lots of ideas. 2. Or Partner with Lets G.O.! For your April eventIts simple, use one of these to let people know.

This event is part of Lets G.O.! (Get Outside)

We support the Natural Leaders. Lets G.O.! (Get Outside)

3. Use the Lets G.O.! Web Site Badge on your own web site or blog. http://www.childrenandnature.org/getinvolved/badges 4. Acknowledge ALL sponsors on your materials. Check with local sponsors to obtain their logos and request permission to use the logos of national Lets G.O.! sponsors. 5. Register your event online on the Lets G.O.! Registration Page. http://www.childrenandnature.org/LETSGO_REG After registering, you can download the event organizers packet including sample press release, liability and photo releases, print ready versions of the logo and badge, checklist, signs and more. 6. Publicize your upcoming event using social media. Share on Facebook, Twitter, C&NN. Connect and other online places you frequent. Use the #letsgo2011 hashtag. 7. Prepare the photo and liability releases that are appropriate for your event. 8. Document your event with photos and/or video. 9. Download and Print the Lets G.O.! signs and Take them with you on the day of your event and photograph or video yourself and/or your Lets G.O.! group. 10. After the Event Post and Tag your photos and Videos. Post photos to your Flickr account Post Photos and Videos to Facebook, TAG YOUR PHOTOS letsgo2011 Twitter and wherever else you share. Post videos to your YouTube account "Like" the REI Facebook page, if you TAG YOUR VIDEOS letsgo2011 haven't already, and post your events on Post Photos and Videos to C&NN their wall. Connect Post your photos on The North Face site. TAG YOUR PHOTOS and VIDEOS Stand up and be counted Be sure to letsgo2011 complete the brief survey when your event is done.

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Lets G.O.!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lets G.O.!?
Lets G.O.! is a youth-inspired, youth-led C&NN month-long intergenerational campaign in April 2011 to rally people of all ages to Play, Serve and Celebrate outdoors in nature.

Who are the youth leading this campaign?

The C&NN Natural Leaders Network is a growing group of teens, college students and other young people whose personal connection to nature comes from their experiences in their own neighborhoods, woods, fields, arroyos, mountains and oceans. At the core of this network is the youth voice. The ideas and spirit of this network are being developed by youth in constant growth and they are moving fast! For more information about the Natural Leaders Network visit: www.naturalleaders.org The Natural Leaders have created this opportunity for Family Nature Clubs, C&NN Grassroots initiatives, teachers, businesses, government agencies and others to get people of all ages to work together to help curb nature-deficit disorder.

What is Natural Service?

The idea of Natural Service is to get people outside serving in their communities for the health and well-being of natural landscapes and the people who live around them. These Natural Service projects will physically enhance, restore, and maintain natural areas. The Natural Service Network was created to inspire, cultivate, and nourish a life-long commitment to natural service. Projects are encouraged to bring intergenerational groups of people together to heighten the visibility of Lets G.O.! in April 2011 and then to build the Natural Service Network throughout this year and all the years to come. Find out more below about ideas for Natural Service projects.

Many organizations already have events planned in April. Its easy to partner with Lets G.O.! See 10 Steps for Planning, Registering, Sharing, and Documenting to find out how.

I want to host a Lets G.O.! event in my community but where do I start?

First identify your allies and audience. Collaboration is key to making Lets G.O.! events successful and fun! Who would you like to work with? You can check the movements map on the C&NN website http://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/index/C11/
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I have an event planned and would like to partner with Lets G.O.! How do I do that?

 and C&NN Connect http://childrenandnature.ning.com to see who else in your local area might be interested in developing an event. We encourage you to contact any of the Lets G.O.! national partners who are in your local areaREI, Sierra Club, USFWS, and the North Faceand to invite and engage new partners. Once youve got your partners you can decide on the specifics. Would you like this to be an event that all community members may attend or would you like to have an event for young people in a neighborhood? What age group? The idea of the Lets G.O.! events is that they will be intergenerational opportunities to get people outside in nature, but you can still focus on the age group that makes the most sense for your community. Lets G.O.! events will look different across the country, and they should! After you decide who your audience will be, work with your partners to plan an outdoor event that is age and interest appropriate. It may not be a great idea to have preschool-aged children picking up garbage and high school students may or may not be interested in a Super Bug Safari!

Okay, I know who I want to invite to attend, how do I get them there?
Enlist your allies and partnersyoull find a list of suggested partners below. If you do not work or volunteer in a capacity that gives you access to your audience, then you may want to consider forming a partnership with someone or an organization that has access to that audience. For example, if you are hoping to engage local high school students in a beach clean up, consider contacting the chair of the science department at the high school or the person in charge of the high school Recycling, Community Action, or Outing Club. Remember to visit the C&NNs movement map and explore C&NN Connect to find additional partners in your area who can help you target potential attendees for your event.

Should I advertise the event?

Ask your national and local partners to help. See 10 Steps for Planning for ideas on connecting with national partners. If you are hoping to have community members attend the event, consider calling radio stations, newspapers, community organizations, Friends of (insert the name of park where the event will be), etc. well ahead of time and ask them to give community members a heads-up about what you are doing. Work with your local REI stores to have the events posted in their monthly online and printed calendars. Consider putting flyers in the local library, places of worship, local restaurants and businesses (with permission) to increase attendance. Invite local papers and news stations to cover the event, and also write a press release about the event and send photos to local papers. Some newspapers, TV stations, and Chambers of Commerce host a community calendar in which you may be able to have your Lets G.O.! event featured. Remember, it never hurts to ask! Page

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I dont have any ideas for an event or project. Do you have any suggestions?
Think about your own interests and what excites you about nature and playing outdoors. Here is a short list of suggestions to get your ideas flowing.

NATURAL SERVICE IDEAS

Plant Native Trees or Wildflowers Help with Invasive Plant Removal or Trail Clearing Plant a Stream Buffer (talk with your local Conservation District) Organize a beach cleanup Volunteer with a City Park, State Park, or City Forest Host a Recycling Event Help at a Community Garden Clean up a Stream or River Build Bat Boxes or Bird Houses and Feeders Visit these sites for local service work ideas and opportunities: Keep America Beautiful http://www.kab.org/ American Rivers http://www.amrivers.org/ To see what other network members have done, visit: http://childrenandnature.ning.com/group/naturalservicenetwork

Think Outside the box and create a Wild Zone!

See their website for more information. http://www.wild-zone.net/www.wild-zone.net/Toolkit.html

Visit www.naturerocks.org, www.nwf.org/GreenHour, and C&NNs www.childrenandnature.org/naturestory for a wide variety of things to do when playing outdoors in nature. Create the time and space for unstructured play in nature. www.cincbayarea.org/inspiration-play.htm www.greenheartsinc.org

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PLAY Day Ideas

Do you have any suggestions about organizations that I might partner with to plan or host a Lets G.O.! Event?
Its best to think about the connections that you already have. Groups and individuals that know and work with you are much more likely to participate. The Natural Leaders are rallying all the C&NN partners and initiatives, so you may find some kindred spirits on the C&NN website by checking out these links:

C&NN Nature Clubs for Families on the C&NN movement map http://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/index/C51/ C&NN Grassroots Campaigns on the C&NN movement map http://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/index/C11/ C&NN Connect http://childrenandnature.ning.com
If after checking the links, you have questions about C&NN connections, please contact us at letsgo@childrenandnature.org

National Lets G.O.! Sponsors and Partners

Children & Nature Network and the Natural Leaders Network Sierra Club US Fish & Wildlife Service Connecting People with Nature REI Stores The North Face

Here are some additional ideas to get you started brainstorming about partners and allies: Local Stores and Businesses Outdoor Retailers North Face Stores REI Stores Walmart/Target- May Donate Gift Card to Raffle or Help Purchase Youth Organizations 4-H clubs Boys and Girls Clubs YMCA After School Programs Boy Scout/Girl Scout Troops Local Schools Mothers/Fathers Clubs Supplies Local Businesses Grocery Store- Snacks, Beverages Local Landscaper- Plants, Supplies Civic Organizations and Government Agencies America the Beautiful City, County and State Parks Land Trusts Lake Associations Local Government Offices Community Gardens Land Trusts City Parks and Recreation Department

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How do I share what Ive done with others?

Plan ahead. Be prepared to count the number of children, youth and families who participate, and the numbers of adults. Ahead of time, register your event online through the C&NN site at www.childrenandnature.ning.com. After youve finished your Lets G.O. event, we encourage you to share what you did with others. Consider sharing pictures and details of your event on Facebook and Twitter. If you take videos, get them up on YouTube! Please keep the C&NN informed about what you are doingpost pictures and event information on C&NN Connect (http://childrenandnature.ning.com). The 10 Steps to Planning, Registering, Sharing and Documenting guide will give you additional detailed information about letting others know about your event.

Who should I contact if I have questions?

If you have any questions about Lets G.O.! specifically or the Natural Leaders Network in general, please contact Juan Martinez, Natural Leaders Coordinator or Avery Cleary, Natural Families Coordinator at letsgo@childrenandnature.org.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks to the Natural Leaders for creating Lets G.O.! and inspiring all of us to come together to play, serve and celebrate in nature. The Natural Leaders Network is an initiative of the Children & Nature Network with support from the Sierra Club, The North Face, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and REI. The Children & Nature Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to building a worldwide movement to reconnect children and nature. C&NN builds awareness, supports the grassroots with tools and strategies, develops publications and educational materials, synthesizes the best available research and encourages collaboration. C&NN is also home to the Natural Families Network, Natural Teachers Network and over 80 Grassroots Campaigns and Initiatives. This Tool Kit was created by Natural Leaders Andrew Anderson, Leslie Cook, Tyrell Hughes, George Lopez, Juan Martinez, Hanna Pinneo, and Katia Rossi, with support from the C&NN staff.

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