Give a 20th Birthday Gift to Nearby Nature!

Nearby Nature is planning a party and we want you to be there!

In 2012, Nearby Nature will be celebrating its 20th birthday...all year long. We've got a calendar full of fun programs and events planned, from weekend family Nature Quests, to the October Haunted Hike, to a special FREE community birthday party on March 17th (save the date). Twenty events for 20 years of Nearby Nature!

Throughout the year we'll be doing more than ever before of exactly what we do best...nurturing youth and nature nearby. Through our school nature walks program, we'll help 3,000+ children discover, learn, and grow as they explore outdoors in Alton Baker Park. At summer daycamps in our Learnscape gardens, we'll connect 300+ kids to their carrots – plus their berries and broccoli! In Kinder Critter costumes, Frannie Frog and her friends will visit hundreds of pre-schoolers, encouraging the tiniest of tots to connect with what's wild outside. And in our Network Charter School classes at Alton Baker Park, we'll provide teens with lots of hands-on opportunities to restore native habitat for our natural neighbors, from swallowtails to sword ferns. Thanks to generous grants from EWEB and the Staples Foundation for Learning, many of these programs will be free.

In 2012, with your support, Nearby Nature will continue to nurture youth and nature throughout our community. We know from our own experiences, as well as our conversations with parents and teachers, how important it is for children to connect with nature nearby. Kids who spend time outdoors are happier and healthier. They are less stressed, do better in school, and have higher self esteem. Kids who connect personally with nature also develop compassion for other living things and learn to be more thoughtful members of society. Kids who connect, care. So for the health of everyone in our community, as well as the planet as a whole, we need to help our kids connect.

Nearby Nature has been connecting children, families, and schools with nature nearby for 20 years. In the past ten years alone, we have served over 50,000 kids! With your support, we can keep this up for the next two decades and beyond. Here’s how you can help:

·         Become a member or renew your membership. Members receive our quarterly newsletter and valuable discounts on programs and events.

·         Make a special tax-deductible, end-of-the-year donation in honor of our 20th birthday. Support our educational programs for kids and families.

·         Contribute to our Youth Scholarship Fund. Help families send their kids to camp, provide funding for school field trips, and more!

Thanks so much for helping us continue to nurture youth and nature in 2012. Hope you have a very happy new year!

Sincerely,

Beth Stein, Nearby Nature Executive Director