Family Nature Clubs

Interested in spending more time outdoors with your family? Then you should join Nearby Nature's new Family Nature Club Network. There’s a movement afoot to get families out in nature and you can be a part of it. With support from the Children and Nature Network, an organization co-founded by author Richard Louv, families all over the country are forming Family Nature Clubs. These clubs range from two families to 65+ and include highly organized groups as well as very casual collections.      

Why create a Family Nature Club? For starters, if you want to make sure you get out on a more regular basis, you may need some external encouragement. Your declaration of “Let’s go—RAIN OR SHINE!” will be lots easier to stick to if other families are sticking to it as well. Secondly, siblings are wonderful, but sometimes it’s friends that tip the balance between children going on an adventure willingly and kids whining.

There are all sorts of outdoor adventures to enjoy in Eugene-Springfield, both on your own and through organizations that sponsor family programs. Nearby Nature hosts a Family Nature Quest or weekend special event at least once every month. These events are free for Nearby Nature members and low cost for non-members. For a list of upcoming Nearby Nature Quests, see the calendar.

So how do you get your Family Nature Club started? Here are a few tips:

1) Invite two or three families to create a Family Nature Club with you. These might the families of your childrens’ friends, neighbors, people from church or work, or any number of others. Keep your definition of “family” wide open! Decide for yourselves what a critical mass is for making your group work. If you want to keep things small, word of mouth will be fine for getting started. If you want to open the invitation to a larger audience, using social media networks or school group connections may help.

2) Have a first meeting. This should be a fun occasion...a picnic, a potluck, a casual hike, a playdate at the park. Keep it simple. Don’t try to feed everyone yourself or ask your family to do a super-stressful house clean-up before the gathering. Use this occasion to decide on a name for your group—kids love this sort of creative endeavor!

3) Set dates for your first few outings...or alternatively, set a regular time and meeting place for your adventures. Choose nearby parks and natural areas easily accessible to everyone. It’s okay to visit the same place more than once. It will change with the seasons. You don’t need to spend an entire day, go far, or even drive your car to enjoy nature nearby! The simpler your adventures, the more likely they are to happen. Check out the City of Eugene’s website (www.eugene-or.gov) and click on the Quick Link for Parks and Maps for some good ideas.

4) Share your experiences! Once you form a club, send us an email at info@nearbynature.org with your group’s name and a contact person. We will keep you posted about events and share information that might interest your group through our Family Nature Club Network. You can also share news of your adventures on Nearby Nature’s Facebook page (http://facebook.com/nearbynature) or send us an email at info@nearbynature.org and we’ll share your news on our website. Have fun!