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US sues NY state officials over immigration enforcement; NM's national monuments face new development threats from Trump; NC community colleges get 'boost' to bring more students to high-demand jobs; Trump's resignation plan for federal workers can move forward; Advocates push for program to decrease wildlife collisions in VA.

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Deregulation raises environmental and public health concerns, national monuments face potential risks, political neutrality in education sparks protests, and Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation fuels controversy.

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Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Adding Nature to Kids' Play Boosts Education, Health

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Tuesday, March 23, 2021   

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Plastic- and rubber-dominated playgrounds in Colorado Springs have added winding pathways with tall grasses, gardens, "mud kitchens" and other ways for kids to explore the outdoors.

It's part of a program to expand health and learning opportunities for children by helping them connect with the natural world.

Kelly Hurtado, early childhood program director at the Alliance for Kids, a hub for El Paso County's Early Childhood Council, said outdoor learning environments can transform the way children play.

"It can boost energy; it increases movement," Hurtado outlined. "It can actually boost the immune system. It helps inspire a different type of play that encourages creativity."

The National Wildlife Federation's Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) program partnered with Hurtado's group to distribute nine micro-grants of $500.

Led by landscape designers and early childhood experts, ECHO works with community child-care programs to add pollinator gardens, boulders, logs, native plants and other natural elements to outdoor play areas.

Liz Houston, ECHO partnerships manager for the Federation, said a key goal of the ECHO program is to reach communities of color and lower-income neighborhoods that have historically not had access to healthy and safe green spaces.

She argued all kids should be able to dig in the dirt, build forts, follow butterflies and watch plants grow.

"We all just come alive outside," Houston asserted. "With exploration, it's that ever-changing, always dynamic, always interesting, always beautiful environment that brings out kids' curiosity, their creativity."

Houston added she hopes lessons learned in El Paso County can be shared in neighborhoods across the country.

Since its inception in 2017, ECHO has reached more than 10,000 children and trained more than 2,300 early-childhood professionals to expand natural play options in their communities.

Disclosure: National Wildlife Federation contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Endangered Species and Wildlife, Energy Policy, Environment, Public Lands/Wilderness, Salmon Recovery, and Water. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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