Take Action to Protect Pennsylvania’s Parks and Forests
IMBA’s Mid-Atlantic office urges mountain bikers to help protect vital natural resources, including singletrack, by asking the Pennsylvania legislature to reconsider drastic budget cuts. The proposed cuts would negatively impact 117 parks and 2.1 million acres of forests managed by the state.Take Action by speaking in favor of strong funding for Pennsylvania’s treasured parks and forests. IMBA’s online form allows you to easily contact your state legislator and let him or her know that you support an equitable review off all state programs, and that state parks and forests are critical to the economic well being of the state and the health of its citizens. Additional InformationThe Senate’s current budget plan (Senate Bill 850, now in the House as Bill 1416) reduces the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) budget by about $19 million more than Governor Rendell’s current proposal. This could force DCNR to close between 35 and 50 state parks, and close more than 1,000 miles of State Forestry roads. Prime mountain bike trails in state parks such as Blue Knob, Laurel Summit, and RB Winter would be affected. The list of closures centers disproportionately on the central region of the state, where the state parks are vital to tourism and local businesses. For example, every park that the Wilderness 101 ultra endurance race passes through would be closed. The State Forest system itself would need to close 20 percent of their forest road inventory to meet the proposed budget. Read the DCNR press release. While IMBA appreciates that in these tough economic times we all need to tighten our belts, the Senate’s plan cuts a disproportionate amount from the DCNR budget. The proposal cuts the state park budget by 14 percent and the state forest budget by 30.5percent (a 17-percent reduction to DCNR overall). State parks and state forests have already taken strong cost-cutting measures to accommodate the economic downturn: reduced maintenance, limited purchasing and reductions in travel and training. The next step, should the Senate bill pass the House, would be closure and reduction in programs. DCNR is already facing a loss of their trust to the tune of $174 million, a fund created by resource extraction fees and leases.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
PA Walks & Bikes Wins Advocacy Grant
Alliance Grants $125,000 to Organizations Visit Link WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRAIN)—The Alliance for Biking & Walking is awarding seven grants totaling more than $125,000 to grassroots biking and walking advocacy organizations. The Advocacy Advance Grants will be used to jump-start emerging advocacy organizations and to fund innovative campaigns with the potential to dramatically increase biking and walking. These grants are a key part of the Advocacy Advance Partnership with the League of American Bicyclists. Launched this year, the grants are made possible with generous funding by SRAM, Planet Bike, Bikes Belong and Cannondale. Nearly 100 proposals totaling more than $2 million were received in this first round. Awards include: Pennsylvania Walks and Bikes Pennsylvania Walks and Bikes will put a $30,000 matching grant to work to help build the first statewide coalition for biking and walking in Pennsylvania. The coalition will work to ensure state bicycle and pedestrian laws, policies, and funding are enacted. PA Bikes and Walks was founded in 2009 to create healthy, sustainable communities across Pennsylvania by making bicycling and walking safer, more convenient and more enjoyable.
.......
In addition, the Alliance is granting scholarships and travel stipends to the start-up grantees (Minnesota, Oakland, and Pennsylvania) to attend key trainings on membership development and winning campaigns. The Alliance thanks our funders, the League, and our volunteer grants committee for their assistance and support. For more information about the Advocacy Advance Partnership and the Alliance grants program, please visit http://www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/grants Source: http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/2787.html
.......
In addition, the Alliance is granting scholarships and travel stipends to the start-up grantees (Minnesota, Oakland, and Pennsylvania) to attend key trainings on membership development and winning campaigns. The Alliance thanks our funders, the League, and our volunteer grants committee for their assistance and support. For more information about the Advocacy Advance Partnership and the Alliance grants program, please visit http://www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/grants Source: http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/2787.html
Walk and Bike to School for Safety
National Child Passenger Safety Week, September 21–27, 2008
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children in the United States, but many of these deaths can be prevented.
Heath & Seasonal Observances
Walk to School Day
Publications & Resources
Reducing Childhood Pedestrian Injuries: Proceedings of a Multidisciplinary Conference
Reducing Childhood Pedestrian Injuries: Summary of a Multidisciplinary Conference
Protect the Ones You Love: Road Traffic Injuries
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children in the United States, but many of these deaths can be prevented.
Heath & Seasonal Observances
Walk to School Day
Publications & Resources
Reducing Childhood Pedestrian Injuries: Proceedings of a Multidisciplinary Conference
Reducing Childhood Pedestrian Injuries: Summary of a Multidisciplinary Conference
Protect the Ones You Love: Road Traffic Injuries
Friday, June 5, 2009
ACTION ALERT: Fund Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to School: The federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program provides children the opportunity to safely walk or bicycle to school, while also benefiting others interested in walking or biking and the community at large. Please encourage your U.S. senator to co-sponsor a SRTS reauthorization bill now.
Pennsylvania US Senators
Robert Casey
393 Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6324
Toll Free: (866) 802-2833
Fax: (202) 228-0604
ArlenSpecter
Berk's US Congressman
Berks County Office
4918 Kutztown Road Temple, PA 19560 Phone: (610) 921-3502 FAX: (610) 921-3504
JamesGerlach
Berks/Lehigh County
840 N. Park Road Wyomissing, Pa. 19610
610.376.7630 tel
610.376.7633 fax
Increased Reliance on Cars May Pose Health Risks - News digest - Public Health newsroom - Public Health
Increased Reliance on Cars May Pose Health Risks - News digest - Public Health newsroom - Public Health
Shared via AddThis
As the nation's reliance on cars for daily transportation grows, research on the subject suggests such dependence on vehicles may have a negative impact on the health of the general public, Reuters reports. According to a professor at the University of Colorado, although people should ideally take 10,000 steps per day to maintain optimal health, individuals who rely heavily on cars for transportation typically take just 1,000 steps daily. Meanwhile, researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada quantified the link between distance driven and body weight, finding that an individual's obesity risk increases 3 percent for every 30 minutes spent in a car each day. By contrast, residents of neighborhoods with shops and businesses located within walking distance are 7 percent less likely to be obese than individuals who live in less walkable areas. In an effort to address such concerns, some community planners are exploring the possibility of modeling new community designs after older cities, such as New York, Boston and Chicago, which have densely populated streets and ample access to public transportation. As part of the shift, community planners also are examining ways to increase access to sidewalks, bike paths and other activity areas. For example, in Atlanta, which is known for its sprawling suburbs that are most easily navigated by car, city officials are considering a tram line project that would connect the city center with parks, communities and businesses (Bigg, Reuters, 6/1/09).
Shared via AddThis
As the nation's reliance on cars for daily transportation grows, research on the subject suggests such dependence on vehicles may have a negative impact on the health of the general public, Reuters reports. According to a professor at the University of Colorado, although people should ideally take 10,000 steps per day to maintain optimal health, individuals who rely heavily on cars for transportation typically take just 1,000 steps daily. Meanwhile, researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada quantified the link between distance driven and body weight, finding that an individual's obesity risk increases 3 percent for every 30 minutes spent in a car each day. By contrast, residents of neighborhoods with shops and businesses located within walking distance are 7 percent less likely to be obese than individuals who live in less walkable areas. In an effort to address such concerns, some community planners are exploring the possibility of modeling new community designs after older cities, such as New York, Boston and Chicago, which have densely populated streets and ample access to public transportation. As part of the shift, community planners also are examining ways to increase access to sidewalks, bike paths and other activity areas. For example, in Atlanta, which is known for its sprawling suburbs that are most easily navigated by car, city officials are considering a tram line project that would connect the city center with parks, communities and businesses (Bigg, Reuters, 6/1/09).
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Educators try to connect kids with outdoors
Educators try to connect kids with outdoors: Too much video smothers innate need for nature
ShareThis
Erica Burrus - Journal Prince Charles Yakubu leads a small group of students in jumping across rocks in a stream at the Deer Lake area in Forest Park. The students, all members of the after-school bike club at Compton-Drew Investigative Learning Center Middle School, regularly explore nature during their rides.
By Shawn Clubb
Monday, June 1, 2009 5:11 PM CDT
By Shawn Clubb
sclubb@yourjournal.com
On a nice summer day, Thomas Nolan would look outside and say "Who cares?"His mother would tell him to go outdoors. He'd ignore her and sit in front of the television or play video games.For the 13-year-old North County boy, nature held no interest.
Photo Galleries Prep Sports Photos
"I'd be like 'This is a stupid plant. Who cares about it?'" he said. "'Stupid bug.' I'd step on it."Thomas was not alone. Educators and conservationists across the nation have become aware of most children's lack of exposure to nature. They call it Nature Deficit Disorder. The term was coined by Richard Louv in his book "Last Child in the Woods.""It goes back to the idea that we as a species have an innate need for nature," said Lydia Toth, senior manager for education at the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit.Toth has noticed children becoming more tentative about nature for the last several years. She also has witnessed the documented increase in childhood obesity, attention deficit disorders and hyperactivity.Conservationists additionally fear there will be no future stewards of wild lands and wildlife if today's children do not develop a love of nature."When folks in my shoes retire, who's going to take over?" Toth asked.The problem lies in breaking the trend of people spending more time indoors and plugged in to television, computers and video games, said James H. Wilson, the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Experiential and Family Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.Conservation educators throughout the nation increased their efforts to impress upon school administrators and teachers the need for nature education. It's often hard to get teachers to buy into the idea that children need nature and incorporate it into the curriculum, Toth said."The kids embrace it if they're given the opportunity, but if they don't have a teacher that gets it, they don't get outdoors," she said.The Green Center in University City has worked for years with the University City School District and the St. Louis Public Schools to bring elementary school and middle school students to its property, which includes 30 acres of woodland, prairie and wetlands."It's so obvious that students aren't comfortable being outdoors; it's such a foreign environment to them," said Jan Oberkramer, education and volunteer manager at The Green Center. "(But) it doesn't take long for kids to become comfortable in it."Wilson has worked for years with the Herbert Hoover and Mathews-Dickey boys and girls clubs, introducing children to hiking, fishing and exploring nature. Wilson, Toth and Oberkramer all said it's most important to give children unstructured time in nature, where they can do what interests them.To that end, Toth has taken the lead of a new coalition of 22 entities called the Gateway Children's Nature Connection. The coalition is developing a website geared to serve as a clearinghouse for information about nature activities and events happening in the region.Thomas, the boy who cared little about nature, now spends more time outdoors. He used to pass when offered the chance to go camping with his Boy Scout troop. Now he camps often.He had his mind changed this year after joining an after-school bike club at Compton-Drew Investigative Learning Center Middle School in St. Louis city, which he attends through the inter-district transfer agreement. He has lost 10 pounds biking through Forest Park and now appreciates the birds, bugs and foxes he sees outside. He describes a peaceful vista he encountered while biking on the Katy Trail."It's actually a beautiful sight," Thomas said.Joe Torrisi, a community education specialist with the St. Louis Public Schools, helped start the club almost 10 years ago to combat childhood obesity. The club added nature education after a Katy Trail ride when Torrisi found a student crying because the wilderness scared her. Both a physical education teacher and a science teacher now ride with the club."We're getting them outdoors breathing the fresh air, seeing nature and interacting with it, not just driving by it," Torrisi said. "That enriches the whole experience."The science teacher, Donna Callahan, said her students at first groused about going outside, but now come back to her after a weekend and talk about what they discovered."I saw this. I saw that," she said they tell her. "What is it? What is it?"This exposure of one group of children to nature can have ripple effects, as Torrisi has seen with the bike club."Through the years, that gets passed on," he said. "Nature and the outdoor experience is what they verbally pass on to the next kids."
ShareThis
Erica Burrus - Journal Prince Charles Yakubu leads a small group of students in jumping across rocks in a stream at the Deer Lake area in Forest Park. The students, all members of the after-school bike club at Compton-Drew Investigative Learning Center Middle School, regularly explore nature during their rides.
By Shawn Clubb
Monday, June 1, 2009 5:11 PM CDT
By Shawn Clubb
sclubb@yourjournal.com
On a nice summer day, Thomas Nolan would look outside and say "Who cares?"His mother would tell him to go outdoors. He'd ignore her and sit in front of the television or play video games.For the 13-year-old North County boy, nature held no interest.
Photo Galleries Prep Sports Photos
"I'd be like 'This is a stupid plant. Who cares about it?'" he said. "'Stupid bug.' I'd step on it."Thomas was not alone. Educators and conservationists across the nation have become aware of most children's lack of exposure to nature. They call it Nature Deficit Disorder. The term was coined by Richard Louv in his book "Last Child in the Woods.""It goes back to the idea that we as a species have an innate need for nature," said Lydia Toth, senior manager for education at the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit.Toth has noticed children becoming more tentative about nature for the last several years. She also has witnessed the documented increase in childhood obesity, attention deficit disorders and hyperactivity.Conservationists additionally fear there will be no future stewards of wild lands and wildlife if today's children do not develop a love of nature."When folks in my shoes retire, who's going to take over?" Toth asked.The problem lies in breaking the trend of people spending more time indoors and plugged in to television, computers and video games, said James H. Wilson, the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Experiential and Family Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.Conservation educators throughout the nation increased their efforts to impress upon school administrators and teachers the need for nature education. It's often hard to get teachers to buy into the idea that children need nature and incorporate it into the curriculum, Toth said."The kids embrace it if they're given the opportunity, but if they don't have a teacher that gets it, they don't get outdoors," she said.The Green Center in University City has worked for years with the University City School District and the St. Louis Public Schools to bring elementary school and middle school students to its property, which includes 30 acres of woodland, prairie and wetlands."It's so obvious that students aren't comfortable being outdoors; it's such a foreign environment to them," said Jan Oberkramer, education and volunteer manager at The Green Center. "(But) it doesn't take long for kids to become comfortable in it."Wilson has worked for years with the Herbert Hoover and Mathews-Dickey boys and girls clubs, introducing children to hiking, fishing and exploring nature. Wilson, Toth and Oberkramer all said it's most important to give children unstructured time in nature, where they can do what interests them.To that end, Toth has taken the lead of a new coalition of 22 entities called the Gateway Children's Nature Connection. The coalition is developing a website geared to serve as a clearinghouse for information about nature activities and events happening in the region.Thomas, the boy who cared little about nature, now spends more time outdoors. He used to pass when offered the chance to go camping with his Boy Scout troop. Now he camps often.He had his mind changed this year after joining an after-school bike club at Compton-Drew Investigative Learning Center Middle School in St. Louis city, which he attends through the inter-district transfer agreement. He has lost 10 pounds biking through Forest Park and now appreciates the birds, bugs and foxes he sees outside. He describes a peaceful vista he encountered while biking on the Katy Trail."It's actually a beautiful sight," Thomas said.Joe Torrisi, a community education specialist with the St. Louis Public Schools, helped start the club almost 10 years ago to combat childhood obesity. The club added nature education after a Katy Trail ride when Torrisi found a student crying because the wilderness scared her. Both a physical education teacher and a science teacher now ride with the club."We're getting them outdoors breathing the fresh air, seeing nature and interacting with it, not just driving by it," Torrisi said. "That enriches the whole experience."The science teacher, Donna Callahan, said her students at first groused about going outside, but now come back to her after a weekend and talk about what they discovered."I saw this. I saw that," she said they tell her. "What is it? What is it?"This exposure of one group of children to nature can have ripple effects, as Torrisi has seen with the bike club."Through the years, that gets passed on," he said. "Nature and the outdoor experience is what they verbally pass on to the next kids."
EXETER TOWNSHIP DISCUSSES WALKWAYS AND TRAILS
All good things on the agenda in my local community tonight -- a pharmacy, elementary school, trees and walkways and trails. It's a meeting not to be missed. If you are an Exeter Township resident, I strongly encourage you to attend tonight's meeting. Arrive prior to 7:00 to be sure you have a chance to sign up for public comments -- and let our appointed planners know that you appreciate their support of safer, better transportation network in our neighborhoods.
If you can't make it? Contact the township to support safer streets and better access for walking and biking. Write a letter to:
The Township of Exeter
4975 DeMoss Road
Reading, PA 19606
Office: 610.779.5660
Fax: 610.779.5950
E-mail: Troy S. Bingaman
A copy of tonight's agenda is below:
EXETER TOWNSHIP
PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA
TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2009
7:00 PM REGULAR MEETING
Call to Order – Pledge to the Flag
Motion to approve the minutes – May 5, 2009
Motion to approve the agenda
Public comments after presentation of the plan
AGENDA
1. RITE AID VARIANCE REQUEST
2. EXETER SCHOOL DISTRICT ANNEXATION – SKETCH PLAN FOR
RECORD
3. EXETER TOWNSHIP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – PRELIMINARY PLAN
4. REVISED TREE LIST
5. INFORMAL DISCUSSION – WALKWAYS/TRAILS
CORRESPONDENCE FROM:
GVC – Exeter School District Annexation
GVC – Exeter Township Elementary School
EAC – Exeter Township Elementary School EAS – Phase I site assessment & Exeter School District
Annexation
BOS – Minutes – May 11, 2009
If you can't make it? Contact the township to support safer streets and better access for walking and biking. Write a letter to:
The Township of Exeter
4975 DeMoss Road
Reading, PA 19606
Office: 610.779.5660
Fax: 610.779.5950
E-mail: Troy S. Bingaman
A copy of tonight's agenda is below:
EXETER TOWNSHIP
PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA
TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2009
7:00 PM REGULAR MEETING
Call to Order – Pledge to the Flag
Motion to approve the minutes – May 5, 2009
Motion to approve the agenda
Public comments after presentation of the plan
AGENDA
1. RITE AID VARIANCE REQUEST
2. EXETER SCHOOL DISTRICT ANNEXATION – SKETCH PLAN FOR
RECORD
3. EXETER TOWNSHIP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – PRELIMINARY PLAN
4. REVISED TREE LIST
5. INFORMAL DISCUSSION – WALKWAYS/TRAILS
CORRESPONDENCE FROM:
GVC – Exeter School District Annexation
GVC – Exeter Township Elementary School
EAC – Exeter Township Elementary School EAS – Phase I site assessment & Exeter School District
Annexation
BOS – Minutes – May 11, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)