[ODF_Private_Forests] Join the TFC for National Take a Child Outside Week

[WEEKS Kevin]

Join the Tillamook Forest Center in celebrating the third annual National Take a Child Outside Week

Come visit the Tillamook Forest Center (www.tillamookforestcenter.org) as the TFC celebrates Take A Child Outside Week, a national initiative which kicks off Thursday, September 24 and runs through Wednesday, September 30. Designed to help break down obstacles that keep children from exploring the natural world, the week encourages children and adults to spend time together outdoors. It was inspired by Richard Louv's book "Last Child in the Woods," which identifies the benefits of outdoor experiences for children and addresses some of the problems of what Louv terms "Nature Deficit Disorder," symptoms in children that include increased feelings of stress, trouble paying attention and feelings of being disconnected from the world.

On the Take a Child Outside web site (www.takeachildoutside.org), adults are encouraged to make a pledge to take a child outside during the week and chart their location on a digital map. The Tillamook Forest Center is featured as a site offering programs to help families and groups get out and explore nature.

Activities at the Tillamook Forest Center:

Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th
The Center will offer guided hikes and outdoor adventure games throughout the day. TFC will also have a number of self-guided activities such as activity guides, and exploration tools (bug viewers, magnifying glasses, tree keys, and more) available for you to borrow during your time at the Center. Guided hikes and games will start at 10:30 & run until the center closes at 4pm.

Tentative schedule:
10:30 - Infant & Toddler Guided Nature Hike: Bring your family out to the TFC and join our staff for a nature hike where we will help your group explore the forest using your senses. This hike is fun for all ages and has elements that are specifically designed for infants, toddlers, and kindergarten-aged children. Trails are stroller and kid friendly.

11:30 - Tree Life Cycle Relay: Do you have kids ready for a challenge? Bring them out and have them see if they have what it takes to be a growing tree! This relay game is a great way to introduce your children to the life cycle of a tree and what trees compete for as they grow. All ages are welcome. This relay is toddler friendly but requires parents help out younger children. Join us, learn, have fun, and take home some great prizes!

12:30 - What's a Forest Guided Hike: Bring your family to hike with our staff and learn some of the plants and animals living in the Tillamook forest. Your group will learn how to be forest detectives! With their trained eyes, they will look for evidence of wildlife and the things wildlife need to survive. This is a hike for the whole family with elements specifically designed for ages 6 to 10 (1st to 4th grade).

1:30 - Becoming a Forester Interpretive Walk: Have you ever considered becoming a forest worker? Have you ever wondered what a forester does every day? If so, join our interpreter for a short hands-on program, where we will experience the typical day of an ODF forester. We will learn the tools of a forester, along with how to use these tools to measure the health of the Tillamook State Forest

2:00 - Leaf Match-up Relay: Have your kids join our staff in this fun outdoor relay game. They will use their matching skills and compete in a fast paced relay! Participants will learn about the different types of tree leaves they may find in the forest and test their identification skills! Join us, learn, have fun, and take home some great prizes!

2:30 - Wonderful Wildlife Walk: Join our staff on a fun animal adventure on the trails surrounding the center. Along the way, your children will act out and pretend to be different forest animals. They will spend time as frogs hopping through the forest, squirrels balancing on branches, coyotes roaming the forest floor at night and more. This hike is fun for all ages and has elements that are specifically designed for children 3 years and older.

For more information about the events at the Tillamook Forest Center please visit the TFC website (www.tillamookforestcenter.org) or call toll-free at (866) 930-4646.

For more information about National Take A Child Outside week, consult their web site -- www.takeachildoutside.org<http://www.takeachildoutside.org/> - or contact national coordinator Liz Baird, Liz.Baird at ncdenr.gov<mailto:aLiz.Baird at ncdenr.gov> or call (919) 733-7450 ext 601.

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Kevin Weeks
Public Information Officer
Oregon Department of Forestry
(503) 945-7427
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