The Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights, a bipartisan resolution (AR103) was drafted by NJ Audubon, introduced to the NJ Assembly on July 1, 2010.
We thank Primary Sponsors: Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes, III, Assemblywoman Denise M. Coyle, Assemblyman Scott Rudder and Assemblyman Reed Gusciora for their leadership on this resolution.
Key points of the Resolution:
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Children are spending less time outdoors exploring, discovering and observing our natural world and playing and creating in open spaces;
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Not participating in these types of activities has been shown to have adverse health, social and emotional consequences;
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Spending time in the outdoors with frequent access to nature experiences and lessons provides a foundation upon which to build physical strength and environmental awareness;
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Learning about the environment and other subjects in an outdoor setting, an outdoor classroom or garden, and through field studies and outdoor lab activities, is known to help increase student performance in class, increase student interest in learning, reduce disciplinary problems, and increase student ownership of work being done;
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The future quality, quantity and use of New Jersey’s natural resources will lie in the hands of children; and
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Children will need to understand natural systems and the interrelationships between natural and human-built systems, in order to make decisions and take actions that would maintain a high quality of life;
Please encourage your state legislators to support this resolution and thank those who have already signed on!
Additional Co-Sponsors:
Assemblyman Egan
Assemblyman Greenwald
Assemblywoman Lampitt
Assemblyman McKeon
Assemblyman Diegnan
Assemblywoman Munoz
Click here for a copy of the full resolution.
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