Photo of Governor Martin O'Malley with group of children - Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature

Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature

Art for Celebrate MD Outdoors

June is Great Outdoors Month and the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature invites everyone to discover the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights!

Click here to find out more about this event and how you can participate.

16 Organizations Partner to Expand Opportunities for Children in Nature

In a new effort supporting Governor Martin O’Malley’s Children in Nature (CIN) initiative, 16 state, federal, county and private organizations are coming together to improve and expand opportunities for children to learn about, play in and experience our natural world. The new public-private effort, which officially re-establishes the Governor’s Partnership for Children in Nature, will be responsible for putting the state’s CIN plan into action. Read more...

Nature Play Spaces

When was the last time you or your child balanced on a tree log, or jumped off a rock?

Young girl balances on a log at Play & Learn Annapolis, a new Nature Play Space in Anne Arundel CountyThere are new nature play spaces popping off all over Maryland at local and State parks, schools and public spaces.

Explore them for yourself in the new Nature Play Spaces Pattern Book.

The Nature Play Space “Pattern Book” is a visual tool used to convey the concept of creating play areas with natural components. These areas provide an early connection for children with nature, an opportunity for both physical and creative play and support children’s physical, intellectual, and emotional development. This on-line tool provides not only a map of where some nature play spaces can be found in Maryland, but allows the user to navigate through a list of components and activities that are typically found in a nature play space such as climbing, hiding and balancing.

By showing some on the ground examples, the Partnership for Children in Nature and DNR hope to spur creativity and inspire the development of nature play spaces across the state, providing an alternative to standard metal and plastic playgrounds. Check the site often, as new images and information will be added often!

Nature Play Space Pattern Book Icon, links to the online book

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/cin/nps/

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's Initiative

The Partners

Environmental Literacy in Schools – Information and Resources

The Partnership's Work

Future Meetings:

Please mark your calendars for the two remaining quarterly meetings of the full Partnership for 2012.

Thursday, July 19
Thursday, October 18

Locations to be announced for July and October meetings. Volunteer host sites welcome!

Agendas and Documents

April 19, 2012 - Partnership Meeting

January 19, 2012 - Partnership Meeting

October 24, 2011 - Partnership Meeting

July 28, 2011 - Partnership Meeting

April 28, 2011 - Partnership Meeting

March 16, 2011 - Partnership Meeting

September 16, 2010 - Partnership Meeting

May 12, 2010 - Partnership Meeting

February 18, 2010 - Partnership Meeting

November 10, 2009 - Partnership Meeting

August 21, 2009 - Partnership Meeting

February 26, 2009 - Partnership Meeting

January 26, 2009 - Partnership Meeting

December 19, 2008 - Partnership Meeting

November 26, 2008 - Partnership Meeting

October 30, 2008 - Partnership Meeting

September 26, 2008 - Partnership Meeting

DNR Sec. John Griffin (l) and Mary Cary, Dept. of Education (r), recognize Mark Herzog.

Development of the Children In Nature Plan

Community and Public Lands Workgroup

December 3, 2008 Meeting

November 14, 2008 Meeting

November 7, 2008 Meeting

October 31, 2008 Meeting

October 24, 2008 Meeting

October 10, 2008 Meeting

October 3, 2008 Meeting

September 12,  2008 Meeting

Environmental Literacy Workgroup

November 20, 2008 Meeting

October 23, 2008 Meeting

September 18, 2008 Meeting

Contact Us

Governor Martin O'Malley, Congressman John Sarbanes, Superintendent Dr. Nancy Grasmick and Secretary John R. Griffin kick off the Partnership for Children in Nature.

On August 20th, we kicked off the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature with a rally hosted by the No Child Left Inside Coalition that included more than 150 students, educators and business leaders. During the rally, we introduced the program's 21-member board, who we have tasked with finding creative ways to enable children throughout our State to get outside and learn about nature and  make environmental literacy a part of every curriculum.

This important effort will be chaired by our Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nancy Grasmick, as well as our Department of Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin. At the federal level Congressman John Sarbanes, who sponsored No Child Left Inside, has also been a vital partner in this effort.

- Governor Martin O'Malley
BayStat Newsletter, August 2008