I want to apologize for not posting a blog since late March but the good news is that the Obama Administration has moved so fast that I am just trying to catch up. I have become a regular on the Seattle to DC flight as so many amazing things are going on. First thing moving is that the Department of Interior established the first ever Office of Youth in April 

http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/042809b.html 

this office is going to help connect young people with the outdoors through creating Green Job opportunities and creating a new generation of Youth Corps workers that resemble the 1930's Civilian Conservation Corps which my Grandfather was part of. The establishment of this Office shows the commitment of the Administration to reach a new audience and to elevate the issue of youth and nature to its highest level yet. One of BBTO's grantees the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Taos, New Mexico reflects the spirit of this new commitment as they provide so many young people with outdoor experiences and a paycheck http://youthcorps.org/

Along with the Administration moving fast, the Children and Nature Network along with North Face and the Sierra Club are bringing together over forty diverse young leaders together at Headlands Institute in San Francisco in early June to start to connect and empower young people from across the country on the issue of children and nature. I was recently in San Francisco and was working with the Natural Leaders Coordinator and our Youth Volunteer Coordinator Juan Martinez and we were amazed with the high quality of applicants. This is an opportunity for a new generation of leadership on the issue and a fresh perspective, for more information please go to the Children and Nature Network's Natural Leaders website http://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/naturalleaders/

One of my best moments in my seven years at the Sierra Club came two weeks ago when I flew down to Los Angeles to surprise my lead volunteer Bill Vanderberg as he was honored by the CBS Early Show as an Angel for all of the tremendous work he has done with the Crenshaw Eco Club. It was great to see Bill get the respect and recognition he deserved. I was blown away that Bill could get 300 young people into a gym in South Central Los Angeles at 4am for a live shot back East. It was an incredible experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything. He is a remarkable man and I am happy to call him a friend. Below is the clip

http://www.sierraclub.org/youth/crenshaw.aspx

Hope everyone enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend and took time to think of all of the sacrifices so many men and women of the Armed Services have made. Our Military Families Outdoors program is trying to help and support these quiet American heroes www.sierraclub.org/military

Summer is here and it is time to get outside and enjoy!

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