ACT’s environmental education program, Coast Kids, has joined over 250 other organizations nationwide in support of the No Child Left Inside Coalition, organized by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The primary goal of NCLI is to build support for the No Child Left Inside Act, sponsored by Maryland U.S. Representative John Sarbanes to create federal funding and environmental curricula for schools. For more information about the NCLI coalition, go to www.nclicoalition.org

Such funding is a wise investment given that:

• Our environment is besieged by unprecedented impacts such as habitat loss, pollution, and global warming.

• Our children are spending an unprecedented amount of time indoors (both at school and at home), increasingly separated from nature.

• Data show that children who spend more time outdoors are more likely to excel in school and less likely to suffer from obesity, diabetes, depression, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and other setbacks.

• Kids who spend more time outdoors are more likely to be good stewards of the environment.

Spending more time outdoors is a win-win situation for our kids, our environment, and our future. For more information about the NCLI coalition, go to www.nclicoalition.org

Coast Kids is playing its part by creating opportunities for kids and their families to learn about and experience the natural resources of coastal Delmarva. Members receive monthly post cards featuring coastal animals and places, and are invited to participate in monthly events such as canoeing, nature walks, biking, and bird-banding. The Coast Kids program is now launching its sixth membership year, offering new memberships for 2008-2009. Sign up your child or grandchild today.