Learn: Get informed about environmental issues so that you can make the best eco-friendly decisions for yourself and your family. Surf the web, pick up a good book (pick up your copy of The Green Parent), or watch a movie (try The Inconvenient Truth or Who Killed The Electric Car?) to arm yourself with knowledge and ideas.

Vote: Use the power of the ballot box to send a clear message to elected officials about your environmental concerns. Browse the environmental record of potential candidates at the League of Conservation Voters and be sure to let them know what you think.

Get Involved: Get involved in the environmental issues that affect your community. Organize a recycling center or used clothing drop-off location. Encourage your local utility company to offer discounts or rebates on energy and water-saving products. Lead a trash clean-up day. Or, write an editorial letter to your local paper about the environment initiatives that could give your community a boost.

Join The Club: Become a member of your favorite environmental organization, such as the Sierra Club, The Natural Resource Defense Council, and The Humane Society to support their efforts and stay informed about their latest campaigns.

Give Back: Give a little back to the environment by donating time or money to a charity that helps to protect the environment. Sponsor a local environmental club or organization or check out the Charity Navigator, or Idealist to find an environmentally friendly campaign that interests you.

Remember, every little step you take makes a difference. Try one of these ideas today and let us know how it goes!

Want to raise your child’s science test scores by up to 27% ? Just open the door and head outside. That’s right, a recent study found that children who spend time in nature not only have higher science test scores, they are also better at conflict resolution, have higher self esteem, and are understandably more concerned about protecting the environment than those who don’t.

Now, the scientist in me is well aware that this one small study is not a definitive analysis of the effects of nature on the development of a child. But still, the conclusions of the study are in line with what most Green Parents already suspected. That it’s good for our kids and good for the environment when the two get together. According to Richard Louv, author of Last Child In The Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, “the child in nature is an endangered species, and the health of children and the health of the Earth are inseparable.” Yet, thanks in part to television, internet, and computer games, our kids are spending less time outdoors and more time plugged in to one device or another.

I’ll be the first to admit that even at The Green Parent Headquarters (my house) my girls don’t get outside as often as they could. Busy schedules, inclement weather, stomach bugs, and bad timing sometimes conspire to keep us indoors. So if nothing else, this study serves as an excellent reminder of why it’s so important to turn off my own computer, gather up my girls, and get outside. After all, what’s good for the gosling is good for the goose, right? With that said, I’m signing out…time to go boost some test scores!

Special thanks to the Sierra Club’s Building Bridges to the Outdoors program for bringing this issue to my attention!!

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