Green Hours Need Greener Communities


The Centers for Disease Control totally "get it" when it comes to the need for outdoor time and outdoor spaces. The CDC's main reason for supporting more time outdoors is to encourage exercise and combat a natiowide epidemic of obesity. In its summary of how to overcome common barriers to exercise, the Agency starts with community environment -- places to walk, bike, run and play. Through its Active Community Environments Initiative (ACES) the CDC encourages communities and and their people to work harder to offer safe, clean and convenient outdoor opportunities. The NWF Green Hour program shares this goal with the CDC. We recognize how much healthier our children are when they get away from the TV and out into nature. We also recognize how much healthier the American conservation movement will be with a generation of young people who have stayed connected instead of glued to the television.