March 26, 2010

Gov. Nixon’s remarks at the Children in Nature Challenge Kickoff

Good morning. Thank you all for being here today to help kick off the "Children in Nature Challenge".

First, I want to recognize the depth of knowledge, experience and dedication of everyone sitting around this table. Each one of you was asked to be here for a reason. You're the right people, at the right time, to lead this challenge, because you understand how children benefit - physically, mentally and emotionally - from experiencing nature. You also know that the responsibilities of stewardship for our natural resources will someday belong to them.

I grew up in the outdoors, fishing with my dad down at Montauk and Bennett Spring, and hiking and camping as a Scout. Georganne and I spent a lot of happy times hiking and canoeing with our boys as they were growing up, and I hope they'll do the same with their kids.

But today, not enough children are getting the benefits of hiking, camping and fishing.  Experts say they spend most of their free time inside, watching TV, playing videogames or surfing the Web. There's even a name for it: "Nature Deficit Disorder."

And that's a crying shame. Because if a child has never hiked along Pickle Creek in the springtime and come up on a newborn fawn sleeping peacefully in the middle of a trail, no TV show will ever convey the magic of that moment.

If kids have never taken a john boat down the Big River on a July day, caught a mess of fish and cooked and eaten them right there on a gravel bar, they're missing a thrill no videogame can match.

I'm out to change that, with your help. But before we get into the details of the Children in Nature Challenge, I have some exciting news to share with you.

You may recall that earlier this year, I launched two major outdoor initiatives: one to reverse a 10-year decline in visitors to our state parks; and a second establishing the State Parks Youth Corps.

Thanks to the outstanding work on the part of our parks staff, we have already begun to reverse that 10-year decline. Last year, the total number of visitors to our state parks and historic sites was up overall by six percent - from 14.9 million visitors in 2008 to 15.9 million visitors in 2009.

And within that total are some standout gains in every part of the state:

• The number of visitors doubled at Confluence State Park, one of our newest parks at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, north of St. Louis.  And it more than doubled at Wakonda.
• Attendance was up 65 percent at Finger Lakes;
• 36 percent at Mastodon;
• 31 percent at Arrow Rock;
• 30 percent at Taum Sauk;
• 27 percent at St. Francois;
• 20 percent at Elephant Rocks; and
• 19 percent at Trail of Tears.

Those are stunning numbers. And we've got to keep spreading the word that for Missouri families on a budget, there's no better deal out there than the beautiful, affordable parks in their own back yard. That's money well-spent - and money that stays in Missouri.

And this summer, with my State Parks Youth Corps out in force, building trails, clearing brush and keeping campsites clean and tidy, we're going to drive those numbers even higher this year.

But we're here this morning to talk about my third outdoor initiative, the Children in Nature Challenge, issued by Executive Order last month.

I'm challenging all Missouri communities to increase opportunities for children to personally experience nature and the outdoors - with help from all of you here today.

Fortunately, we're blessed in Missouri.  No matter where you live, it's less than an hour's drive from home to find a trail to hike, a stream to fish, or just a quiet spot to sit and watch a spider spin her web.

Our 85 state parks and historic sites - with their natural beauty, rich history and outstanding recreational opportunities. And as I said, it's the best deal around for families whether they want to take a day hike, a weekend float or camp-out for a week. That's good for our kids, good for our families, good for our economy - and good for the preservation of this priceless legacy.

Today, we're taking the next step in creating new opportunities for children to reconnect with nature.

Each of you has programs, events and initiatives underway that you can bring to the table.

And I'm sure all of you have some great ideas for new ways to engage kids in learning and playing outdoors.

That's why I've brought you together this morning: to share your extensive knowledge and experience as educators, conservationists, health experts and outdoorsmen as we push this initiative forward. And with the state budget being what it is, we've simply got to leverage our assets, pool resources and collaborate whenever we can. This is a perfect opportunity to do exactly that.

Now I'd like to turn the discussion over to First Lady Georganne Nixon, who will be my point person going forward in leading the Children in Nature Challenge.  

Thank you.