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First Lady Michele Obama anounces Lets Move Outside
In This Issue:
FREE Coupon
Happy Places
New NR Trails
A Tip of the Hat...
Keep Connected
Get Involved
Events
Let's Work Together
Links
Sidebar-2Keep Connected
Michelle Obama says: Let's Move Outside! to fix childhood obesity

...And so does the new Outdoors Alliance for Kids

Apply for $$ for Groundwork USA by June 16 
Sidebar-GetInvolvedGet Involved
Connect with Generation Y at
Outdoor Nation June 19-20, NYC
EventsEvents
National Trails Day, June 5

Great American Backyard Camp- out, June 26
 
Meet new partners + learn new tools
News Flash! First Lady Michelle Obama announces Let's Move Outside -- emphasizing the key role of outdoor play in national, state, and local parks as part of her signature initiative to address the childhood obesity problem.  (Read more here.) 
Conservation + Recreation: June 2010
FeatureArticle Finding Your Happy Place
Concrete Plant Park--AfterTime to celebrate:
Saturday is National Trails Day!

It's easy to "find your happy place" since over 1,500 events have been registered in all 50 states. Most are taking place Sat. June 5.
From paddling to pedaling,  hiking, geocaching, and photography, there are many different types of activities available.  Find one near you. 
 
"Success is seeing new people getting outdoors," said Heather Sable, Trail Programs Manager for the American Hiking Society.  "This is the opportunity to get out and celebrate trails.  There are events in all 50 states, so everyone can find something not too far away.  It's exciting to be part of a national event."

Here are four examples to check out (1,496 others can be found online with the NTD Event Finder).
- Colorado: Chautauqua Park in Boulder - Children and families will take a 2-mile theater hike, enjoying "The Little Prince," which will be performed along the way.
- Hawai'i: Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site in Kawaihae - Hikers will learn about John Young, one of the first foreigners enlisted by Kamehameha, on a living history walk discussing trails in ancient Hawai'i.
- Kentucky:Lost River Cave & Valley, Bowling Green - Visitors can enjoy bird watching geocaching and more.
- Minnesota: Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge in Wabasha - Paddlers will float 6.5 miles by canoe and learn about the history of the river, as well as flora and fauna, followed by a barbecue.
ArticleANew National Recreation Trails 
Last month, 31 trails totally over 716 miles were designated National Recreation Trails. The trails benefit by revitalization and exposure to a national audience. The public benefits by discovering new outdoor and recreational resources in their communities and beyond.  See the whole list of 1,079 trails, check out the newest 31, or just get a taste with these two examples:
 
-- The River Mountains Loop Trail in Nevada is a 35-mile multi-use trail that connects Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Hoover Dam, Henderson, and Boulder City to the west side trail that leads to Las Vegas. The creation of this trail included multiple partners and public agencies.  This paved trail provides recreational opportunities for hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders.
-- The Spokane River Centennial Trail is a 37-mile trail from the Idaho state line through Spokane to Nine Mile Falls, Washington. Most of the trail was created near the time of Washington state's centennial and it continues to be a resource for the community. The trail is both urban and rural and allows over two millions users per year to commute, hike, bike, skate, and just enjoy being near the river.
 
National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis said, "Such trails bring enhanced conservation and recreation values to many communities throughout the Nation.  They are an effective way to gain a deeper appreciation of nature and history."  So, go find your happy place on one of these new trails!
ArticleBA Tip of the Hat... 
We're swept up in enthusiasm for National Trails Day, so this month we'll tip our hats to TWO fantastic trails partners!  -- Ed.
 
Roxzanne Feagan wants everyone to enjoy trails -- and as a board member for Trails Have Our Respect (THOR) inRoxzanne Feagan Omaha, she helps make it possible.  Roxzanne rides and races mountain bikes (she was named a 2009 Trek Women Who Ride) and brings that enthusiasm to trail building and maintenance.  Along with partners including the Omaha parks department and the National Park Service, THOR recently began building Omaha's Adam's Park Trail, where the first loop (suitable for beginning riders) should be completed this month.  The health benefits of close-to-home recreation helped a key partner, Activate Omaha, attract a $360,000 project grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  "Roxzanne's dedication to trails and her enthusiasm for helping build and maintain them has made her a valuable part of our Omaha trails community," said Karen Anderson of the National Park Service.  Check out the local TV news coverage

Tom Johnson must have a big hat rack. 
He is an avid hiker who has served, volunteered with, or created trails groups Concrete Plant Park--Afterat the local, regional, and national levels.  He's so busy, NPS staff from our West Virginia, Chattanooga, and Atlanta offices all have gotten the chance to work with him on different initiatives.  Tom and his wife Sharon, married 50 years, keep a hiker hostel and shuttle service from their Virginia home less than a mile off the Appalachian Trail.  In fact, Tom maintains sections of the AT, as well as the Great Eastern Trail, serves on the Board of the American Hiking Society, and, oh yes, is a retired Air Force officer who currently writes classified histories of clandestine intelligence programs for the CIA.  As you might guess, Tom enjoys hiking, although we don't know when he finds any time to.

Save 100%
coupon2At any national park that usually charges an entrance fee. Visit free on June 5 and 6 to celebrate National Trails Day. 
             Stop by your favorite park and enjoy.
(You do not need to present this coupon to get free admission... save a tree by not printing the coupon.)

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Offer Good Only: June 5-6, 2010            FREE 
LetsWorkLet's Work Together
Could your project benefit from collaboration with a National Park Service specialist?
 
If you're restoring a river, building a community trail, or making an urban park flourish, we'd love to talk with you about ways we could work together.
 
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Conservation + Recreation
is written to support and inform our organizational partners, friends of the program, potential partners, and Department of the Interior staff. It's our chance to share activities and successes and those of our partners. For details on specific projects, please contact the staff person involved with each project.

Michelle Obama photo -- official White House release; Happy woman photo by John Moran; other Images provided by subjects.