Summer is finally here! Time to get on your bike.

We all love biking. My husband and I toured Europe on bikes when we first met. Once the children arrived  we literally strapped them to our bikes the minute they could sit up. Now that our children are teenagers we get to go on more adventurous trails.  Although last night, our bike ride was through the orchards -not really challenging, more a slow enjoyable way to connect with nature after our evening meal.

We are spoilt here in the Okanagan, surrounded by vineyards and orchards. There is always somewhere beautiful to bike.

On route we saw robins, quails, a hawk and several marmots running through the orchard not to mention an abundance of stunningly beautiful wildflowers.

Here are just a few reasons why we bike as a family:

• Keeps us fit and healthy
• Family bonding
• Environmentally friendly
• Kids can bring along friends
• Great way to get to see your neighborhood
• Connects us with nature
• Good fun

You don’t have to live in the country to get on your bike. When we lived in the city, we always found somewhere to ride. A favourite was biking to the Royal Botanic Gardens every weekend.

Wishing you all lot’s of fun on your bikes this summer. If you don’t own a bike, they are pretty reasonably priced to hire for the day. Go on, have a go!!! You’ll love it!

Here are a few family biking website you may enjoy:

Biking With Kids

Pedal Powered Family

A Parents Guide To Youth Cycling

If you have a biking story to share, please post on the “Let’s Go Outside” Revolution Facebook Fan page.

Why I felt compelled to start up this organization: Like so many, I have been connecting children with nature for most of my adult life but it wasn’t until several months ago that it really hit me how catastrophic the disconnection between children and nature had become and the consequences it has brought about. My heart sank when I read that children spend 90% of their time INDOORS. As a mother and a naturalist this disturbed me deeply. I belief that we can change, the time is right, to reverse the time children spend indoors.

Watch the video:

Let’s Go Outside Revolution

The Let’s Go Outside Revolution is about growing a generation of Happy Healthy Children by changing the way children spend their time. It’s a movement for you, your family and your community. If you care about your children and their future and the planets future, take this revolution and make it your own.

Join the “Let’s Go Outside” Revolution on Facebook: LETS GO OUTSIDE REVOLUTION

It is time to ask children what they want!

By making small changes-magical things happen!

Dear Ms. Hughes:

“Congratulations.  This is the kind of initiative that should be occurring across Canada.  I support the Young Naturalists and Boy Scouts for the same reason.  I tell the story that when I was growing up in the 1950’s, six of us lived in a house of less than 1000 sq. ft. and my parents were always telling me to go outside and play.  Now we do the opposite”.

Go for it.

David Suzuki

The Let’s Go Outside Revolution is a non-profit organization run by a group of enthusiastic parents, teachers and individuals who believe that the time has come… for change.

Our Goals:

• To produce a DVD full of fun, educational activities inspiring children and their parents, teachers and their pupils to head outdoors to help you connect your children with nature.

• To provide an online and offline resource of information on how to actively engage children in the outdoors. A resource for parents, children and educators.

• Using the Okanagan (and Vancouver) as the “Let’s Go Outside” Revolution blueprint for other Provinces to follow.

Our mission:

To actively engage children with nature and reverse the time they spend indoors.

• Children spend 90% of their time INDOORS.
• Childhood OBESITY is an EPIDEMIC
• Children aged 8-18yrs spend more than 7 hours a day in front of a screen.
• 1 in 3 children in Canada are either obese or overweight. ADHD and other stress-related illnesses are at an all time high.

THIS IS PREVENTABLE!

Join the “Let’s Go Outside” Revolution on Facebook: LETS GO OUTSIDE REVOLUTION

We are currently building a network of educators, parents, politicians and organizations who have the same passion for getting kids outdoors. We believe if we inspire a love for nature in a child, it will lead to a desire to protect it.

• We are hoping to produce a 1000 DVDs full of fun, educational activities and resources – the ABCs of actively engaging children with nature.

• To inspire 30,000 Canadian children to participate in the “Let’s Go Outside” Revolution: we wish to inspire children and their parents and teachers and their students, to head outdoors and discover the magic of the natural world.

• The DVDs will be filmed in the beautiful wilderness of British Columbia which is one of the most biologically diverse provinces in Canada. The DVDs and accompanying worksheets will be distributed free of charge to every school throughout BC. Local children will then benefit from hands-on community-based projects.

Here are just a few of the exciting activities that will feature in the DVD.

*     How to create your very own organic, sustainable vegetable garden and herb pots.
*     Discover some of British Columbia’s awesome Wildlife
*     How to encourage birds and wildlife to your own backyard
*     Learn by embracing wisdom from diverse cultures eg: First Nations (Example: construct tepee for play)
*     Environmentally friendly nature based arts and crafts
*     Learn poetry under the trees.
*     Draw in the orchard.
*     Visits to farms …discover where eggs come from and honey comes from.
*     Interviews with park and forest rangers, conservationists, butterfly experts.
*     How to organize trail walks, how to encourage bird-watching, rock-hunting, star-gazing, night walks & cycling.

Local children, schools, families, politicians and businesses will have their input into the video series.

I am a proud member of the children and nature network . This fabulous organization will be celebrating their  “Let’s Go” campaign in April. Let’s G.O.! is a youth-inspired, youth-led Children & Nature Network initiative to rally people of all ages to Play, Serve and Celebrate.  Our “Lets Go Outside” Revolution launch party is one of the events taking place for this wonderful campaign. (The Let’s Go Outside Revolution Beach Party is on 15th April).

The Let’s Go outside Revolution website launches 18th May. www.letsgooutsiderevolution.com

Check out our first Revolution get together: LETS GO OUTSIDE REVOLUTION – Bertram Park April 15th

Thank you for your support. THIS IS YOUR REVOLUTION!!! Working Together for a better future!

Now that Spring is finally here, we try to walk or cycle home from school at least twice a week. It takes about an hour – it’s up hill all the way!

But boy is it worth it…

I love the simple things in life-like sharing these precious moments with my children in nature- Magical!

(Yes, when riding he wears a helmet).

Come on mum!

Half way view.

Thirsty work!

My turn on the bike.

Sam spots more signs of Spring….

Leaf  Balsam Root lights up the Okanagan hillside every Spring. This flower is native to the Southern Interior of British Columbia.

It’s a  joy to take your time and appreciate all the beauty.

Leave the car at home and walk or bike to school this week. It’s good for you, your kids and the planet!

This post is part of the Backyard Mama Wednesday blog carnival about “Sharing Nature.”

Fun Outdoors

Our kids love being outdoors and one of the reasons for that is because my husband and I do too. My own childhood influenced the way I decided to bring up my own children. I had a carefree childhood, my parents invested their time in taking us on forest trails, mountain hikes, scavenger hunts, rock hunting on the beach, introducing my brothers and I to the magic…nature has to offer.

Bertram Creek Park

We had planned to go for a short forest walk before making some treats for Halloween but decided to head for the Lake instead. We spend a lot of time at the lake out of season when all the crowds are away.
Today we had the park and lake all to ourselves.

The pictures tell the story.

The stresses of modern day living can get to us all, especially our children. Mountains of homework, tests every week, teenage blues…..
Taking time outdoors, the stresses are left behind as your senses are stimulated with new sounds, new smells, new views…….

Can’t Catch Me!

Even Teenagers love to play…..

Who can resist the swings……

Down to the Lake…..

Stimulating……

Finding Footprints….

Spotting Bugs…..

Photographing Critters…….

Invigorating……

Pure Joy…..

I want to grab every opportunity I can to be outdoors with my family for I know that these days will be over too soon.
I don’t want to look back and say, I wish I’d…………

Time to head back…

Can’t wait to do it all over again.