Maine Governor John Baldacci has announced a “Governor’s Conference on Youth and the Natural World” as an opportunity to identify ways to connect Maine’s youth with nature and the outdoors. This all-day event will be held on Thursday, October 2, 2008 at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Maine.

This event is part of Maine’s ‘Take It Outside’ program intended to encourage Maine’s children and families to reconnect with nature. The keynote speaker will be Larry Selzer, chief executive officer of the Conservation Fund and a member of The National Forum on Children and Nature, who will address how today’s digital world is keeping children indoors and isolating them from nature and outdoor activities. This issue is universal in the United States, represents significant health and social implications, and demands attention now.

Several stakeholder organizations will be in attendance to develop solutions for addressing this crisis. As the nation’s oldest outdoor recreation and conservation organization, the activities of the Appalachian Mountain Club are consistent with the goals of the Take It Outside program.

This event has a fee of $25 for adults and $10 for students. For more information, contact Gale Ross at gale.ross@maine.gov or (207) 287-5266, or go to www.take-it-outside.com.

Please click here for an article in the Portland Press Herald on this event.