Great American Campout - Take the Pledge!

June 24 is the 13th annual Great American Campout sponsored by The National Wildlife Federation features 5,000 new reasons to pledge online to camp between NOW through the end of October 2017. So, if you can't camp on THE DAY... it's okay you can still pledge because we WILL be camping between now and October!  SO GO PLEDGE HERE NOW!  

This initiative is a summer long way to encourage camping which connects you with nature and wildlife.  I mean, think about it -- you can't fully appreciate it if you never are out in it!  Right?

It doesn't matter if you're camping in a tent, in a cabin, in your backyard, in a national forest or in an RV -- just GET OUT THERE AND CAMP between now and October! 

Jeff Probst, Executive Producer and host of CBS' Survivor and avid outdoorsman, serves as this year's celebrity spokesperson. The National Wildlife Federation's beloved wildlife ambassador, Ranger Rick, will help young campers join the fun and excitement with family-friendly downloadable camping activities, recipes, and books.

Richard Louv penned Last Child In The Woods. If you haven't read it, I encourage you to do so. I fully believe that the more and more commercial driven, label seeking, persuasively marketable we have made ourselves, the further the disconnect between us and nature.  That's why we strive to keep the OUT in scOUTing. We need nature! The best thing you can do is to DISCONNECT from your screens and CONNECT outside! So, take the pledge to join us at least once before the deadline!

Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation states, "Reconnecting with nature inspires us to care for what we love and rekindles the conservation ethic that lives inside each of us. When you can be present in nature and experience a connection – when you look into a tree and see the eyes of a great horned owl staring back at you – it reminds us of our responsibility to take action and protect the things we value most."

Read more about the initiative HERE.