The REI Foundation
awarded a grant of $100,000 to help launch the NYC Green Stops Partnership, a citywide campaign aimed at
connecting the city's 2 million youth and their families with the
outdoors and nature. The program is being run by New York Restoration Project (NYRP), Solar One, Sustainable South Bronx
(SSBx) and Mount Sinai Center for Children's Environmental Health.

The Green Stops Partnership was one of 30 programs endorsed by the
National Forum on Children and Nature, a group of public and private
leaders that formed a nationwide effort in 2007 to reconnect kids with
nature.

This summer, NYC Green Stops will encourage youth and their families to
take advantage of the city's kid-friendly parks, community gardens and
outdoor events and programs, according to a statement. Beginning this
fall, the joint initiative will also highlight the availability,
accessibility and attractiveness of the city's NYC Green Stops through
an interactive web site and Green Stop-branded signage posted at parks
and gardens throughout the five boroughs.

Research shows that the nation's youth are becoming increasingly
disconnected from the great outdoors. Heavily-scheduled kids now travel
from school to organized activities and then indoors to watch
television, play video games or spend time in front of a computer. As a
result, the outdoors has become a place many kids merely visit rather
than spend quality time. According to research compiled by the National
Forum on Children & Nature:

  • In 1969, 50% of children in the United States walked or biked to school. In 2004, less than 13% did.
  • The area in which children are free to roam has shrunk by 89% in the past 20 years.
  • After 50 years of steady increases, per capita visits to U.S. national parks declined by 25% from 1987 to 2003.
  • Nature-based recreation as a whole has declined every year since the 1980s, for a total decline of roughly 25%.

A growing body of evidence suggests a decline in the health of today's
youth is linked to children's separation from nature. Chronic health
conditions – such as obesity, diabetes and depression – have reached
alarming rates, affecting a growing number of kids. The NYC Green Stops
Partnership aims to improve the health and quality of life for young
New Yorkers by reconnecting them to nature and promoting outdoor
recreation as a daily necessity.

Many natural settings exist within New York City's “concrete jungle,”
including parks, community gardens and waterfronts restored by NYRP,
SBBx and Solar One. NYRP, SSBx and Solar One – along with future Green
Stops partners – identify these green spaces for kids and families by
introducing creative opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities such as
scavenger hunts, photography, gardening and hiking, as well as
unstructured time in nature. Simultaneously, the Mount Sinai Center for
Children's Environmental Health will conduct research on the positive
effects of these programs and green spaces on youth. Building on data
they have already collected, researchers at Mount Sinai School of
Medicine will work with the Green Stops program partners to track and
compare individual child health outcomes among program participants to
discover how the Green Stops Partnership program can influence time
spent outdoors and overall physical activity and health levels of urban
children.

“It's because of our partner REI Foundation that we're able to
jumpstart our efforts to connect New York City youth with nature,” said
Drew Becher, NYRP”s Executive Director. “New York Restoration Project
is proud to be collaborating with like-minded organizations like
Sustainable South Bronx, Solar One and Mount Sinai in creating and
measuring the outcomes of an engaging campaign that highlights the
importance of spending quality time outdoors.”

Examples of NYC Green Stops:


New York Restoration Project (NYRP)

NYRP is the proud owner of 55 restored community gardens throughout the
five boroughs including five children's gardens and the first Nature
Explore Classroom in New York City (The Home Depot Community Garden in
East Harlem)

Swindler Cove Family Day – Saturday, June 13, NYRP invites New Yorkers
to discover Swindler Cove Park, a five-acre park along the Harlem
River. The day includes a family challenge, arts and crafts and live
animals.

NYRP Summer Camp – July and August – A six-week summer camp will
introduce 30 youth to nature and green collar career opportunities.

Solar One

Solar One manages Stuyvesant Cove Park, having turned a concrete plant
and brownfield into a model of responsible urban living and
landscaping.

Solar Love Music Festival – On June 13th, the Solar Love Music Festival
will fill Solar One's solar-powered stage with local and up-and-coming
bands. The festival will be held at Solar One's East River venue in
Stuyvesant Cove Park, which is completely solar-powered and
environmentally friendly. The goal for Solar Love Music Festival is to
inspire young New Yorkers to join the solar movement.

Solar One Family Days – May through September – Family-friendly,
outdoor education programs on the subjects of renewable energy,
sustainable design and the city's fragile natural resources.

Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx)

SSBx spearheaded the creation of Hunts Point Riverside Park, the first piece of the projected South Bronx Greenway.

Annual 5K Hunts Point Hustle – June 20 – An annual road race along the
Bronx River to raise awareness about the need to improve the health and
environment for South Bronx residents and surrounding communities.

Mount Sinai Center for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research

For the past 5 years, Mount Sinai has been conducting an NIEHS and EPA
funded community-based project assessing the neighborhood level factors
that influence risk for childhood obesity in a cohort of 300+ East
Harlem children ages 6-8 years old.

In the fall, the partners will introduce New York City children and
their families to an interactive web site that will provide maps and
directions to Green Stops across the five boroughs, as well as quizzes,
challenges and scavenger hunts that will inspire youth to explore the
city’s kid-friendly green spaces and events.

“The REI Foundation is proud to recognize the collaboration of NYRP,
Solar One, SSBx and Mount Sinai Center for Children's Environmental
Health and their leadership in introducing and reconnecting today's
youth to nature,” said REI Foundation President Michael Collins. “The
program helps remove barriers by highlighting recreation areas can be
easily accessed within their immediate community and that families can
have rewarding and memorable experiences.”

The four collaborating organizations currently serve over 30,000
children and families annually, own or operate more than 350 acres of
parks, community gardens and open space, and coordinate distinctive
environmental education and outreach programs