Environmental Education
Association of Oregon
6550 SE 122nd Ave.
Portland, OR 97236
Mailing Address:
PO Box 66014
Portland, OR 97290
(503) 234-EEAO
Contact EEAO
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EEAO Home -> Advocacy in Oregon -> The Problem
 The Problem
YOUTH ARE INCREASINGLY
DISCONNECTED FROM THE NATURAL WORLD
Creating an
environmentally sustainable future is a task for all Oregonians, particularly our
youth, as they will be the decision-makers charged with addressing increasingly
difficult decisions facing Oregon's
natural resources. Preparing our youth to respond to mounting natural resources
challenges is complicated by the fact that they have largely lost an intimate
understanding of and connection to the natural world and working agricultural landscapes.
From 1997-2003, the percentage of children in the United States ages nine to
twelve engaging in outdoor activities such as boating, camping, walking, hiking and gardening declined by 37%. Our nation's youth are spending far less time
outside than their parents did when they were young.
Our natural resources crisis is compounded by Oregon's current lack of state
infrastructure and common strategic vision for cultivating youth as
ecological problem solvers and informed, responsible stewards. The result is a
fractured network of well-intentioned efforts operating in isolation throughout
the state. We need to unite these
disparate efforts by establishing a framework to support synergistic activities. This framework will help to maintain and sustain the long-term health and prosperity of Oregon, its communities and residents.
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