FINDING OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Discover the Forest

This new, exciting website is jam-packed with fun activities that you can do outdoors. The website also has a 'nature finder' feature that will help you and your parents find nature nearby.

Find A National Forest

There are 153 National Forests, and 20 National Grasslands -- and there's one probably within a day's drive of where you live! Go the the home page of the Forest Service to locate a nearby National Forest or Grassland. Each National Forest and Grassland has it's own web site, chocked full of information about its special resources and recreational opportunites. Have fun exploring!

Nature Watch Find-A-Viewing Site

NatureWatch is a partnership program of the U.S. Forest Service that provides nature viewing opportunities, encourages safe and sound viewing ethics and contributes to local economies. Visit this Web site to find nature viewing sites near you, or that feature specific animals and plants.

Nature Find™

The National Wildlife Federation's Green Hour® has teamed up with NatureFind™ to provide you a quick and easy way to find many of the local, state and national parks near you -- and some private parks and nature centers as well.

OUTDOOR ETHICS

Leave No Trace

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide. Visit this site to learn about how you can safely, and ethically, enjoy your National Forests and Grasslands -- and leave no trace.

Tread Lightly!

Tread Lightly!, Inc. is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to proactively protect recreation access and opportunities in the outdoors through education and stewardship initiatives.

Not only is Tread Lightly! the nation’s signature ethics message for outdoor enthusiasts that use motorized and mechanized vehicles, but Tread Lightly! also offers unique training and restoration programs strategically designed to instill an ethic of responsibility in a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them.

IDEAS FOR OUTDOORS FUN

Green Hour®

The National Wildlife Federation recommends that parents give their kids a "Green Hour" every day, a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. This can take place in a garden, a backyard, the park down the street, or any place that provides safe and accessible green spaces where children can learn and play. Visit this site to get lots of great ideas for exploring in the great outdoors!

Summer Camps and Workshops

Across the Forest Service, there are many different opportunities to get outside, have fun and learn about nature. The following list highlights just a few of these great projects. To find events in your local area, visit the Web site of the closest National Forest or Grassland.

• Finger Lakes NF Hosts Forest Field Day Annual Event which teaches kids about nature and forestry.
• Annual bat education event – build bat house, learn about bats
• Hoosier NF Annual nature field day

GETTING INVOLVED

Friends of the Forest

America’s National Forests are your National Forests. They need the support of “Friends" like you to ensure that they will provide, for years to come, the incredible experiences and resources that they offer to us today. These vast and beautiful forests help to clean the air and purify the water, while providing us with solitude and unforgettable recreational opportunities. Become a friend of the forests to learn about your National Forests and Grasslands, and discover fun, outdoor adventures that you can take part in.

National Public Lands Day

National Public Lands Day began in 1994 with three federal agencies and 700 volunteers. Last year nearly 100,000 volunteers worked in 1,100  locations and in every state. Now, 9 federal agencies and many state and local lands participate in this annual day of caring for shared lands.

Backyard Conservation

Backyard Conservation shows you how conservation practices that are used on agricultural land across the country to conserve and improve natural resources can be adapted for use on the land around your home.