Maine Audubon applauds Allen, Collins, and Snowe

Main Today – October 31, 2007
By Maine Audubon

Earlier this month, Sen. Susan Collins became the first United States senator to co-sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007, which would amend the No Child Left Behind law (NCLB) to strengthen and expand environmental education in America’s classrooms.

“This legislation will help give students the knowledge they need to become custodians of our environment,” Collins said. “The environment is a critical issue. We must ensure that our next generation has all the skills required to cope with the coming challenges.”

Sen. Olympia Snowe announced today that she, too, will co-sponsor the Senate version of the bill.

“I am pleased to cosponsor No Child Left Inside. Environmental education is an increasingly critical component of our educational system. Imparting the knowledge of our natural world will provide incalculable dividends to both our environment and the well being of our next generation,” she said. “Accordingly, I believe it is essential that environmental education becomes an integral component of the discourse in our classrooms across the country.”

Rep. Tom Allen also signed on earlier this month as the bill’s 21st co-sponsor in the House of Representatives.

“Environmental education is planning for the future, the future world we will leave to our kids and they will leave to theirs,” said Allen. “This legislation recognizes the importance of providing our children with an appreciation for the beauty, frailty, and necessity of our precious natural resources.”

The No Child Left Inside Act would strengthen and expand environmental education in America’s classrooms by providing federal funding for a number of initiatives: training teachers in environmental education, developing model environmental education programs, drafting environmental literacy plans, and providing for an education grant program. The act would also re-establish an Office of Environmental Education within the U.S. Department of Education.

“Maine Audubon is proud that Maine’s representatives in Congress are helping move this bill forward,” said Kevin Carley, Maine Audubon executive director. “In making the case for environmental education, it’s a tremendous asset to have key support from respected leaders who represent a state known for its spectacular natural resources and tremendous opportunities to explore the outdoors.”

The legislation would significantly help environmental education at a time when its relevance and importance grow, but its presence in classrooms wanes. As schools focus on reaching NCLB standards in math and reading, fewer resources are spent on environmental education and less time is devoted to valuable hands-on field investigations.

But as issues like global climate change, air and water pollution, and ecologically sensitive habitat loss grow more serious, schools need to prepare young people to devise sustainable solutions to environmental problems. By teaching students how to understand complex ecological concepts and to think critically, environmental education will play a crucial part.

Maine Audubon has been actively engaged in connecting Maine’s children with nature for more than 30 years. Through this work, the organization has seen that giving children the opportunity to form early connections with the natural world brings them numerous physical and emotional benefits while aiding their educational development. In turn, the benefits accrue to Maine communities.

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