The "Take It Outside" program was prompted by a growing national concern that children are spending significantly less time outdoors than previous generations; becoming more disconnected from nature; and increasingly showing the symptoms of an epidemic in childhood obesity. These issues were articulated in Richard Louv’s 2005 book “Last Child in the Woods.” In response to these growing national concerns over childhood inactivity outdoors, natural resource agency policy-makers are promoting a nationwide effort to encourage children to take part in outdoor activities.

As children are becoming increasingly disconnected from the natural environment (via computers, video games, television, and fear of the risks associated with being outside), they are losing a basic understanding of the connections between humans and the natural world – such as the air we breathe, the water we drink, other species, and the natural resources on which human life depends. The BLM and many other Federal agencies are taking on the challenge of attempting to reconnect the Nation’s youth and families with the many benefits of spending time outdoors.