What is Take It Outside?

The Bureau of Land Management's Take It Outside Initiative was prompted by a growing national concern that children are spending significantly less time outdoors that previous generations; becoming more disconnected from nature; and increasingly showing symptons of an epidemic in childhood obesity. These issues were articulated in Richard Louv's 2005 book "Last Child in the Woods."  In response to this problem, BLM and many other Federal agencies are taking on the challenge of attemping to reconnect the Nation's youth and families with the many benefits of spending time outdoors. 

Kids learn about the Salmon River

BLM Takes It Outside!

BLM's Take It Outside Initiative focuses on promoting and expanding existing BLM programs that engage children and families in outdoor activitites.  Try some of these family outings.

Family Outings

• Cress Creek Nature Trail
• Hull's Gulch National Recreation Trail
• Bonneville Point
• Oregon Trail Reserve 
• Foothills Learning Center
• Menan Butte Trail
• The Lava Trail System
• Mineral Ridge
• Ridge to Rivers Trail System
• Celebration Park
• Wilson Butte Cave

Other Take It Outside Related Websites:

• Care Share Campaign: Sharing rangelands respectfully with others. 
• Idaho Off-Highway Vehicle Information Project: State and federal agencies in Idaho promoting responsible use of off-highway vehicles. 
• Leave No Trace: Striving to educate all those who enjoy the outdoors about the nature of recreational impacts as well as techniques to prevent and minimize such impacts. 
• Tread Lightly: Offering a variety of tools to help arm recreationists and the industries that serve them with essential outdoor ethics. 
• Hands on the Land: a national network of field classrooms connecting students, teachers, and parents to their public lands and waterways. 
• Be Outside. Idaho Children in Nature: A website dedicated to getting children and families outdoors to enjoy nature. 
• Learning Landscapes: A national website that provides educational and enrichment opportunities associated with the 258 million acres of public lands that BLM manages for all Americans.  Visitors can get fit, commune, contemplate, serve, renew, revive, and re-center.
• Idaho Birding Trail:  A network of sites and side-trips that provides the best viewing opportunities to see birds in Idaho.

BLM teaches children about birds of prey at an Idaho Children in Nature event in Boise.

Idaho BLM Environmental Education
-Education Highlights
-For Teachers

Volunteers
-National Volunteer Page

Heritage Education

Take it Outside Idaho
-Fun Adventures
-Get Outdoors, It’s Yours

Wildland Fire Education
East Idaho Fire Education
South Central Idaho Fire Education
West Idaho Fire Education
North Idaho Fire Education

Fire Up for Summer student

Golden Cheeked Warbler, one of 
the many birds that can be seen 
on the Idaho Birding Trail.