We do not raise our children alone.... Our children are also raised by every peer, institution, and family with which they come in contact. Yet parents today expect to be blamed for whatever results occur with their children, and they expect to do their parenting alone.

Some kids don't want to be organized all the time. They want to let their imaginations run; they want to see where a stream of water takes them.

What if more and more parents, grandparents and kids around the country band together to create outdoor adventure clubs, family nature networks, family outdoor clubs, or green gyms? What if this approach becomes the norm in every community?

We have such a brief opportunity to pass on to our children our love for this Earth, and to tell our stories. These are the moments when the world is made whole. In my children's memories, the adventures we've had together in nature will always exist.

Natural playgrounds may decrease bullying.

In our bones we need the natural curves of hills, the scent of chaparral, the whisper of pines, the possibility of wildness.

The times I spent with my children in nature are among my most meaningful memories-and I hope theirs.