Get Out! It's National Trails Day

As if we needed an excuse to get outside, National Trails Day is Saturday. Well, maybe we do need an excuse. Statistics show visitation to national parks is down, that children particularly spend less time outdoors than their parents did, and that -- this will come as no surprise -- adults feel their schedules increasingly squeezed. Some even fear that the decreasing connection with the natural world will put a dent in the next generation's enthusiasm for protecting the environment. "Society is telling kids, unconsciously, that nature is in the past. The future is in electronics," Richard Louv, who coined the term "Nature Deficit Disorder," told NPR in a recent interview. So take your cue from National Trails Day. The American Hiking Society can help you find a trails event in your area. Get outside. Take the kids. Take some inspiration from the world around us.