I think when you lead an outdoor-centric lifestyle you necessarily become environmentally aware. The creek you cross on a hike becomes the river that becomes your drinking water. The snow that is melting way to fast from your favorite peak is a clear symptom of global warming. The ocean you paddle your kayak on is becoming polluted and fish and coral are dying.

If you are like me, you try to make choices in your day-to-day life that minimize your impact on the environment that you so love spending time in and that you hope your kids will always get to enjoy. It’s not always easy, it’s definitely not always the cheapest option, and the results of your careful choices don’t often make an immediate impact.

Read more »

This is a guest post from the folks at Play Outdoors. Check out their Campfire Blog for great articles about getting kids outside and having fun.

Whether it is a mid-winter blizzard, a full moon summer night, or a crisp spring morning, each day of the year offers a new opportunity for an outdoor family adventure.

Discover ideas for outdoor activities that can get you and your kids outside and learning about the natural world around us, whether away on a week long trip in the woods, or with a spare hour at home in the city. Incorporating nature-based activities every day can be easy, and will certainly be fun:

• Hiking & Camping
• Waterfront Activities
• Out & About
• Backyard Fun
• Snow

Read more »

I recently wrote and article for Backpacker magazine called "Top 3 Glow-in-the-Dark Trips".

I mention it here because all three of these trips would be really fun for kids. I've said before that having a goal or a hook or something to draw kids in can get kids motivated to get outside and stay outside.

These trips are all searches for bioluminescence--creatures that create their own light.

Read more »

This post is cross-posted at Play Outdoors. "One of Play Outdoors' prime initiatives is for children to have every opportunity to make a connection with nature and the outdoors." Sounds great, doesn't it?

When you look into the sky on a clear night another world appears. Stars twinkle, planets glow, meteors shoot across the sky and your imagination expands. Stargazing with your children can open a new world of hunters chasing bulls across the sky, giant bears roaming the darkness, black holes and red planets.

Stargazing can be as simple as lying on your back and gazing upwards. Or it can be as sophisticated as setting up a complex telescope and charting celestial movement. Most of us enjoy something in between.

Read more »

Yesterday morning--and for the past few days--was raining. After a couple weeks of sunshine and warm temps, the return to winter is a little tough to swallow.

There's been a lot of complaining on some of the social networking sites I lurk around: Facebook, Twitter, ...I guess that's all. Complaints about snow and rain in June.

I was about to go down that road too, until I thought, "This is Montana, people!". Of course it's snowing in June. It always snows in June. Then I decided to embrace it.

Read more »