John Muir in the New World House Party Guide

8/7/2019 John Muir in the New World House Party Guide

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John Muir in the New World House Party Discussion Guide

Children & Nature Network | www.childrenandnature.org

American Masters John Muir in the New World

House Party Discussion and Acvity Guide

Monday, April 18th at 9 p.m. ET (check local lisngs)


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Children & Nature Network | www.childrenandnature.org 2

American MastersJohn Muir in the New World

House Party Discussion and Acvity GuideClimb the mountains and get their good dings. Natures peace will ow

into you as sunshine ows into trees. The winds will blow their own fresh-

ness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop o like

autumn leaves.

John Muir was a powerful force for change. He championed the joys and the healing power of me in na-

ture. He encouraged his fellow Americans to get out of the city and journey into the wild. He helped protect

some of Americas most extraordinary natural areas, which are sll around for our use and enjoyment to-

day.

You too can be a posive force for change by sharing your passion for connecng children and people of all

ages to nature. One way to do this is by hosng a house party to view the PBS American Masters special,

John Muir in the New World. A house party is an informal gathering in your home of friends and neigh-

borsor even just family membersfocused on an issue of common concern. Grounded in the vision and

legacy of John Muir, your house party will inspire people to be part of the larger conversaon about con-

necng people to nature and will encourage them to get themselves and others outdoors.

This guide contains discussion quesons, acvity ideas, and useful ps for organizing your very own John

Muir house party. Join us in celebrang his life. Then follow in his footstepsby heading right out the door

and into the natural world!

American Masters John Muir in the New World will premiere naonally

Monday, April 18th

at 9pm ET on PBS. (Check local lisngs.)

The Children and Nature Movementand You!In the last decade, experts have idened the growing disconnect between children and the natural

world. The children and nature movement brings together parents, educators, physicians, planners,

and many other concerned cizens who are commied to restoring these connecons for childrenshealth and well-being. How can YOU help shi people from awareness about this issue to acon?

Make a plan to make the wonders of nature a part of your life and make it easy for others to join

yououtside!


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Discussion TipsAer viewing American Masters John Muir in the New World with your house party, invite guests to

share their reacons. For example:Which parts of John Muirs life and work did you nd most

interesng? Impressive? Inspiring? Surprising?

What connecons do you see between John Muirs work and

the eorts of those helping to connect people to nature

today?

Then share with your group the following quotes drawn from

Muirs wring, and invite responses to the quesons that

follow:

Thousands of red, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to nd out that going to the moun-

tains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; that mountain parks and reservaons are useful not only as

fountains of mber and irrigang rivers, but as fountains of life. Our Naonal Parks, 1901

Do you think nature can help to heal people physically and/or emoonally? Share your experiences.Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give

strength to body and soul alike. The Yosemite, 1912

Do you agree? What are these places in your community? To what extent are they recognized and/or pro-

tected by your community?As age comes on, one source of enjoyment aer another is closed, but natures sources never fail.

Our Naonal Parks, 1901.

Invite thoughts about aging and nature. Has anyone experienced what Muir describes? What things could

be done in your community to increase opportunies for older people as well as children and youth to

spend me in nature?I went out for a walk, and nally concluded to stay out ll sundown, for going out, I found, was really going

in. John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, 1938.

Share anything else you value about spending me in the natural world. Does me in nature ll you with

curiosity, wonder, mindfulness, peace?


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THINGS YOU CAN DO!Help your guests move from words to acon by trying one or more of the following:Think Outside the HouseOrganize an outdoor event for just before or aer your house party. Or join one of the hundreds of connect-to-nature

events scheduled for April 2011for example, Lets G.O.! (see below). Gathering together outdoors is one of the surest

ways of sustaining your friends and familys interest in spending me in nature and helping others reconnect, too.

Meet up for a group walk through a nearby natural area.

Invite everyone to a picnic by a favorite lake or stream.

Are birds making their spring migraon through your area? Are frogs beginning their choruses?

Find out about a local wildlife event and invite your group to parcipate.

Bring seed packets to your house party event and send everyone home with instrucons for how to plant them.

Beer yet, get everyone together to plant seeds at a local school or community center.

For more informaon on Lets G.O.! (Get Outside) 2011 visit hp://childrenandnature.ning.com/group/letsgo.

Leave No Child InsideOne of the best things about the movement to connect children and nature is that it starts with something so small:

taking kids outdoors and encouraging their playful exploraons

of the world around them. Simply by making nature a priority for

your family, youll be seng an example thats likely to inspire

countless friends and neighbors around you.

Try walking to school together on a regular basis, if possible.

Allow extra me for collecng scks, balancing on logs, and

nong wildlife and seasonal changes.

Find ways to let your kids play safely outside the home with

minimal supervision. Perhaps they can play while you gardenor while you watch them out the window. They probably

wont need any prompts, but if necessary, you might encour-

age them to start a rock collecon, make sck houses for

their dolls and acon gures, or organize a secret club under

a tree.

Can your kids pick blueberries like a lile girl named Sal? Would they like to try a campout, like Henry and Mudge?

Discover a host of fun ideas for spending me in nature, all ed to great childrens literature, at

hp://www.childrenandnature.org/story.

Commit to taking a walk on the wild side at least once a week. Are there nearby elds to romp in? Streams to

throw rocks into? Woods or a park in which your kids can build a fort from natural objects? Find nearby natural

areas, as well as other acvity ideas, on Nature Rocks: hp://www.naturerocks.org/.

Whenever possible, invite your friends to join you for outdoor playdates or adventures. Youll soon nd that a love

of nature is contagious! Beer yet, organize a family nature clublike Nature Strollers in New York or Muddy

Sneakers in North Carolina. For more informaon, visit hp://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/

naturalfamilies/clubs.
http://www.childrenandnature.org/storyhttp://www.childrenandnature.org/storyhttp://www.naturerocks.org/http://www.naturerocks.org/http://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/naturalfamilies/clubshttp://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/naturalfamilies/clubshttp://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/naturalfamilies/clubshttp://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/naturalfamilies/clubshttp://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/naturalfamilies/clubshttp://www.naturerocks.org/http://www.childrenandnature.org/story


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Be a Part of the Out Crowd!Join other volunteers in helping kids connect to nature in your community.

If you have a green thumb, consider helping start a school garden. If youre an amateur naturalist, consid-

er volunteering in local nature centers or schools to help get kids outdoors. Are you movated and t?

Sign up as a volunteer for Sierra Clubs Inner City Oungs, which help get city kids into wilder places.

Team up with your local library to create a speaker series focused on connecng children to nature. Some

libraries are even taking innovave steps to connect kids to nature, such as leng kids check out binocu-

lars and shing poles! For more library-related ideas, see Richard Louvs recent blog, hp://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/

and for even more ideas for things people can doteachers, families, governments and otherssee Last

Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Decit Disorder(Algonquin, 2008) and

www.richardlouv.com/children-nature-resources.

Join a conversaon of like-minded individuals interested in helping kids connect to nature, at

C&NN Connect, hp://childrenandnature.ning.com/.

Have you ever wanted to write your own blog about the children and nature connecon? Dip into the

blogs posted at hp://childrenandnature.ning.com/proles/blog/list, and then share your own!

And, for even more inspiraon, read the original wrings of John Muir, available at hp://

www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/wrings/.
http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://childrenandnature.ning.com/http://childrenandnature.ning.com/http://childrenandnature.ning.com/profiles/blog/listhttp://childrenandnature.ning.com/profiles/blog/listhttp://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/http://childrenandnature.ning.com/profiles/blog/listhttp://childrenandnature.ning.com/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2011/03/02/how-libraries-can-connect-children-and-adults-to-nature/


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The Children and Nature Network is honored to help celebrate the life, accomplishments, and legacyof

John Muir. We respect a range of values and beliefs about the natural world, including but not limited to

those of John Muir as presented in this lm. We encourage everyone who parcipates in the movement

to connect people to the natural world to exercise appropriate cauon and

responsibility when engaging in any nature-

based outdoor acvies.

Program Sponsors

2011. Children and Nature Network (www.childrenandnature.org) with support from Global Village Media

(www.globalvillagemedia.org).

Text by Sara St. Antoine with Cheryl Charles, Suz Lipman and Amy Pertschuk. Photo credits: Bob Roney Global Village Media.

The mission of the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) is to build a worldwide movement to

reconnect children and naturefor their health and well-being and the health of the Earth

itself. C&NN builds awareness, provides access to state-of-the art resources, supports thegrassroots with tools and strategies, develops publicaons and educaonal materials,

synthesizes the best available research, and encourages collaboraon to heal the broken

bond between children and nature. C&NN is a 501c3 non-prot organizaon.

Global Village Media promotes global con-

necons and global cizenship through the

producon of documentary lms and other

media.

American MastersJohn Muir in the New World is made possible by the support of theNaonal En-

dowment for the Humanies. Addional funding provided by Floyd and Delores Jones Foundaon,

The Russell Family Foundaon, RSF Global Community Fund-Roger Jordan Fund, Italo Bredo, Wisconsin

Humanies Council, Craig McKibben & Sarah Merner, Walter Henry Freygang Foundaon, Billings and

John E. Cay III. Funding forAmerican Masters provided by The Naonal Endowment for the Arts, Cor-

poraon for Public Broadcasng, Rosalind P. Walter, The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundaon, Rolf and

Elizabeth Rosenthal, Cheryl and Philip Milstein Family, Jack Rudin, The Andre and Elizabeth KerteszFoundaon, Michael & Helen Shaer and PBS.
http://www.childrenandnature.org/http://www.childrenandnature.org/http://www.globalvillagemedia.org/http://www.globalvillagemedia.org/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/http://www.neh.gov/http://www.neh.gov/http://www.neh.gov/http://www.neh.gov/http://www.neh.gov/http://www.neh.gov/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/http://www.globalvillagemedia.org/http://www.childrenandnature.org/

John Muir in the New World House Party Guide

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