Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Nature Nuts!

Nature Nuts Kick-Off With a Goal of Half a Million Kids Outdoors


On the eve of Earth Day week (April 22nd), The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) and its Foundation formally kicked off its newest program, Nature Nuts, at Hemlock Overlook Regional Park on Friday, April 15th. Over 100 fifth graders from Herndon Elementary School joined NVRPA, the Foundation, Supervisor Pat Herrity and Dominion Virginia Power to kick-off this program, which focuses on engaging children with nature. The Northern Virginia Regional Park Foundation subsidized the trip for Herndon Elementary as part of the Nature Nuts program, and each child received a Nature Nuts t-shirt.

Richard Louv launched a national movement to better engage children with nature through his best-selling book Last Child in the Woods. Nature Nuts is a regional program that seeks to provide a meaningful outdoor experience to half a million children over the next five years throughout Northern Virginia. “A big part of the mission of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority is to ‘foster an understanding of the relationship between people and their environment,’ and the Nature Nuts program is going to be central to our efforts in this area,” remarked Paul Gilbert, NVRPA Executive Director. “Children today are spending less time in nature and far too much time in front of a screen. Our goal is to counter this trend,” continued Gilbert.

By engaging this many children in nature, this program will have a positive effect through education, health benefits and interaction and education of the environment. The Foundation has set up the Nature Nuts fund, which will support activities that further the goals of the program, including:

Grants to help elementary schools defray the costs of field trips to Hemlock Overlook;

Grants to help send kids to camps like the Junior Naturalist Camp at Potomac Overlook or Camp Grow at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens;

Expansion of NVRPA’s Roving Naturalist Program;

Facility improvements at youth camping sites;

Expansion of rental kayak and canoe operations;

Promotional materials and efforts to get children involved in Nature Nuts.

Nature Nuts will offer great programs and opportunities to reconnect children with the outdoors. Supervisor Pat Herrity reminisced that when he was a child they would spend all day riding their bikes and exploring and playing in parks and natural areas. Times have changed, but the need for children to have unstructured time in nature is just as strong today, but with fewer opportunities.



Currently 85,000 children a year explore nature through the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Through a combination of child-focused programs and family outdoor activities, children are exploring the natural world at the regional parks. This program will build on this base and address barriers that keep children from having these opportunities.



48,000 children camp in NVRPA parks, nearly 3,000 through youth organizations like scouting and 45,000 through family camping.

Close to 10,000 connect with nature while boating in Regional Parks, over 1,200 local high school students row on the Occoquan Reservoir, and over 8,500 use rented kayaks or canoes or are boating with friends and family on boats they launch at a Regional Park.

Over 15,000 children go through the adventure course run by Adventure Links at Hemlock Overlook Regional Park.

Over 13,000 children learn about nature from an NVRPA naturalist or park staff as part of a children-focused nature education program.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Lead Like a General


I just published my first book. It is a leadership book that takes examples from the American Civil War. Most of the examples were also drawn from local history focused in the Northern Virginia Region. Although not explicitly about the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, many of NVRPA's parks figure into these storys.

Combining the best in modern research on leadership with real life examples from the American Civil War, Lead Like a General will help people in any field hone their leadership abilities. Using many engaging and untold stories of a day-in-the-life of a Civil War leader, this book shows how the research on leadership styles, organizational structure, brain dominance and other related fields can be seen in the actions of these historical figures. A must read for those interested in developing their leadership abilities, as well as those looking for new insights into some of the leaders, both north and south, from this pivotal period of history.

Here is what some leaders are saying about this book:

"Paul Gilbert has captured the essence of the best leadership, merging his personal experience with seldom-heard histories of Civil War generals. He offers powerful precepts for those who must lead today."


Donald S. Beyer, Jr. U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Former Lt. Governor of Virginia



"The American Civil War shaped modern America more than any other event since the American revolution. The length and scope of the civil war tested the leadership of Americans from both the North and South. Both sides learned that leadership is an essential foundation to success. Paul Gilbert's new book explains how leadership shaped events in the war and how these lessons apply to life today."

Brig General John W. Douglass USAF (ret) Former Assistant Secretary of the Navy



“Paul Gilbert’s Lead Like a General combines some of the best thinking on leadership with some of the tactics and strategies of the best Generals in the Civil War. So if you’re a history buff, you’ll enjoy the read. If you’re interested in leadership you’ll also enjoy it. And if you’re a bit of both, as am I, you’ll love it! ”

Dr. Steve Gladis Executive Coach, Leadership Development & Motivational Speaker and Professor, and author of 16 books on leadership and communication



“Paul Gilbert is a leader in public lands, and historic preservation and in Lead Like a General the sites of Civil War actions are part of the story. Gilbert does a great job of capturing the drama of this time, the key lessons and the important places that helped make America what it is today.”

Cate Magennis Wyatt President of Journey Through Hallowed Ground



“Paul Gilbert closely examines universal leadership traits, and offers sound advice for what it takes to be a successful leader. He reminds us that effective leaders focus on their natural skills and use them to their best advantage.”

Dennis H. Treacy Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, and Chief Sustainability Officer Smithfield Foods, Inc.

For more information on this book, or to order your copy go to Amazon Books:

http://www.amazon.com/Lead-Like-General-Paul-Gilbert/dp/0615434460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302548540&sr=1-1