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28 CoNNECTICUT GREEN GUIDE • WinTer 2014 www.CTGreenGuide.com ADvoCATE CoRNER Digging In Businesses and residents need to spend more time outdoors By Eric Hammerling C onservation organizations don't come any more homegrown than the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, the first nonprofit conservation organization established in Connecticut, in 1895. At the time of CFPA's formation, there were no state parks or state forests in Connecticut. Now there are more than 255,000 acres of land conserved by the state for this purpose. There was no Yale School of Forestry or any other professional forestry schools, and Connecticut's forests were mostly utilized as raw materials for fire, charcoal, or building rather than as habitats for wildlife, filter for water quality, or places to recreate. To promote forests and the beauty of Connecticut's outdoors, CFPA and its volunteers established and con- tinue to maintain the Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails, which today extend across 825 miles and connect 96 towns. These trails — and the many private, municipal, and state landowners who host them — provide an amazing gift to the people of Connecticut and help fulfill CFPA's mission to connect people to the land. The unfortunate trend in Connecticut and across the U.S. is that people are becoming less connected to the out- doors. Disconnection from the land is this generation's big conservation challenge, and CFPA is digging in physically, educationally, and financially to meet this challenge head- on. According to the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (2012), "U.S. children today likely spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation." Referenc- ing adults, Dr. Trevor Hancock at the University of Victoria School of Public Health states, "The average North Ameri- can now spends approximately 90 percent of the time indoors, 5 percent in cars, and only 5 percent outdoors." These statistics are sobering, but there are hope- ful signs that many people want to live near trails and beautiful open spaces. According to a 2008 National Association of Home Builders study, "Trails consistently remain the No. 1 amenity sought by prospective home- owners." The latest Connecticut State Comprehen- sive Outdoor Recreation Plan emphasizes that people desire trails more than any other recreational amenity. Business leaders also cite a combination of economic, health, and quality of life environmental benefits that bring them to or keep them in Connecticut. At CFPA, we recognize the need to stir the hearts of both young and old to want to take part in both us- ing and preserving the forests, parks, and trails that so many CFPA members, partners, and volunteers helped build, protect, and manage over the past century. Pro- viding transformative outdoors experiences and the tools, like online interactive trail maps, will not only awaken the interest of all ages, but we hope will inspire a new generation to dig in and take their rightful place as conservation leaders. Eric hammerling is the executive director of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association in middlefield. The Experts