Beth Cranford fundraising for Imagine the Change

Imagine a world without nature.

Imagine a world where children do not climb trees, build clubhouses, watch shooting stars, go fishing, or exploring in the woods. Or worse yet, imagine a world without backyard camping trips, searching for crawdads, or playing in the creek. Unfortunately, that is the future we are headed toward. Our children are one of the first generations to grow up almost entirely indoors, spending up to 27% of their time in front of screens and only 1% outdoors. Our children suffer from increased obesity, asthma, ADD, and allergies more than any other generation. In addition, they are increasingly detached from the natural world; they do not understand how natural systems work or even where their food comes from. How can we expect them to inherit and address the vast issues facing our world today, if they cannot understand the importance of sustainably managing our resources?

If you've interacted with me, you know that I'm passionate about both the environment and children.  It is only through educating people of all ages to make responsible decisions about the environment that we will be able to make progress towards preserving the environment.

Funding for Environmental Educators of North Carolina is especially critical right now.  The Every Student Succeeds Act (replaces No Child Left Behind) includes provisions for funding environmental education.  With your help, EENC can become a key participant in this national opportunity and have a deep impact upon North Carolina's future.

We are asking you to give to environmental education so we can imagine a world where our children are surrounded by environmental education. Help us to give today’s children those same experiences and help us to grow better stewards of the environment. If you have a past experience that helped shape your love for and commitment to protecting our world, please pay it forward by supporting our mission.