July Newsletter
NATGEN NEWS | July 2021
News and Updates about Inspiring Environmental Stewards from The Nature Generation
Green Earth Book
Award Winners

In May we announced our Green Earth Book Award winners for 2021. We are so proud that each year our environmental award grows. For this cycle, we had over 190 submissions in four categories. Our panel of judges deliberatively read and scored each book using comprehensive criteria we have developed over our 15-year history. Getting down to the winners is never easy. There are so many worthy books to award. We hope that when you peruse our list of Winning books you will also look over the Honor books and Recommended reading. There are so many valuable books that the children and young people in your life will enjoy.

This year, we encourage everyone to purchase GEBA books from small, independent book stores online or the local book seller in your community. If you do purchase on Amazon, order a used book as those often come from smaller bookstores (and usually cost less too).

We will be highlighting our four Winning books and authors in NatGen News and social media throughout the summer.
Make Every Day Earth Day
Olivia Walton, NatGen Environmental Educator
Even though Earth Day 2021 has come and gone, it is important to keep the spirit of it alive all year long! Earth Day is a wonderful time to celebrate all of the amazing ways nature lights up our lives, and focus on the many ways the Earth needs our help. For July, we have created an activity that can turn any day into Earth Day. And, in order for our Earth to heal and go forward it is up to all of us to think of every day as a day to protect the Earth.

This month's lesson plan gets kids outside to feed birds. It also provides some simple, but important, tips to help keep up the Earth Day spirit all year.
NatGen's Summer 2021 Reading List
Every summer, NatGen compiles reading lists using our Green Earth Book Award book titles. This summer's first list is all about the ocean.

The ocean covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface, so understanding how vital it is and taking care of it is something we all need to pass on to our children and young people. A great way to teach is through books and reading. This list contains titles that focus on the ocean as our greatest resource. These books offer suggestions on how to help clean the ocean up and some inspirational stories about keeping it healthy. Enjoy our Summer Reading List!
NatGen Seed Grants Are Coming Back

We are excited to announce the reinstatement of NatGen Seed Grants this fall - just in time for back-to-school and a return to in-person learning. These mini grants (awards of up to $750 will be made) can be used to fund small-scale projects at schools, community centers, museums, and other non-profits. Projects must be inspired by or incorporate Green Earth Book Award books in some way.

Seed Grants can help bridge a funding gap in an ongoing project or fund something entirely new. We are looking for creative ways for entities to engage our GEBA books and teach kids or young people along the way. And, we love projects run by kids and encourage all applicants to engage children in the efforts.

The grant period will open August 15 and run through October 15. More information can be found on our website or join our mailing list for updates.
New NatGen Website

Have you visited our new website yet? It's user-friendly with streamlined information. It is full of pictures, books, and resources for teachers, students, parents, kids, educators, and anyone! Please visit.
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April Newsletter
Make a Pledge this Earth Day
We share the planet, we share its bounty, and we share in its care. This Earth Day--Thursday April 22--make your individual/ family/ community/ corporate pledge and share it on NatGen’s Facebook page for all to see.

Tag us with the hashtag: #earthdaypledge
Here are NatGen’s top 10 Earth Day pledges, plus one :

  1. Drive less —limit your car trips to five times a week; walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation
  2. Conserve water —turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth, use your dishwasher rather than wash by hand but make sure you have a full load, and plant native drought resistant plants in your garden
  3. Make the Rs part of your lifestyle —reduce, recycle, reuse, and repurpose and cut down on plastic
  4. Switch lights —make the switch to LEDs and long-lasting bulbs, and turn off lights in rooms as you leave
  5. Plant trees and native plants —create habitats and hosts for pollinators; it also helps to clean the air
  6. Try composting —piles, barrels, and tumblers for rural and urban settings are all available; compost is like liquid gold for your garden and plants
  7. Eat local support local —cut down on transportation costs as you purchase from local stores and farm markets; try to plan and eat seasonally
  8. Cut down on plastic —use refillable bottles for coffee, water, and other beverages
  9. Bag it!— bring your own reusable bags and bag your own groceries and other items when you shop
  10. Vote —use the power of your voice and your commitment to the planet (and our one home) by asking elected officials to take a stand for current and future generations

Plus…donate to The Nature Generation so we can reach more kids, donate more books, and fund more STEM seed grants.

We invite you to participate in our 48-hour Flash Fundraiser starting on Earth Day, April 22. We received a $1,000 match, so please consider donating to NatGen this Thursday or Friday so we can meet our match!
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