Love the outdoors? I’ve got just the thing.
June, a month whose arrival is celebrated by school-age children nationwide, doesn’t just mean the end of classes.
It means the unofficial beginning of outdoors season. June is Great Outdoors Month, and it’s overflowing with reasons to head outside to celebrate our beautiful country.
President Barack Obama, in his official proclamation of June as Great Outdoors Month, explained the role every American — and therefore every Scout and Scouter — plays in protecting nature.
“This month, as we enjoy the natural splendor of our nation, let us stay true to a uniquely American idea — that each of us has an equal stake in the land around us, and an equal responsibility to protect it. Together, let us ensure our children and grandchildren will be able to look upon our lands with the same sense of wonder as all the generations that came before.”
That’s a challenge met by packs, troops, teams, posts, ships and crews 12 months out of the year.
States have joined the fun, too. Governors of 42 states have issued official proclamations for the month, including Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, pictured signing the proclamation above. Some governors have even made videos; check out Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe’s video below as a great example.
The Boy Scouts of America is one of many key partners in Great Outdoors Month. Here are just a few of the month’s highlights:
Great Outdoors Month highlights
June 1-8: National Fishing and Boating Week
June 7: American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day
June 13: Georgia’s Capital Campout (Sweetwater Creek State Park in Lithia Springs)
June 14: National Marina Day
June 14: National Get Outdoors Day
June 14: Colorado’s Capital Campout
June 14: Washington State’s Capital Campout (Governor’s mansion)
June 28: National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Backyard Camp-Out
Find even more ideas on the Great Outdoors Month website
Arkansas’ official proclamation
Great Outdoors Month poster
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