Mount Vernon Optic-Herald

The statistics are staggering. Kids now spend an average of 45 hours a week, more time than their parents spend at work, in front of a computer or television screen.
It’s time to turn off the TV, power down the laptop, and get back outside. It’s time for Nature Challenge 2011.
Like a family nature hike with a little “Amazing Race” thrown in, the contest is designed to help families across Texas get reconnected with each other and the outdoors.
“We hope to instill environmental awareness in kids and families through hands-on activities rather than brochures and lectures,” said Dr. Melanie Kirk, assistant professor and urban forestry specialist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and co-founder of the program.
The contest calls for families to visit designated nature sites across the region in which they live and complete missions at each site. The families completing the most missions are eligible for a grand prize.
Coordinated by Texas Forest Service and Texas AgriLife Extension, the competition is sponsored regionally in six areas, Dallas - Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Davis and the Coastal Bend, throughout the year.
Closing ceremonies will be held July 17, 2011, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Heard Museum.
For more information about Nature Challenge 2011, visit http://naturechallenge.tamu.edu.