COLUMBUS, OH - Central Ohio children and their families are invited to participate in the May 10 kickoff of "Explore the Outdoors," a statewide campaign that challenges children - especially those in grades K-5 - to get outside and reconnect with their natural world.

The beach at Alum Creek State Park in Delaware County will host a series of kickoff activities beginning at 1 p.m. that Saturday, including fishing demonstrations (a limited number of free rods and reels will be distributed to participants), canoeing, a wildflower hike, beach football, sand treasure hunt and kite flying. The event will conclude with a brief ceremony at 2:30 p.m. with speakers First Lady Frances Strickland and Sean D. Logan, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Area families are encouraged to join in the outdoor fun.

The first of nearly 800,000 "Explore the Outdoors" Activity Guides will be distributed to kickoff attendees. The 34-page, full-color guides list 10 outdoor activities for children to complete by September 1. Activities include catching a fish, hiking/biking a trail, exploring a wetland, learning from a naturalist and paddling a scenic river. The guide also lists various locations around Ohio to complete the activities. A code for each activity will be posted at these locations throughout the summer. Once an activity is completed, the child may enter the appropriate code in the guide.

When eight of the 10 activities are completed, a child can visit a special "Explore the Outdoors" Web site and enter the appropriate codes to receive a certificate of completion from Governor Ted Strickland. The first 1,000 children who obtain a certificate, will also be eligible to receive a Coleman mini companion lantern.

ODNR partners lending support to the campaign include the National Park Service, Audubon Ohio, Wayne National Forest, Leave No Child Inside - Columbus and Cincinnati, the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association, Ohio Metro and County Parks and the state departments of Health and Education.
Sponsors contributing to the activity guide include the American Heart Association and Coleman. Gander Mountain will provide the youth fishing demonstration for the launch event.

Additional information about the campaign is available by e-mailing explore@dnr.state.oh.us .