The recent Governor's Conference on Youth and the Natural World drew together 350 educators, health and recreation professionals and parents to discuss how Maine could advance the grassroots "No Child Left Inside" movement.

Sparked by the best-selling book, "Last Child in the Woods," this movement seeks to ensure that children "experience life, not watch life," reversing a decades-long trend in which American children have become increasingly estranged from the natural world -- spending (on average) 30 hours in front of screens each week and developing epidemic rates of obesity, depression and attention-deficit disorder.

Many currents in American culture are sweeping children further from immediate experiences in nature:

* Frenetic lifestyles that leave families little unstructured time.

* Technological devices from which it's hard to unplug.

* Powerful advertising forces that affect children from preschool on.

* Sprawling suburbs that make safe biking and walking difficult.

* Loss of undeveloped areas where children can play near their homes.

* A perception of danger from strangers.

* Diminished in-person communities and increased online ones.

* That flickering blue light in 99 percent of American homes -- television.

Countering these trends and getting kids back outside is no small job, acknowledged conference keynote speaker Larry Selzer, who heads the National Forum on Children and Nature.

But the potential benefits of getting outside that some educators and psychologists tout for children -- reduced stress, enhanced creativity, improved problem-solving and learning, and greater health -- merit the effort.

Selzer recalled how the environmental movement sparked by Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" spread from household to household, creating a "tidal wave of grassroots activism" that dramatically changed public consciousness and legislation.

He called on Maine to stand at the forefront of this new effort to "...take seriously our stewardship responsibilities for our most precious natural resource -- our children."

That leadership will require building alliances among those most concerned with children (such as pediatricians, teachers, parents, public health advocates, counselors and camp leaders) and those who can help reconnect people with nature (such as land trusts, outfitters, park personnel and proponents of outdoor recreation).

Communities in Maine could begin by holding discussion forums bringing together representatives of these two groups to identify strategies for change.

Children depend upon access to nearby nature so land conservation is an integral part of the No Child Left Inside movement. Fortunately, 100 local land trusts work throughout Maine, and Maine voters have boosted prospects for future generations through consistent support of land conservation programs.

While much of children's contact with nature comes outside of school, presenters spoke about the need for Maine's Learning Standards to address ecological literacy, support outdoor recess and strengthen school-ground greening projects (like the many exemplary efforts organized by non-profit conservation group Portland Trails).

Conference presenters had a simple message for parents: limit screen time (see www.tvturnoff.org) and encourage your children to engage in free play outside. (Organized sports, while helping with fitness, don't offer all the mental, emotional and social benefits that come from imaginative play that children themselves direct.)

What presenters did not say, but should have, is that each teacher and parent leads by example. We can't get children outdoors unless we venture there ourselves.

Are we ourselves willing to unplug from technology for a while and get outdoors? Are we aware of our surroundings and caring well for them? Are we sharing with others our own passion for the place we live?

The best hope for children disconnected from the natural world may lie with those of us willing to rediscover the wonders of nature ourselves -- and then invite a child along for that journey of a lifetime.

Marina Schauffler is an environmental writer and consultant in Camden.