Get Phoenixville Outdoors: Join the Discover the Forest Challenge

The red and golden leaves along the Schuylkill River are gorgeous this time of year and compelling enough to tempt anyone off the couch. Time to lace up dusty hiking boots and experience the cool crisp air and lovely hiking trails. The Fall is a great time to enjoy the great outdoors with family and friends. 

And, did you know how much being outside helps children? Research shows that children who play outside have lower stress levels and more active imaginations. They become leaner and more fit and come to appreciate the nature they may need to help protect.

Right now, you could get rewarded for submitting your own ideas for helping others get outdoors through “Discover the Forest's Get Your Community Outdoors!” Challenge. The U.S. Forest Service, The Wilderness Society and the Ad Council are coming together to present this challenge on GOOD Maker, a crowd-sourcing tool to promote community activism and make good things happen.

Ideas are needed about how you can inspire your friends and neighbors to escape their stress and discover the great outdoors. One Grand Prize Winner will receive $1,000 to bring their idea to life as well as a $500 Frontier Airlines voucher to escape to the forest of their choice for a vacation. 

Challenge Details:

• Submit an idea from October 16, 2012 to November 13, 2012 (noon, PT).
• Include a photo or video that represents your idea. Photos should be in JPG, PNG, or GIF format,at least 570 × 345 pixels and no larger than 10MB. To include a video, use a YouTube URL.
• Write at least 3-5 sentences that explain how you would inspire your community to escape andenjoy nature.
• Only US-based organizations and individuals are eligible to apply. Applicants must be 13 years of age or older.
• Full Contest Rules: (discovertheforest.maker.good.is)
• Ideas will be posted for public voting November 14 - November 30, 2012.
• Rally your colleagues and friends to vote for your entry.
• One Grand Prize Winner will receive $1,000 to activate their idea during the months of Dec. 1, 2012 - December 2013.

Join the conversation via http://www.facebook.com/discovertheforest or visit www.discovertheforest.org and www.wilderness.org to learn more. To encourage others to join, send a tweet about #CommunityEscapeChallenge @GOODmkr

DiscoverTheForest.org, a PSA campaign developed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Ad Council, helps families experience nature and offers ideas for where to go and what to do.