When people talk about the disconnect between children and nature (if they are old enough to remember a time when outdoor play was the norm), they usually begin by telling stories about their own childhoods: their tree house or fort, their special woods or ditch or creek or meadow.

Whatever our political or religious background, none of us wants to see that sense of wonder, that connection to the larger world, fade from childhood. This is why the work that Greater Cincinnati's Leave No Child Inside campaign is doing is so vital to the future of the Cincinnati region, and to the country. By bringing parents, grandparents and nonprofit and business organizations together around this issue, Cincinnati leaders are showing the way to give the gift of nature to children.