The Complete Angler - Chapter 3

James Prosek (artist/writer), Fritz Mitchell (producer/editor) and Peter Franchella (cinematographer) produced a Peabody Award winning film documenting Prosek’s travels in the footsteps of the 17th century English writer, Izaak Walton.

Way Upstream now brings you Part 3 of the mini-series - The Complete Angler. In this chapter James fishes a tributary of the Thames in London that Walton fished three hundred and fifty years before, the River Lea. Walton was forced out of London during the English Civil War and returned to the pastoral beauty of his homeland in Derbyshire and the beautiful River Dove in the Peak District.

Way Upstream Productions Copyright 2008

Wading into position

High water. Slick bedrock. Cobble like greased bowling balls. Riverwalker Wading Boots built their reputation in the most demanding wading conditions. They feature great flexibility, fast dry times and are lighter weight than most of what's out there in the water. Notched flex zones allow for more natural foot movement and a polypropylene insole/shank offers stability. But don’t let the comfort fool you—these are tough boots for serious wading. Details: molded EVA midsole, synthetic leather and polyester, 100% recycled, high filtration mesh uppers and protected lacing. Riverwalkers come in three sole choices: resoleable felt; tungsten-carbide studded; and sticky rubber. Engineered to accommodate neoprene stocking-foot waders. Felt • 1,108 g (39.1 oz) pair, Felt/Studded • 1,213 g (42.8 oz) pair, Sticky Rubber • 1,037 g (36.6 oz) pair

Fabric
Strong, lightweight, 100% recycled, high-filtration polyester mesh, synthetic leather upper, with nylon/spandex neoprene in tongue and polypropylene insole board. Full-length molded EVA Rockstopper midsole

Features

• Wide last is engineered to accommodate a neoprene foot wader without constriction
• Tough, durable, quick-drying materials and construction
• Padded ankle support
• Sculpted flex zones for improved flexibility
• Compression molded EVA midsole and polypropylene insole/shank combination provide excellent torsional rigidity, support, protection from stone bruising; creates a stable platform without sacrificing flexibility
• High-filtration mesh keeps out more sand and silt and drains quickly
• Protected lacing loops with two speed lace hooks at the top
• Padded insole for comfort and arch support
• Stout, reinforced toebox and heel counter
• Molded rubber toe bumper provides abrasion resistance
• Sole designed to hold fin straps for float tubers and kickboaters
  

Outsoles:

Felt: Long-wearing, polyester wool felt sole is bonded to a rubber carrier and stitched on for added insurance

Felt/Studded: Felt soles studded with tungsten-carbide tips embedded in a dual rubber layer to prevent wobble. The felt is also stitched on for added insurance

Sticky Rubber: Star-patterned sticky rubber sole provides excellent multi-directional traction and no grit, mud, debris or snow pick up. This outsole can also be customized into a "studded" bottom with several after market solutions.

All outsoles can be resoled

Color
Marsh Green synthetic leather with Sage Khaki mesh

"Lunch" photo by Brian Bennett
"Turned tail" photo by John Frankot

Before the runoff

I just returned from a trip to Big Timber, MT. The goals were to get some product testing (both Patagonia and competitor gear) in before the runoff and to work on some new design projects with a designer in Bozeman (more on that later). I couldn't have asked for better conditions. It was nice one minute and a full on snow accumulating blizzard the next (the two inset photos were taken 20 minutes apart). I should clarify that by "nice" I mean that the sun was partially out and the wind wasn't gusting too bad. The temps never really climbed above the mid 40's and it was high 30's on average. Mornings were below freezing and guides did ice up on occasion. Wool grid neoprene (wader booties and gloves), new wader designs, new jackets, new outsole ideas and a host of current gear all were put through the paces.....and the fishing was good too. My companions for the trip were new friends John Frankot and Alistair Stewart. We holed up at the Grand Hotel in Big Timber. We contracted the help of guide Lee Kinsey for a couple of days. He's a wealth of information having grown up in the area. I highly recommend a pre-runoff trip if any of you in the Way Upstream community have the desire. It's good for the soul. Don't forget your warm gear and a range of flies. Size 20 dry bugs and small emergers were just as important as stonefly nymphs and big stuff for exploring the carved out depths.
Photos by El Pescador
"Car Pool" photo by Alistair Stewart

The Complete Angler - Chapter 2

James Prosek (artist/writer), Fritz Mitchell (producer/editor) and Peter Franchella (cinematographer) produced a Peabody Award winning film documenting Prosek’s travels in the footsteps of the 17th century English writer, Izaak Walton.

Way Upstream now brings you Part 2 of the mini-series - The Complete Angler. In this chapter James goes to Ireland to experience what may be the earliest form of fly-fishing, dapping live mayflies impaled on fine-wire hooks for brown trout on the lakes of the Connemara region. He visits with a boy who collects and sells live mayflies to the fishermen, and salmon fishes along the Eriff River.



Way Upstream Productions Copyright 2008

Time to flourish again

By Winter's end, there’s a part of you that can feel like you were plucked from your dinner table and yanked by the mouth into a long struggle with some otherworldly being that grabs you with a big hand and holds you in the air, exposing you to bright lights beyond any you have ever witnessed. But then Spring comes in with its warmth and heals that part of you in an instant. The hand releases you back to your dinner table. A price was paid. Time to flourish again.

Words and photo by El Pescador

Grand River Special

Here's another Jerry Darkes "crossover" fly pattern to share with you. He calls it the Grand River Special. As Jerry puts it, "this is really a glorified Zonker". This fly's color scheme is geared to be productive in the tannic colored water which often happens during Fall rains when the leaves are falling or in cloudy water from Spring runoff. Jerry chases steelhead with this fly but it can also deceive other species like the atlantic salmon pictured above that Jimmy Balogh (Hydrus Expeditions) caught in Canada this past November.

Here's the recipe for the Grand River Special

Hook: Daiichi 2461, #2.
Body: Boa Yarn, also called Eyelash Yarn (you'll probably have to go to a craft store to find it). Use a section where the color transitions. The version pictured goes from yellow to orange.
Wing: Barred sand variant Zonker strip, with some gold Crystal Flash mixed in
Hackle: Gold barred variant schlappen
Head: Smallest gold cone
Atlantic salmon photo courtesy of Jimmy Balogh
Fly photo and contribution by Jerry Darkes

Insect Vision

Here's another image from a growing Tim Borski/El Pescador collection. This is a Warholized shot of Tim's son inspecting and being inspected by a large praying mantis.

Original photo by Tim Borski Image by El Pescador

Riverwalker Vest

Course was set before Spring 2008 to create a 21st Century version of our classic mesh vest, which we introduced way back in ‘87. The result is the Riverwalker Vest (M's & W's). This vest incorporates pack-like storage pockets with detailed vest construction (just try counting all the bar tacks). Convenient, easy-to-use curved and straight coil zippers with two molded pockets offer easy access and a clean, fly-line friendly exterior. The Riverwalker Vest is a lightweight (M's 17.5oz and W's 17oz) and highly functional piece of fishing equipment. Mesh (our signature version) and stretch nylon construction; specifically designed storage for fly boxes, tippet, tools, etc.; integrated attachment points; removable fly patch and built in rod holder are all contained in it's framework. This vest has two center clip adjustments for a more form fit when desired. There are two vertical zippers on either side of the back allowing access without having to take the vest off. There is also a single horizontal pocket on the back intentionally placed high for additional boxes, spare spools, food or whatever. The collar is padded and covered in a wicking and odor resistant looped poly fabric and the shoulder pattern helps support the load. There's also a burly webbing loop placed on the back below the collar for carrying and hanging this vest when loaded. The W's version is designed to have a feminine fit. With all the attention that the Guidewater Vest has received I though it might be a good idea to shed light on it's product line companion. Both M's and W's Riverwalker Vest come in Forge Grey.
Detail photos by Rene Braun
Photo of Chris Owens with taimen courtesy of AEG

The Complete Angler - Chapter 1

Several years ago, James Prosek (artist/writer), Fritz Mitchell (producer/editor) and Peter Franchella (cinematographer) produced a film documenting Prosek’s travels in the footsteps of the 17th century English writer, Izaak Walton—“research” for his senior thesis at Yale. The film focuses on Walton’s book, The Compleat Angler, a book that many have heard of but few have read. Through Ireland and England, Prosek fishes the same rivers and streams that Walton had. He discovers the art of “dapping,” a method of fly-fishing still practiced now, as it was 350 years ago in Walton’s day. He fishes streams flowing under and around London—spring-fed tributaries of the Thames once central to water meadows, but now surrounded by parking lots and high-rise apartment buildings. And he makes his way into the world of private river-ways, fished by the upper-class who own the land through which the rivers flow. He fishes with English gentry, guides and boatmen, discovering a common bond among anglers that erases social barriers.

Izaak Walton was a simple tailor whose genial nature won him the company of kings. Walton was a proto-conservationist who advocated for the pastoral simplicity that the countryside offered. He wrote the Compleat Angler in the mid-1600s during the English Civil War when different Christian denominations were vying for power in London. Through the course of the book, Walton instructs his fishing companion not only in the technical aspects of hooking, cleaning and preparing trout, chub, pike and eels, but in finding spiritual sustenance in the forest, meadow, and on the stream.

Way Upstream now brings you the video mini-series of the original, Peabody Award winning film - The Complete Angler. The mini series will be composed of the seven individual segments that make up the film. Here’s chapter one, where you'll see James leaving Connecticut for Ireland and England, catching a few trout in his home streams and musing about his youth, fishing, and some Waltonian ideals. He visits the library at Yale and examines a first edition of Walton’s Compleat Angler from 1653. Then he sits for a reading of W. B. Yeat’s poem, The Song of Wandering Aengus, by Harold Bloom.

Paintings by James Prosek

Way Upstream Productions Copyright 2008

The hole story

All of us who wear waders have heard of an old saying which goes something like this “Every pair of waders either leaks or is waiting to leak.” Why is this a commonly held belief? It may be because of the fact that we ask waders to allow us to trudge unscathed through brush and thicket containing Mother Nature’s myriad of thorny and pointed creations. Maybe it has something to do with the fact we kneel down on rocky banks and in stream beds with them or sit on whatever we feel like sitting on while wearing them. It may also have something to do with what I call Vampire flies which like to feed on blood. These flies seek to embed themselves into flesh but sometimes (if you’re lucky) they only find your hat, wader or jacket. Barbed wire is a cousin of the Vampire fly and has been known to draw blood but prefers to just tear into stuff. Lastly, this leaky belief could also be connected to how we treat our waders which often means “riding them hard and putting them away wet.” Whatever the reason, leaks do happen even to the best of waders. The good news is that they are often easily repaired (all Patagonia waders come with a repair kit). Patagonia’s Creative and Quality teams have put together a little instruction guide for wader repair that just may prove useful to you someday. Brian Bennett (Fly Fishing Sales Manager) has taken this guide and turned it into a modern day “e-zine” making it accessible and easy to research because rarely do anglers keep all the little pieces of paper and tags that come with new waders. Check it out and may your waders always keep you dry.

Thorn photo by Brian Bennett
Vampire fly photo courtesy of Justin Crump

Let em flow

I spend a fair amount of time in Southern California and have always heard talk of how steelhead once thrived in the ocean flowing coastal rivers of SoCal. The talk is pretty similar to the atlantic salmon stories I've heard in New England. Unfortunately we all no that dams, development, farming practices, poor planning and habitat loss have caused once plentiful species to dwindle or die out. So when Malinda Chouinard forwarded an email from Matt Stoecker I thought it was worth sharing. Here was proof once again of the tenacity of Mother Nature in the face of a formidable opponent - us. Let the following message and pictures serve as a reminder that there is always hope and that we must be part of the solution to environmental crisis.

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them"
- Albert Einstein

Original email from Matt Stoecker (Stoecker Ecological)
March 31, 2008

Hello all,
I wanted to share an amazing experience I had a couple days ago with you. On a small creek near Santa Barbara I had the rare opportunity to spend some time swimming with and documenting the seldom seen southern steelhead. Attached are some of the photos taken. The two adults back from their adventures at sea are in the 26-30 inch range and the small "juvenile" steelhead are possibly ready to head downstream to start their ocean odyssey.

Unfortunately these fish were prevented from being able to migrate upstream to adequate spawning habitat due to a large road crossing barrier that prevents passage. Fortunately, if all goes as planned this barrier will be removed this summer after seven years of studies, designs, permits, landowner agreements, and fundraising from many individuals.

Right now, all over California's watersheds there are thousands of steelhead and salmon stuck below migration barriers us humans have built, many of which are obsolete, poorly planned, and safety hazards in need of replacement or removal so these amazing fish can swim home and our rivers can run free.

Let em flow,
Matt

Photos by Matt Stoecker

Coming Soon

Photo by Tim Borski Movie poster by El Pescador

Trout Season

It’s almost the beginning of trout season. With the stirring of insect and fish comes the preparation of shop, stock, guides and gear. Angling dreams of hatches and takes are mixed with business hopes for ideal water, bookings and revenue. It’s a tangled, intertwined, biological and economic web….and all because of fish. Let the season begin and may your fishy goals be achieved. Feel free to share a season opener comment, story or photo.

Illustration by El Pescador

Footprint Chronicles

The Way Upstream community has been vocal in its appreciation for the transparency that this blog provides with regard to gear for fishing. It has given the community a voice that didn't really exist before. Well Patagonia has taken things a few footsteps further by becoming the first major apparel manufacturer to track and expose the social and environmental impact of building specific products through The Footprint Chronicles, an interactive website that reveals to consumers the good and the bad involved in manufacturing outdoor clothing such as Synchilla fleece vests and rain shells. In a bold move that might make most companies nervous, Patagonia is determined to be candid and forthright about its impact on the environment and created the site to encourage dialog with its customers who are concerned about the environment.

"Our customers are scientists, activists, professors, doctors and more – they have the collective experience and knowledge we’re looking for," said Casey Sheahan (Patagonia CEO). "We’re highlighting exactly what happens in the manufacturing process and asking customers for their suggestions and help in efforts to find solutions to our less sustainable practices. It’s a unique dialogue to engage in – but one that will ultimately allow us to cause less harm to the planet."

According to Jill Dumain, Patagonia’s director of environmental programs, the research involved in developing the Chronicles has proved to actually drive major business decisions at Patagonia. The Chronicles revealed that transportation makes up only about 1 percent of our overall energy use,” said Dumain. “Had we listened to the current media buzz touting transportation as the largest factor in energy consumption, we might have greatly misplaced our efforts by making strides to geographically shorten our supply chain – which would have massively impacted our business financially, logistically and perhaps even effected product quality – and we would only have reduced our energy savings by 1 percent. Instead, we are focusing our energy on areas where we can truly make a difference – right in the heart of the manufacturing process."

The launch of The Footprint Chronicles puts into practice a prototype that hopes to inspire other companies to increase their transparency, and at the very least, raise awareness.

The Footprint Chronicles includes more than 35 filmed interviews and slideshows of factory workers, farmers, owners, designers and third-party auditors to provide an unprecedented level of transparency both internally and externally - from the factories and manufacturing partners that create its products, to the end of the product’s lifespan.

Press release excerpt by Jenn Rapp

Factory photo by Steve Swartzendruber
Footprint photo by Tim Borski

Insulator Pant

Wading can be a little chilly after breakup but there's no need to go numb below the waist just because you fish in cold water. The Insulator Pant serves as a warm buffer between you and your waders. They're made of eco-friendly polyester (51% recycled) double-faced fleece (brushed on both sides for loft and warmth) with a moisture-wicking finish. Details: elasticized waistband with drawcord and a brushed tricot lining, two tricot-lined front pockets, one zippered hip pocket and tapered cuffs for a smooth, low friction underwader fit. They are recyclable through the Common Threads Recycling Program. I know many of you have expressed appreciation for the old El Cap pants. The Insulator Pant was cloned from the rootstock of that classic style.

Photos by Rene Braun

Bird Vise

Tim Borski takes some interesting photos in addition to painting and fly designing. Here's one photo I received that I couldn't help toying with. The image shows Tim's hand holding a bird that flew into his studio with a fly resting next to it. I've created some unusual versions of this image but here is a version that's close to the original. I used Flickr toys Framer to soften the edges and Matte to frame it up "museum style". This is not your average "still life". Maybe a collaborative series will emerge.

Original photo by Tim Borski

Artistic license exercised by El Pescador

Where should I park?

TROUT UNLIMITED announced that its new television program "On the Rise" will begin airing on the Outdoor Channel this spring. Hosted by Telluride, Colorado fly fishing guide, Frank Smethurst, the show will feature some of the best fly fishing around the country. Traveling in an Airstream trailer painted in trout patterns, Frank travels to rivers and streams where TU has made a difference and takes the viewer on a fish-filled journey across America. Those of you who see the current AEG Film Tour will get a glimpse of this project.

Filming continues on the east coast this spring. If you have a suggestion of where Frank should park his trailer alongside a river and cast a few flies, please fill out the online form (click here).

Photo courtesy of Jerry Darkes

Lids

I see pictures from around the world of fisher folk and there is one article of gear that is so uniformly accepted as part of the ceremonial garb of fishers on and off the water that I thought it was worth a post. That piece of gear is the ball cap. I suppose there are many names for it but I think you know what I mean by the term. What I'd like to ask the Way Upstream community is this, What matters most regarding your choice in a lid? Is it six panel design, stretch, size, adjustability, pony tail opening, brim, lining, vents, sentimental value, fabric, logo, shop or brand affiliation or what? Let me know your thoughts on lids.

Photo by El Pescador

No Upwelling

From the Associated Press
March 4, 2008

GRANTS PASS, ORE. -- Scientists examining the sudden and widespread collapse of West Coast salmon returns are pointing to the unusual changes in weather patterns that caused the bottom to fall out of the ocean food web in 2005.

NOAA Fisheries Service oceanographer Bill Peterson said the juvenile salmon that left their native rivers and entered the Pacific Ocean in 2005 found little food being transported by the California Current, which flows from the northern Pacific south along the West Coast.

The reason was that the jet stream had shifted to the south, delaying the spring onset of winds out of the north that create a condition known as upwelling, which kickstarts the ocean food web by stirring the water from bottom to top, the agency said.

If there is no upwelling, there is no phytoplankton growth, no zooplankton growth, and basically you have no food chain that develops, because it all depends on the upwelling," Peterson said.
"We are not dismissing other potential causes for this year's low salmon returns," NOAA Fisheries Service Northwest Science Center Director Usha Varanasi said in a statement. "But the widespread pattern of low returns along the West Coast for (both coho and chinook) salmon indicates an environmental anomaly occurred in the California Current in 2005."

Read the complete article by Jeff Barnard (AP Environmental Writer) - click here

Drawings by Noah Stracqualursi
Flickr illustration by El Pescador

Leap - The Movie

Thanks for the pix. Here's the film inspired by the Leap Day post.

Ray blockers

Sun protective clothing is fast becoming a staple offering from outdoor and fishing retailers. Consumers are more aware of the dangers of UV exposure and see the benefits of UPF rated gear. The Sun Mask (UPF 15) and Sunshade Shirt (UPF 30) are both pictured above on Craig Amacker (Fontana Sports Specialties) while on recent a trip to Ascension Bay. Click on the bold text for more details. One word of caution though, if you wear the Sun Mask for activities other than fly fishing or if you walk into your local gas station or convenience store with it on be ready for some strange looks. On an environmental note, both the Sun Mask and Sunshade Shirt are recylable through the Common Threads recycling program and the Sun Mask is made of 100% recycled polyester.

Photos courtesy of Craig Amacker

Leap Day

February 29th only comes around every four years so it seemed like a post opportunity not to miss. What does Leap Day have to do with fly fishing? That's up to you. Tie some flies, wet a line, change that old backing, make watery plans or just enjoy this extra day in some fishy manner. If you have a Leap Day story I'd love to hear it. If you have a leap inspired picture email it to me. Here's one of Tim Borski as he leaps into Mexican airspace. Photo courtesy of Tim Borski

Old School

February 28th marks the anniversary of the very first Way Upstream post. I would like to thank everyone who has visited and especially those who have joined conversations and made their voices heard over the past year. I consider Way Upstream to be a group effort and I feel fortunate to have a global community of people involved who are willing to gauge risk, share ideas and to take action. Keep it up. Now that Way Upstream has reached the one year milestone do you think this blog can be officially referred to as "old school"?

Jigsaw puzzle

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission released a peer reviewed stock assessment for striped bass for the fishing year 2006. The bottom line of the assessment was that striped bass are not being over fished, although the spawning stock biomass – the total weight of all spawning age fish – has declined each of the last four years, and fishing mortality is at the “target” fishing mortality rate – the maximum rate at which striped bass should be killed by fishermen. In summary, it was decided that no action needed to be taken on striped bass management this year and that the situation would be reviewed again next year.

This information appears designed to reassure the public that all is well with striped bass, but Stripers Forever believes an in depth review is warranted. Their concerns with the stock assessment center on the fluctuations that these statistics have had over the last five or six years, and what they perceive to be the determination by fishery managers to put a positive spin on striped bass stocks in spite of some serious negative indications. To read the complete article click here.

Illustration by El Pescador

Advertising

I've heard a lot of dialogue about advertising over the last few months. As is with most things, opinions vary. I don't have a marketing background but I'm starting to develop preferences. I began to wonder what the Way Upstream community thought about this topic. Here's a look at the latest Watermaster II ad soon to run (full page). Sorry about the low res image. The wader copy reads "Our proprietary fabric and barrier technology is the toughest, most puncture resistant on the market. The waders feature our innovative internal suspender system that allows for relief without removing jacket or vest and provides a measure of safety for unplanned swims." The ad image is a shot from the AEG Mongolian trip. There is a small block of copy (bottom left) that highlights this. It says "The AEG Fish Bums decompress after 16 hours of chasing taimen in Mongolia."

The product shot approach to ads is a bit of a new direction for Patagonia Team Fish. Let me know what you think. I'd be curious to hear any and all thoughts on effective advertising. Are there any memorable ads that stand out for you (any brand)? If there are any marketers out there, feel free to share thoughts on modern day marketing strategies/directions.

Photos by Tim Pask

Dirty Gold

Just in time for Valentine's Day, jewelry retailers are stepping up a campaign that aims to discourage the mining and sale of "dirty gold." A group of jewelry retailers has signed the "Bristol Bay Protection Pledge," which seeks to halt the huge Pebble Mine planned for Alaska's salmon spawning headwaters. Click here to read the LA Times article by staff writer Margot Roosevelt (free registration required). Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Photo by Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times

Guidewater Jacket

I wanted to post a bit more detail on this new jacket since comments have been generated. Here's copy that Dylan Tomine (pictured right) penned for this style, "Pounding into the teeth of a Nor’Easter or swinging tips through the deluge, the Guidewater Jacket keeps you fishing comfortably long after other anglers have headed for the barn. This jacket combines our best knowledge of fabrics, design and technology to create a full-featured piece of angling equipment. Waterproof/breathable, 3-layer stretch nylon along with a longer cut make this the shell of choice for skiff, bayboat and jet sled guides. The ergonomically placed pockets and custom, dual-density “fish pulls” (which vastly improve waterproof reverse-coil zipper function) put everything you need at your fingertips. Tuck-away hood won’t flap in the wind. The brushed-fleece lined collar and handwarmer pockets provide decadent comfort. More fishing-specific details include: glued-in waterproof zippers; mesh pockets, waterproof interior pocket, glued on exterior pocket, zinger/tool daisy chain; rod holder; forceps/glasses loop; modified Stretch Coat cuffs."

Topher Browne (pictured below) has been testing the piece and had this to say about the GWJ, "I tested the new Guidewater Jacket in some particularly nasty conditions during the late Fall in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (sub-freezing air temperatures, driving rain/snow while standing in a 42-degree F. river). The jacket performed flawlessly and gets a major thumbs up."

Photos courtesy of Dylan Tomine and Rene Braun

World Trout

The mission of World Trout is to identify individuals and groups that protect native fish, tell their story and support their conservation efforts. Since its inception in January, 2005 (through March 31, 2007), anglers purchased 41,612 World Trout t-shirts and raised $208,060. World Trout supporters have also been seeking out grassroots groups to donate funds and volunteer their time. Patagonia plans to continue the World Trout efforts which help provide funding for groups who protect fish and enhance natural habitats. Help support grassroots groups in your local areas (fresh and saltwater) by volunteering your time and/or providing financial support. In the case of World Trout, simply buying a limited edition, organic cotton t-shirt can help protect species at home and around the world. Click on the bold text to learn more. Visit a Patagonia Dealer or Patagonia Retail Store near you.

Click here to watch a short video on artist and World Trout co-founder James Prosek.

Teach your children well

First-of-its-kind global study shows "a real and fundamental shift" away from nature
Arlington, VA — February 4, 2008 — New Nature Conservancy-funded research shows that across the U.S. and in other developed nations, people are spending far less time outdoors than ever before. The study will be published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers say this study — the most comprehensive look yet at nature recreation — is a "grim confirmation" of a long-held theory that people, especially children, are spending less time in the great outdoors.

The research builds on earlier studies that showed visits to American national parks were declining, and it illustrates that the problem isn’