Plant Seeds Now for a "Greener" Generation
BY ELLEN L. O'SULLIVAN, Ph.D., CLP

Youth have always been considered "our future," but will these future adults care about the environment? The key is to influence early these influential (and spendthrift) youngsters.
THE GREENING OF AMERICA
Parks, open space and outdoor recreation remain important components of life for Ameriicans as evidenced by continued participation and spending patterns...

The National Gardening Association reports that the number of households that bought gardening tools rose more than 80% between 1986 and 1996 to 13.8 million. Interest in gardening cuts across all age groups with 38% of gardeners being age 50 or older; 45% ages 30 to 49; and 17% ages 18 to 29.

Wheaties, the breakfast cereal of champions, has broken with its sports celebs tradition and will feature the Wal-Mart Angler of the Year on its newest box. According to the American Sportfishing Association, more people fish than play golf and tennis combined, with America's 35.3 million anglers spending $38 billion directly on fishing trips and gear. That figure is up from $24 billion in 1991.

Expenditures by our country's wildlife watchers increased 57% from 1991 to a total of $570 per person for supplies and equipment and an additional $440 (up 42% in constant 1996 dollars) on travel related to the activity (1996 National Survey for Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation)

GROWING UP GREEN
This greening of America relates to the important role that parks and outdoor recreation can and has played in the lives of young people. A recent Roper Starch Worldwide survey found that adults for whom outdoor recreation was important as a child are now more satisfied with their family life, leisure activities, career choices and the general overall quality of their lives. The connection between participation and appreciation of outdoor recreation holds across various levels of education.

KIDS HAVE CLOUT (AND CA$H)
That old adage about children being seen and not heard apparently doesn't apply to todays children, whose voices and preferences influence where people eat and vacation as well as groceries purchased and videos rented. They also have unprecedented purchasing power.

According to the Toy Manufacturers of America, children ages 5 to 14:
• spent $27 billion in 1997
• directly influenced $117 billion in purchases, and
• indirectly influenced an additional $400 billion

Personal spending for this age group is projected at $67 billion by 2001. Current teen spending figures add up to $108 billion with projections of $136 billion by 2001 (Intercep Research)

Fifty-seven percent of adults who travel with children say children are influential when it comes to choice of destinations for pleasure trips (YP&B Yankelovich 1997 National Travel Monitor)

Major corporations have tapped into this trend and focus products and advertising toward children. Chevrolet has run ads for its new minivan in Sports Illustrated for Kids. Visa sponsored an art contest for elementary school children with trips to the Olympics as prizes. Dayrunner, the maker of time management products, recently created day planners featuring Mickey Mouse and other cartoon characters.

It is projected by the year 2005 that up to 60 percent of the population will be between the ages of 3 and 17 years. (U.S. Census)

38 ¦ Illinois Parks and Recreation

PLANT SEEDS NOW FOR A 'GREENER' GENERATION

A KINDER, GENTLER, SOFTER-SELLING NATION
It could be the aging of the population or the coming of the new millennium, but for whatever reasons the mood in the country seems to be shifting somewhat, as evidenced by a number of changes...

For the first time in decades, the number of people moving from rural areas to urban areas has reversed itself. U.S. counties classified as nonmetropolitan picked up nearly 3 million people seeking a simpler, more neighborly lifestyle, far away from the maddening crowds.

Nike has replaced its "Just Do It" advertising slogan for "I Can." This shift in approach downplays the role of the high-priced, professional athletes and features amateur athletes and everyday people.

Hallmark Cards has introduced a new line of cards called "Thinking of You," which provides people with support and encouragement for a variety of life's new challenges such as downsizing and terminal illness.

Storytelling as opposed to strict sports competition coverage became the new look of the Olympics with Jim Nantz, a CBS sports veteran, describing his role as tour guide/storyteller, not sportscaster.

Kellogg's Special K has dropped its commercials featuring thin women squeezing into tight jeans and replaced them with a "Reshape Your Attitude" campaign, shifting from a thin and beautiful to active and healthy message.

Barry Feig, marketing consultant and author of Marketing Straight to the Heart, has identified "hot buttons" that reflect the current and emerging emotional and psychological needs of people. These factors can be linked directly to behavior and participation patterns. Feig's hot buttons include the following 15 factors:
• desire for control
• revaluing
• excitement of discovery
• being better than others
• family values
• need for belonging
• fun, novelty, stimulation
• value of time
• getting the best you can get
• being the best you can be
• continued interest in sexuality
• nurturing
• chance for a clean slate
• perception of personal intelligence
• self nuturance and the ability to stay ageless and immortal

PATTERNS & PREFERENCES
The small number of Generation Xers entering childbearing years along with the sizable number of baby boomers finishing those years signals the end of the mini baby boom.

Over the past 20 years, older Americans (ages 65 and older) have increased the time they spend watching television to 26.7 hours per week and decreased the time they spend cleaning the house to 13.2 hours per week (Americas Use of Time Project. University of Maryland)

The top five daydreams of American adults include being rich (54%), traveling the world (43%), the future (39%), being smart (34%), and having a better job (32%) (Roper Starch Worldwide)

The average U.S. worker lost almost a day of paid vacation between 1987 and 1997, according to a study by Boston consulting firm Primark Decision Economics. Currendy, the average American receives 11.37 days of paid vacation, down from 12.17 in 1987.

ELLENL. O'SULLIVAN, Ph.D, CLP
is the president of leisure Lifeslyte Consulting of Glastonbury, Conn., specializing in support for the service industry in reaching and retaining customers through leisure experiences and lifestyle connections. Comments or suggestions about the column can be made by contacting her at 860.633.3652 or ellenosull@aol.com.

THE CHALLENGE OF THE NEXT 100 YEARS

A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION AND CONFERENCE

This is the 100th Anniversary of parks and recreation as a profession, marking the occasion in 1898 when park superintendents from the greater Boston area first gathered in Boston, Mass., to discuss mutual concerns. One hundred years ago the greatest challenges of the movement were open space and children. Today the profession faces similar challenges.

Let the recent research by Roper Starch Worldwide that reinforced the importance of outdoor recreation in the development of children (see page 38) serve as our challenge for the start of the next 100 years.

Start now by taking time to review your summer plans for children and create additional ways to inject more outdoor recreation activities into that picture.

The National Recreation and Park Association celebrates 100 years of public parks in 1998 with a kickoff conference held in early March in Boston, Mass. The graphic opposite is the event's logo.

March/April 1998 ¦ 39