National Get Outdoors Day and the Great American Backyard Campout

To hear me talk sometimes, you'd think I live in Australia (the Southern Hemisphere where the seasons are reversed) instead of South Florida. Our oak leaves drop in spring, meaning lots of raking then. We can start planting vegetables and herbs in September. Florida berries are harvested in February.

And we -- meaning my family -- never camp in the summer, preferring December through April or sometimes May.

First of all, summer is freakishly hot and humid. It's the wet season (also known as hurricane season!). Mosquitoes and other bugs are plentiful. These things make camping unpleasant and can be downright dangerous -- one time, my husband and I suffered from heat sickness when we got lost on a trail. And that was during a heat wave in March well before summertime!

Despite our lack of outdoors adventures in the summer, I feel compelled to share the news of two nationwide outdoors events -- for those of you who are more intrepid than we are or who live where summer is actually bearable.

First, today is National Get Outdoors Day. The U.S. Forest Service, Coleman, Clif Bar and other organizations hope people (especially young people) will explore public lands. I think this is the first year of this event, so there are only 62 official locations across the country hosting National Get Outdoors Day events. But if you're looking for something to do today/this weekend, check out the site and look for fun happenings near where you live.

Then on June 27, thousands of people will participate in the Great American Backyard Campout. Run by the National Wildlife Federation, the Campout is a way to help get kids interested in nature. At the site, you can get camping tips and checklists, find parks and campgrounds near where you live and even register your own personal campout. Even if you can't do it on June 27, camping is a fun outdoors activity to do with your family or a group of friends.

For me, I'm thinking maybe March 2010....