NEWS RELEASE USDA Forest Service Washington, D.C.
Release No. 1117	Contact:	Press Office (202) 205-1134 Twitter: @forestservice

Descubre El Bosque Makes Debut Online (Haga Click Aqui para versión en español)

US Forest Service, Ad Council join forces with Hispanic Communications Network to expand reach of Discover the Forest website with a Spanish-language version

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2011 – The U.S. Forest Service and the Ad Council recently unveiled Descubre El Bosque, the Spanish-language version of the popular on-line educational website that helps children become better prepared to experience the wonders of nature.

“We want to make playing in the dirt and learning about nature fun again for all kids,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “By presenting one of the more popular conservation education sites in a Spanish version, we enhance our ability to reach out to more young people and help instill a lifelong appreciation of our forests and America’s great outdoors.”

The Discover the Forest campaign uses online activities to encourage young people to be curious and thoughtful about what forests have to offer. By using the website, young people will learn how to photograph nature, identify animal tracks and sounds, and use a compass – all of which provides a head start on enjoying outdoor discovery.

The Forest Service worked with the Hispanic Communications Network to develop Descubre El Bosque (Discover the Forest), which fits with two key priorities of President Obama’s administration.

President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative seeks to connect people to the outdoors and creates partnerships between the federal government and American communities on locally led conservation issues that protect outdoor spaces and make them accessible to American families. The Let's Move Outside! campaign, launched by First Lady Michelle Obama, sets a goal of solving childhood obesity through outdoor activities and healthier lifestyles.

The Hispanic Communication Network (HCN) has more than 200 affiliated radio stations and 100 newspapers that serve the Latino community nationwide and produce media campaigns that blend television, radio, print and Internet elements to open doors of opportunity for the nation’s largest minority group.

The Ad Council is a private, national non-profit organization that produces public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies on issues that improve the quality of life for children, education, and environmental preservation.

The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

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