The place where the Mississippi River and Minnesota River converge will serve as the blustery backdrop Wednesday for a meeting of city leaders from across the country, here to talk about how to bring children and nature together.

At 3 p.m. on a cold, wet and windy day, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman will kick off the National League of Cities and Children & Nature Network's Connecting Children to Nature Leadership Academy. The event begins with a visit to Fort Snelling State Park, where leaders from seven cities will hop in canoes and hear from staff and youth from Wilderness Inquiry, a local organization that works to connect people to the natural world through shared outdoor adventures.

"Cities and their local partners stand at the forefront of this movement to help children make strong and enduring connections with the outdoors and nature," said Coleman, who is the National League of Cities immediate past president and helped make Wednesday's event take place.

"I am so proud of this partnership and eager to see it take hold on a national level," Coleman said.

Over the two-day leadership academy, the group will work with national experts, attend workshops, conduct field visits and engage in peer learning with city leaders from across the country.Following the academy, participants can apply for grants for programs to connect children to nature. They can also join the new NLC Children and Nature Learning Network, which will provide opportunities to learn and receive support from nationally recognized experts.