Creating access to the outdoors for children from historically oppressed populations is not as simple as offering all 4th graders a free pass to a National Park. The barriers to access that exist are systemic, and in order to solve them, we need to address each one individually and intentionally. . Today, I’ve been thinking about proximity to natural spaces. Middle and upper class (mostly white) communities in this country are often planned and developed with lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation in mind. Beautiful, clean, safe parks and streets are a selling point for an attractive neighborhood. . Conversely, many urban and low income neighborhoods lack green spaces altogether. Traveling to a park may require time and resources (access to a car or adequate public transportation) that families just don’t have. This inequity perpetuates the myth that spending time in the outdoors is a luxury reserved for the privileged and that children of color don’t “deserve” it. But we know that exploring the outdoors comes with tangible benefits, such as lower stress, lower rates of obesity, better physical and mental health, higher academic achievement and more. Are these not fundamental rights that all children should receive? . Lots of campaigns exist that encourage folks to explore more, find their park, discover their forest, etc. This message is moot (at best) and offensive (at worst) to those who live nowhere near an accessible green space and don’t have the means to travel to one. These campaigns ignore the many systemic barriers that keep people of color from being able to “find their park.” Proximity is just one. . How can we do better? Outdoor recreation is a multi billion dollar industry. Surely we can come together and think creatively about how we can create equity of access to the outdoors for those who are underserved. Y’all with me? . Photo credit: @dr.gneiss_guy . #adventurekidsofcolor
