Mind the gap
Nature is one of our most potent resources for health, well-being, and connection. Many of us unwind from over-scheduled days by heading outside to let the fresh air, sun, trees and water work their simple, restorative magic.
For far too many, nature is also a rare and distant experience. Kids can flourish with time in nature, and too many aren’t getting it. Our goal is to change that.
Our city teens are resilient, courageous and curious; they are a vast resource of potential. Yet they face pervasive inequities in our social systems that often negatively impact their opportunities. Interact for Health reports that there is a 26-year difference in lifespan across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, depending on where you live. Closely related to this, a large number of people living in under-resourced urban neighborhoods experience what researchers call “the Nature Gap.” This formidable mix of racial and economic disparities in accessing nature detrimentally affects the well-being of low-income communities, which most often means neighborhoods where residents are mostly people of color.
Researchers at Conservation Science Partners published a report in May 2020 stating that “these disparities are particularly concerning because nature is not an amenity but a necessity for everyone’s health and well-being.” The report continues, “Redlining, forced migration, and economic segregation are just a few of the unjust policies and forces that have created barriers to, and a gradient of distance from, the United States’ remaining natural areas for people of color … Non-white people are 74% more likely to live in nature-deprived areas.” This translates to a severe lack of representation in the environmental workforce as well; the Institution of Environmental Sciences released data in 2022 showing that Black, Indigenous and people of color make up just 4.8% of environmental professionals.
Adventure Crew is striving to address these gaps, with a long-term goal of transforming who accesses the outdoors in the Greater Cincinnati region by nurturing the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts who exemplify the diversity of our city. Our teens are gaining access, a sense of belonging and empowerment to spend time in nature. They are enthusiastically seeking to expand their skills in outdoor recreation, environmental science and climate advocacy, and they will be the ones to lead this change going forward.
On a national level, board member Gerry Seavo James, deputy campaign director for the Sierra Club’s Outdoors for All Campaign, has been working tirelessly with their federal policy team to build support for passage of America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2023, which includes the Outdoors for All Act. Adventure Crew partner REI has a petition you can sign urging congress to pass the act, and you can also call your elected federal officials to support the Act. Thank you for helping to make Outdoors for All!