Access to nature isn’t equitable, particularly for low-income and minority neighborhoods. We can do better for our kids.
June is Great Outdoors Month. What began as Great Outdoors Week in 1998 under President Clinton has become a monthlong celebration of one of our country's biggest draws: open space. In Austin, we're fortunate to be surrounded by fields of wildflowers to inspire us in spring, rivers to keep us cool in the heat of summer, and greenbelt trails to scramble on year-round. But access to nature here isn't equitable.
Imagine never having left city limits, yet never having swam in Barton Springs Pool or stepped foot in Zilker Park. This is the reality for many children when they enroll in nonprofit outdoor programs like Explore Austin, Austin Sunshine Camps, Candlelight Ranch, and Austin Youth River Watch, or experience programming from outreach divisions of conservation organizations like Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center.
Costs of transportation and gear, entrance fees, lack of vacation days, unpaid leave, and other factors make it difficult for families to participate in outdoor recreation, especially for people of color, who are more likely to face these economic barriers. Research shows that historic discrimination is a large underlying factor in this nature gap.
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