Outdoor access articles

‘Nature doesn’t judge you’: how young people in cities feel about the natural world

'Young people in cities tend to value nature more than others realise. It’s not yet clear how young city dwellers have spent time in green and blue spaces during the COVID 19 pandemic. But ... these experiences are less accessible for urban residents and people of colour in particular, who are already at greater risk of poorer mental health.'
The Conversation, 30 October 2020

Mya-Rose Craig: ‘Young people need to see someone like them who is into nature’

‘The 18-year-old birder and environmentalist on improving diversity in her field and how the pandemic has affected the natural world.’
The Guardian, 7 July 2020

Black Girls Hike – so why do we feel so unwelcome walking outdoors?

A segment on on why BAME people feel unwelcome in the countryside, on BBC’s Countryfile programme, caused outrage in some circles. This article by Black Girls Hike founder Rhiane Fatinikun, looks at why.
Metro, 1 July 2020

Why some Black and Latinx families lose access to nature during pandemic

'For some Black and Latinx families, shelter-in-place orders cut off access to nature. Neighborhoods without open green spaces or parks have been hit the hardest, along with areas where houses lack yards. COVID-19 disproportionately impacts Black communities, so families like the Robinsons choose to stay inside while the fear of the pandemic lingers.'
KCRW (US), 10 June 2020

Black Girls Hike media coverage

Includes: Black Girls Hike is More than a Walking Group: ‘Why I’m Challenging Underrepresentation in Hiking’; Rhiane Fatinikun - meet the woman committed to diversifying the outdoors; Black Girls Hike is diversifying the great outdoors: ‘Nature is accessible, but not inclusive.’

The joys and challenges of exploring nature while black

3 projects created to support black people to access nature are asked ‘How can green spaces become more inclusive?’ and ‘What strategies and projects might make people of color (sic) more comfortable being outdoor explorers?’
Grist (US), 10 June 2020

Black Birders Call Out Racism, Say Nature Should Be for Everyone

‘Co-organizers of the first Black Birders Week talk about the joy of the natural world and the work outdoor-focused groups need to do to reduce racism and promote inclusion.’
Scientific American (US), 5 June 2020

Forest School Perspectives: Making Space for Diversity in Practice

‘So how we “do” Forest School is different depending on where we are. Because the Land and the stories embedded within, and inspired by, our places are different. Our cultures are different… And so our perspectives are different too.’
FSA, 26 May 2020

‘I feel I’ve come home’: can forest schools help heal refugee children?

‘They have a middle-class reputation, but one outdoor school near Nottingham [Wildthings] is reconnecting disadvantaged 10-year-olds with nature and a sense of freedom’.
The Guardian, 9 May 2020

Outdoor Afro: stories

Inspirational stories and media coverage about using and being represented in the outdoors, from the US network that “celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. ”
Outdoor Afro, various dates

Gardening Is Good For The Soul

Says Danny Clarke, the green-fingered black gardener TV star. Voice Online, 12 May 2019.

How do we Change a Whole Sector? Colonialism in Conservation Nature is the cause of Institutionalised Racism

“Our communities love wildlife, nature and the planet as much as yours. So why is it that I am outdoors in Somerset and am the only person enjoying nature that is not white?” By young environmentalist Mya-Rose Craig.
CIEEM, 11 April 2019

Meet the group helping black people reconnect with the natural world

Wild in the City “was created by Beth Collier, a nature-based psychotherapist who is dedicated to helping people of colour find their place in nature.”
Metro, 7 February 2019

Improving children’s access to nature starts with addressing inequality

‘Barriers to outside play particularly affect children from low income and BAME households. Can education help?’
The Guardian, 1 March 2018

All Children Need Nature: 12 Questions About Equity & Capacity

‘Not just the ones with parents who appreciate nature. Not only those of a certain economic class or culture or gender or sexual identity or set of abilities. Every child.’ Richard Louv explores how children and their families in poor communities, are affected by the absence of nature.
Children & Nature Network (US), 16 January 2018

Black hikers break the ‘green ceiling’ and clear a path for nature enthusiasts

“African Americans make up just 7% of people venturing to national parks while white visitors make up 78% – but Outdoor Afro is training leaders to change that.”
The Guardian, 23 April 2016

Black Folks And Nature

‘There’s a mountain of statistics that suggest Black Americans don’t go out in nature as much as people of other ethnicities. But one Bay Area organization is attempting to raise those numbers. It’s called Outdoor Afro … leading groups on hikes, fishing excursions, and camping trips.’
KALW local public radio (US), 2014