Becoming an outdoor role model is one small step towards making our National Wildlife Refuges and other public lands more reflective of the cultural and ethnic diversity that is America.
A few years back I wrote “Black and Brown Faces in Americas Wild Places.” It featured the fascinating stories of several African Americans passionate about conservation and the great outdoors including Mamie Parker (see Mamie’s video blog on Conserving the Future), former Assistant Director of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service.
In the book I attempt to create a set of “Outdoor Role Models” for African Americans, the one ethnic group I am most familiar with. As a photographer I’ve long realized the importance of inspirational imagery. I am certain that one of the things that motivates people to see an issue or subject as one of concern is when people who LOOK like them have an opinion on it or are perhaps very familiar with it in some manner. I’ve dedicated the last 6 years of my life trying to make those kinds of connections for people of color. Whether I’m doing so as a volunteer working with diverse groups of kids in outdoor settings or speaking to the public in venues across the country, the key here is that when I stand before them, I become their outdoor role model. I see it as one small step towards making our National Wildlife Refuges and other public lands more reflective of the cultural and ethnic diversity that is America.
My latest effort includes hosting a nationally syndicated PBS series on outdoor recreation due in 2011 once the remaining funders have been secured. It is aimed at urban residents of ALL ethnic backgrounds but with a more ethnically inclusive approach. It will feature people of color as outdoor recreationalist, conservationist and more. Again the aim here is “Outdoor Role Models” and making nature relevant to urban residents and people of color.
Part of that is through education, letting folks know about nature’s physical and mental health benefits as well as what is available and how to access it. I also feel if you teach people outdoor skill sets (birdwatching, hiking, camping, etc) then you stand a pretty good chance of creating a conservationist in the process, one who cares about the places they recreate.
Getting people of color into our National Wildlife Refuge System as employees and visitors is no small tasks but one that will surely be worth the time and effort to do so.
The future of conservation in America is tethered to people of color reconnecting to their outdoor cultural traditions. The reality is that people of color ARE the new up and coming majority and it is their influence and political power that will determine the sustainability of America’s environmental protection policies, which influence an entire planet. I am going to do my part to get us there; how about you?
Dudley Edmondson, http://dudleyedmondson.com/
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Dudley– your comments here are very appreciated. Here are some ways our team here at the Council for Environmental Education is answering your question:
We believe that a first step is to get children connected to nature at a very young age– all children. To this end, we have established a partnership with Head Start to train their childcare leaders in our “Growing Up WILD” program– it’s all about activities that leaders can implement to introduce children to nature in their own backyards– and to illustrate that nature can be used for a variety of learning activities in a wide range of subject areas– meeting Head Start academic standards is key.
In two years, over 40,000 educators and childcare providers nationwide have participated in training workshops to receive nature-based activity guides and to learn how to help children discover their outdoor world. The recent EPA grant we received will further this effort by emphasizing continued outreach to Head Start by our state wildlife agency partners.
Additionally, for the past 7 years, we have administered Flying WILD with 40 City Partner groups who outreach to urban audiences with bird education materials and workshops. We use birds as a tool to introduce students to the outdoors. Flying WILD was developed with an emphasis on outreach to minority youth and urban youth who have not been exposed to nature activities. Several thousand youth are reached each year with this program.
Finally, at the North American wildlife conference in Kansas City this past year, we proposed that the Diversity Committee again consider the need to host a national summit, perhaps at NCTC, that addresses people of color and outdoor careers as well as how to increase minority participation in natural resource based programs.
CEE has asked for partners to step up in support of this effort– particularly state wildlife agencies and federal government groups interested in diversifying their workforce. When the “Children and Nature” summit was hosted at NCTC several years ago, it resulted in a variety of grassroots efforts to connect children to nature, new groups formed, new initiatives were launched.. we would like to see similar activity as it relates to the diversity topic. Please help us spread the word! Josetta Hawthorne
Dudley –
You raise KEY POINTS for the future of both healthy communities and the conservation movement. It is problematic that 35% of the American citizenry (i.e. “minorities”) have very little, if any, experience in outdoors, nature-based recreation. When such large segments of society are disconnected from nature, why would they care about preserving it?!
“Letting folks know about nature’s physical and mental health benefits” is a great utilitarian tact to get the message across since our society is so “ME” driven. If we can show people that getting out into nature is fun AND good for them, half the mission is accomplished. It is critical to have relevant mentors to demonstrate the availability and
The NWRS is a tremendous resource for bridging this gap, especially those NWRs in near urban/suburban areas. John Heinz NWR in Philadelphia is one such refuge that has been very effective in attracting diverse visitors.
Dudley –
You raise KEY POINTS for the future of both healthy communities and the conservation movement. It is problematic that 35% of the American citizenry (i.e. “minorities”) have very little, if any, experience in outdoors, nature-based recreation. When such large segments of society are disconnected from nature, why would they care about preserving it?!
“Letting folks know about nature’s physical and mental health benefits” is a great utilitarian tact to get the message across since our society is so “ME” driven. If we can show people that getting out into nature is fun AND good for them, half the mission is accomplished. It is critical to have mentors, to whom the target audiences can relate, deliver these messages in the most meaningful context. Outdoor role models such as yourself are priceless in terms of benefitting those people of color and promoting conservation.
The NWRS is a tremendous resource for bridging this gap, especially those NWRs in near urban/suburban areas. John Heinz NWR in Philadelphia is one such refuge that has been very effective in attracting diverse visitors.
As you know, there are various projects being developed that will yield concerted efforts in this direction. We welcome people to get involved with one such event – the Focus on Diversity Conference at Heinz NWR this fall. Readers can learn more at http://www.fledgingbirders.org/CFAB.html .
(sorry for the inadvertent double post!)
Way to go, Dudley!
Your book was ground-breaking, and all those concerned about “the next generation” of conservationists should be aware of it. Conservation cannot survive into the next generation of Americans unless it looks like the rest of America. And right now it doesn’t.
Frankly, we have to dig deep to be more welcoming, aware of the need to build a comfort level at our resource centers – in many cases our NWRs – for people of color. In that process, the nurturing of real outdoor role models, vital mentors, cannot be overstressed.
It will be a long process, but it need to be a deliberate and conscious one in order to be successful.
Josetta’s bold challenge to the folks on the Diversity Committee at the recent North American – that they host a national summit (perhaps at NCTC) – on the natural-resource-and-diversity issue – is great. I hope they take it seriously. In the meantime, Dave’s more modest October meeting at Heinz NWR is a real step forward. I look forward to seeing you there.
Brilliant Dudley! Your focus on role models and mentors is most relevant to engaging people of color (especially youth) with the outdoors and conserving our natural resources. Dave mentioned the important physical and mental health benefits of time spent in nature for people. Also important to underserved and diverse communities are the economic and career/work paths available in the nature, outdoor recreation, and conservation related fields. Many communities of color are simply unaware of the diverse opportunities for rewarding employment in conservation and outdoor related fields.
There is a hierarchy of needs that some diverse communities often follow where fun and enjoyment in nature are not usually given time when stressful economic challenges need their attention. By highlighting role models who are not only passionate about nature and conservation but who also work in the field in some way may start to get folks to appreciate the benefits of nature and conservation. Your book has blazed this trail and now the NWRS and other agencies are stepping up their efforts to engage youth in conservation career paths. Mentors and role models will be key players in raising awareness and successfully transitioning diverse new audiences to reconnect with nature and conservation.
My professional and personal commitment is through bird education and career paths. I work with Josetta and manage the Flying WILD national bird education program she spoke about in her comment. As an African American in this leadership role I become a role model for educators and youth leaders I train, who in turn work with ethnically diverse groups of children– to start to see those children who look like me as a valuable part of the solution. Flying WILD is also pleased to be working with Paul, and Dave to welcome and engage diverse audiences into birding through the Bird Education Network. I am also on the team working to lay the groundwork for the video project you will be producing to highlight conservation career paths in NWRS that may engage diverse groups through video profiles.
I am so happy to hear about your “Outdoor Role Models” PBS project. We need more visual efforts on a national scale like this and coupled with fresh new initiatives from NWRS and other agencies to raise awareness and comfort for diverse audiences interested in nature and conservation.