Justice Outside

Choosing a book without putting some thought into the dimension of racial equity raises the possibility of causing harm. Depending on the choice we make, books can perpetuate unconscious bias as well as economic inequality. Our choices matter, and so do the books we select. The current moment, like so many moments, calls upon us to show solidarity in support of Black lives. Therefore, I invite you to ask these three questions when choosing your next book: Read more Continue Reading A Racial Equity Screen for Book Clubs

What if we returned from this pandemic with a deep and profound commitment to a new way of being? What would it look like if, instead of this crisis making our work towards equity slower and less important, it became an opportunity for the field to work towards equity faster and make that work a higher priority? What if equity and inclusion were built into every fiber of our reimagined and reopened organizations, considered in every new initiative so that “pausing” is not possible as it is simply how we go about each day? Read more Continue Reading Racial Equity in Outdoor Science and Environmental Education: Re-Establishing the Field with Intention

A few years ago, I asked my mother if she was surprised that I was engaged in this field. She said absolutely not… spending time outside had always been a part of my life. She loved being outside and, quite naturally, she passed this along to me and my sister.

She felt like the true planting of this seed of curiosity happened in our backyard one afternoon when I was around four years old. After pestering her for a cookie, I took it outside and immediately dropped it on our patio. From my position on the patio, I could see her face inside the house disappear and I thought, “I am in trouble.” Read more Continue Reading It’s the Little Things

Last May, I welcomed advocates from all over the world to the Children & Nature Network’s International Conference which was held right here in Oakland. In my speech, I challenged the attendees to “radically imagine what our movement can be: intentionally more equitable and inclusive. Let’s recognize the relationships that all cultures have with the… Continue Reading Oakland, “Just Green Enough” is Not Enough!