By Jackie Ostfeld
Outdoor play should be a time-honored tradition for our kids, yet far too many children face barriers preventing them from experiencing the benefits of our natural world. Whether it’s a lack of close-to-home natural areas, the cost of transportation, parents forced to work two or three jobs just to pay the bills, or schools with inadequate resources for outdoor play, learning and field trips, our children’s health and wellbeing is suffering from the nature equity gap. The Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK), along with our members, advisors, supporters and youth leaders have made significant strides to expand outdoor access and opportunities for children, youth and families this year. There’s still a long way to go, but we have so much to celebrate.
Here’s a look at some of our accomplishments:
- Gathered to celebrate and advocate: Every year, OAK members, agency partners and supporters gather in Washington, D.C., for our annual meeting and advocacy event, OAK Week. In 2023, we hosted our most successful OAK Week yet with over 150 participants, including 40 youth leaders and dozens of members of the Blue Sky Funders Forum in attendance. We met with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and our agency partners to discuss closing the nature gap with and for children, youth and families, during a beautifully rainy day in Rock Creek Park. Youth leaders had the opportunity to contribute to the National Nature Assessment during a listening session with the Department of the Interior. We also celebrated leaders during our annual OAK Awards reception.
- Empowered and uplifted youth leaders: During OAK Week, we trained youth leaders in advocacy and then took to Capitol Hill. Our advocates shared their stories and delivered nearly 1,000 postcards written by kids at their local REI stores directly to decision-makers, asking them to make the outdoors more accessible for kids and families. We also welcomed three youth leaders to OAK’s advisory council this year: Anthony Tamez, Lily Kay and Saanvi Sita Mylavarapu.
- Celebrated historic investments in nearby nature: OAK celebrated two significant milestones on our path to ensure every child in America has safe access to public parks and open spaces near their homes, when the Biden-Harris administration made historic investments in tree equity and local parks projects. With funds released through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program allocated $1 billion to invest in tree planting projects to combat extreme heat, improve air quality, and provide more green spaces for communities with limited nature access. The National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation and Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program invested $22 million in local park equity projects and committed to spend more than $2oo million in projects next year, the largest anticipated investment since the program was established in 2014, at $3 million.
- Continued our advocacy to expand park equity: OAK members are also working to ensure the ORLP Program continues to strengthen and grow, by advocating for the bipartisan Outdoors for All Act. The legislation would strengthen the ORLP program to serve more kids and communities lacking nature access. OAK members and youth leaders have been meeting with decision-makers all year and our recent fall advocacy day led to the addition of several new co-sponsors for the bill. Just last month, OAK members joined Representatives Barragan (D-CA-41) and Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1) at a press conference to call for the bill’s passage. We’re making great progress, as we’ve ensured the Outdoors for All Act is part of a larger outdoor recreation package that is currently working its way through Congress.
- Expanded the impact of the Every Kid Outdoors program: OAK members also advocated for a seven-year extension of the federal Every Kid Outdoors (EKO) program, which provides fourth graders and their families with free entry into all federally managed parks and public lands, be included in the outdoor recreation package. We made significant progress in expanding the EKO program at the state level, too. This year, we celebrated a major victory when Governor Whitmer established the Nature Awaits program to fund field trips for every fourth grader in Michigan – more than 1.4 million kids – to visit a state park.
- Secured green jobs for young people: We were also thrilled to welcome the creation of the American Climate Corps which promises to put more than 20,000 young people on a pathway to jobs that will address our climate crisis, protect our planet and strengthen our communities.
- Expanded OAK: OAK is a national partnership of organizations united by the belief that all kids deserve access and opportunities to experience nature. Our members make us who we are and we couldn’t achieve any of our progress without their unique contributions to our collective mission. In 2023, we welcomed 11 new members: Adventure Crew, Alley-Oop, Camp Fire, Conservation Nation, Greening Youth Foundation, Hike it Baby!, Justice Outside, KABOOM!, League of American Bicyclists, National Education Association, and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
While we have a long way to go to ensure every child truly can reap the benefits of time in nature, we are making real progress. I am grateful to support such an impactful alliance of organizations big and small making enormous contributions in the communities they serve. Our alliance is strong and it is because of the commitment of our members, advisors and supporters. As we head into the holiday season and the days get shorter and the nights longer, I wish everyone time to rest and recharge while spending lots of time in nature. We are powerful together. See you next year.
Outdoors Alliance for Kids 