Welcoming Diversity in the Outdoors

Being able to enjoy a beautiful hike amongst wildflowers, hear the rushing water of a clear stream, or feel clean, fresh air on your skin is something that anyone can appreciate….right? Unfortunately, it is not as easy for some people to enjoy these natural wonders as others. Racism has been insidiously built into our society so that even things like camping, our national parks, and outdoor recreation is affected by inequity and exclusion. The U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service report that 70% of the people who visit national forests, wildlife refuges, and parks are white. This is due to many factors including socioeconomics, cultural differences, and a long history of racism in America.

To make a change, we must take the responsibility to make the outdoors as accessible as possible for everybody. The Princeton-Blairstown Center works to make the outdoors accessible for students who may lack that access due to insufficient green space, socioeconomic barriers, or safety concerns. Many of these students are people of color. Every year, the Center provides experiential learning and outdoor adventure programs to students from historically marginalized communities through initiatives like Summer Bridge – an immersive, one-week summer learning experience that takes place at our beautiful Blairstown Campus incorporating curriculum focused on STEM, social emotional learning, and literacy while providing traditional outdoor activities like canoeing, stargazing, hiking, and swimming. This program is free for participants – breaking down one barrier that can prevent these students from accessing the outdoors.

For the first time since the pandemic began, the Center welcomed small groups back to Campus for a fully on-site Summer Bridge experience last summer. The majority of these students identified as African American or Latino. 92% of the chaperones agreed or strongly agreed that their students showed a deeper appreciation of and connection to nature after their experience, and 80% of the students stated that they enjoy the freedom of the being outdoors, with 73% indicating it was more true after their week in Blairstown. We know that children from all communities enjoy the outdoors and experiencing nature. But many young people of color don’t feel welcomed or safe. The Center’s programs help students acclimate and build trust in the outdoors because we intentionally build a safe space for kids from historically marginalized communities to experience and enjoy the outdoors.

The Princeton-Blairstown Center isn’t the only organization working to dismantle deeply rooted racism in the outdoors. Organizations like Outdoor Empowered Network, Melanin Base Camp, and Justice Outside are working to advance diversity outdoors. Organizations like Outdoor Afro and Brown Girls Climb have quickly been popping up across the United States to connect people of color who enjoy the outdoors with each other. Black People Who Hike has an inspiring campaign called #WeHikeToo which is described as a movement to “get black people active outside in nature.”

You can be an ally by supporting the Center or any other organization that is working to advance diversity in the outdoors. You can change what being outdoors looks like when you invite friends from different cultures and backgrounds on outdoor adventures. Be friendly and smile at the people you meet on the trails, on the water, or in the mountains – even if they don’t look like you. We can make a change and make the outdoors more accessible, enjoyable, and safe for everyone – despite our country’s history.