Nature Awaits
Mason Cummings, TWS
Outdoor equity funds help ensure that everyone, everywhere, can access nature.
Access to nature is a human right. But in the United States, it is not guaranteed. For generations of young people living in under-resourced communities, barriers often stand in the way of experiencing the beauty and benefits of outdoor spaces. Commonly known as the “nature gap,” these disparities most often fall along socioeconomic, racial and geographic divides, making access to the outdoors a privilege rather than a right.
However, local organizations across the country are closing this gap with the support of state-based outdoor equity funds. Aimed at reducing access barriers, outdoor equity funds support nature-based programming geared towards youth and families from nature-deprived communities.
Nature awaits us all—outdoor equity funds help us get there.
The need for a national fund.
Discover how these programs are providing unique outdoor opportunities in several states:
Mason Cummings
Colorado
The Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Program invests in organizations that are increasing access to the outdoors for historically underserved youth and families.
New Mexico
The New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund helps youth get outside, with a predominant focus on youth of color and youth living on low income.
Mason Cummings
North Carolina
With support from outdoor retailers, the MadeXMountains Partnership provides grants to community-led organizations addressing barriers to outdoor recreation.
Bettina Arrigoni / Flickr
Washington
The No Child Left Inside program provides meaningful opportunities for Washington’s underserved youth to learn, play and experience the outdoors.
Mason Cummings, TWS
California
California’s Outdoor Equity Grant Program creates educational and recreational opportunities for underserved communities to experience the outdoors.
