The Outdoors Are For All
“Hope is infinite, without it there would be no reason for any of us to move forward. Life is hard no matter our path, hope is what I awake to, hope is what speaks to me when frustrations kick in, hope is what I cling to when doubt tries to creep in.” – Teresa Baker (https://blog.annabrones.com/2020/01/22/teresa-baker/)
My Story
The outdoors have always been an important part of my life. Even when I was very young, I was playing in forests and fields, tromping through frog-filled ponds, and slipping and sliding on muddy stream banks.
All I had to do was walk out my back door and I was surrounded by natural spaces. And I grew up in a family that loved spending time and recreating outside. I have so much gratitude for this upbringing, but more and more I see how privileged I was to have this.
In more recent years, the outdoors have been a place of healing and spiritual growth for me. I really cannot imagine going through life without these areas to retreat to for solitude. These too are thoughts coming from someone who’s had that privileged upbringing, who’s always felt safe there, and who’s always been supported in seeking out natural spaces.
Increasing Youth Access to the Outdoors
Not everyone gets positive experiences with outdoor spaces at a young age. Not everyone has a history in which the outdoors were a safe place to be. And, for those that want to give it a try, it can be expensive to get all the equipment needed to do so safely. There are still systems and barriers today that are preventing groups of people from the outdoors.
The outdoors are for everybody. That’s why I’m hoping y’all will help support Outdoors Empowered Network (OEN) in their mission of increasing access and diversity in the outdoors! My goal is to raise a dollar towards their cause for every mile on the Eastern Continental Trail, around $6,000.
I’ve set up a fundraiser page where donations will go directly to Outdoors Empowerment Network.
And to learn more about OEN, check out their website:
https://www.outdoorsempowered.org/
OEN is doing incredible work connecting people, especially youth, to the outdoors. They do this by seeding and supporting gear libraries, offering training in outdoor and safety skills, and being intentional about inclusion while being culturally informed.
What I love most is this is both a network across the country, but in a very local and community-led way. This hits home for me. In collaboration with others, OEN helped kick start the gear library and it’s amazing outdoor educational programs in my home town of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Today, GR Outside is one of numerous members in the OEN. I got to visit their gear library shortly before taking off on this ECT journey and was blown away by the awesome ways they’re supporting my home town community.
On the OEN website there’s a map of the United States showing the different partners in the network. I recommend checking it out to find out if there is one close to you! There are a few organizations in OEN located along the east coast near the Appalachian Trail that I hope to connect with. If that happens, I’ll of course fill y’all in!!
Eastern Continental Trail For All
I hope to keep this conversation going while on the ECT. In that spirit, I thought of a way to get y’all involved which is to pledge your donation for a specific section of the trail…
Maybe you want to donate $25 that represents the final 25 miles of my journey up in Newfoundland? Or, have you hiked a section before or have a favorite stretch? You could claim the northernmost 10 miles in Maine through Baxter State Park to Mt. Katahdin. Feel free to come up with whatever inspires you! Message me and let me know. I’ll give you a shout out and try to find a postcard or souvenir as I’m hiking through your section 🙂
Thank you so much for supporting this cause and for supporting me. This is something that’s very important to me and having y’all on board means a lot!
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Comments 6
Thank you for reminding us that those who have had access to the woods/nature/ green space have been very fortunate. I had read of an NYC teacher taking his inner city students for a hike in thevAdirondacks and the experience was transformative as they had never been exposed to the peaceful forest and birdsong. This is a great cause to support!
Thank you for the link to this wonderful site! I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had a location in Detroit.
I grew up in an eastside suburb of Detroit. When I was growing up, this area still had a large amount of farms and woods to have adventures. Most of my outdoor experience though, came from spending weekends on Saginaw Bay in the where my parents built a summer house on the Bay in the early 1950s, and the many vacations we took to the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, where my family’s roots go back centuries.
I’ve been to 47 of the 50 states and have always considered West Virginia to be the most beautiful state.
Yes! I’ve heard great things about the Detroit group. Really great that they have one there
An idea i can get behind. especially these days… donated.
-KG
Wow KG! Thanks so much. I really appreciate your generosity. Cheers! 😎
Love the Hoekwater Fam throwback pic. Stellar!