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The Cities Trailblazing Transit Service into the Wilderness

Gregory Scruggs

May 25, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Hikers can now catch a ride to their trail of choice thanks to Seattle’s transit system. Bus rides to popular hiking destinations make the great outdoors more accessible for urban populations.

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'These are places for us as well': Empowering more Arizonans to claim their spot outdoors

Shanti Lerner

April 14, 2021 |

AZ Central (The Arizona Republic) |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Phoenix, Arizona

Chispa Arizona is working to encourage members of the Latino community to spend time outdoors. The environmental justice organization created “entry points,” or free outdoor activities each month that anyone can attend like hiking, community gardening, and park clean-ups. There has been some hesitation from people attending these events, but one member says these experiences are necessary so they can educate others about the importance of green spaces.

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Playgrounds Designed With Accessibility In Mind Make Play Fun for Every Kid

Marianne Dhenin

April 13, 2021 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Petersburg, Florida

Playground designers and city officials in St. Petersburg, Florida, have gone beyond the basic requirements mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act in order to create a space that is truly inclusive. The park is “wheelchair accessible from bottom to top” and sets the standard for city parks that are focusing on more inclusivity.

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Black to the Land Coalition connects Detroit's BIPOC communities with the outdoors

Rhonda J. Smith

April 08, 2021 |

Planet Detroit |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

The nonprofit Black to the Land Coalition is working to expose more members of BIPOC communities to outdoor activities and the healthy benefits that come with being nature. They have partnered with other organizations to help alleviate costs and they’ve done activities like archery, camping, and kayaking. “We’re creating opportunities for Black and brown people to engage in natural spaces beyond the playscapes and basketball courts,” says one of the founders. “We’re taking on the outdoor world, period.”

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India trashes 100 million tires a year. She turns them into playgrounds.

Kamala Thiagarajan

March 29, 2021 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Bengaluru

Anthill Creations has built 275 "playscapes" across India, mostly using discarded vehicle tires as the affordable raw materials. In many parts of the country, children lack outdoor play spaces and toys to enliven their play. By "upcycling" some of the 100 million discarded tires the country generates annually and painting them bright colors, the 5-year-old project has benefits ranging from the environment to children's safety and happiness.

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Green space in cities can bring considerable health benefits for communities, but access is unequal

Ambika Chawla

March 19, 2021 |

Ensia |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Platte Farm Open Space used to be a garbage dumping ground in Denver, but it’s now an urban green space thanks to the efforts from community members, organizations, and the government. This community-led project was able to secure funding to replace the contaminated land with fresh soil that now attracts animals and includes walking paths and a playground for children. This project offers lessons on how to build a green space in a diverse neighborhood and the health benefits that come from such an initiative.

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Medical Providers Are Taking Nature Therapy Seriously

Jenifer Frank

February 22, 2021 |

Connecticut Health Investigative Team |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Haven, Connecticut

Medical providers are increasingly prescribing nature therapy – like walks, hikes, or recreational activities – as a way to help children and adults cope with life stressors. First popularized in Japan as "forest bathing," this practice has been shown to decrease a patient's anxiety and depression and increase their ability to concentrate.

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In Rwanda, Learning Whether a ‘Smart Park' Can Help Both Wildlife and Tourism

Amy Yee

November 24, 2020 |

Atlas Obscura |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Rwanda

Rwanda’s Akagera National Park, once a conservation failure, has been revitalized with fences, patrols, and new technology to become a successful wildlife park. The government partnered with conservation group African Parks to manage the national park, which has led to an increase tourists, patrols, and even lions and black rhinos. Akagera also became the world first “Smart Park” after it installed a telecommunications network called LoRaWAN to securely track, monitor, and communicate between rangers, vehicles, equipment, and animals.

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As Wilderness Areas Attract More People, Volunteer Rangers Hit The Trail

Amanda Peacher

September 28, 2020 |

Boise State Public Radio (KBSX) |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Idaho

About 40 volunteer wilderness stewards of the Idaho Conservation League are helping to educate hikers about how to be good outdoor trekkers like disposing of waste properly and staying on the trail. While these volunteers can’t legally enforce the rules, last year, they have destroyed 109 illegal campfire rings and got rid of 100 pounds of litter. These volunteers programs could be effective as other government initiative budgets are cut and more and more people are exploring nature.

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How Did These Students Get The City To Change The Name Of Douglass Park? They Built Collective Power And Didn't Back Down

Pascal Sabino

September 22, 2020 |

Block Club Chicago |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago students organized and, for the first time, convinced the city to rename a park in honor of Frederick and Anna Murray Douglass. The former Douglas Park was named after a Civil War era Illinois senator who advocated to expand slavery, and whose wife owned slaves. Not daunted by the city’s bureaucracy, the students canvassed in their community and gathered over 10,000 signatures for a petition to change the park’s name. The campaign, which began in 2017, was much harder and longer than the students anticipated, but by forming a coalition and continuing to speak out they persevered.

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