Forming A Union With a View
Time to bring more Americans into our great outdoor advocacy coalition
In an old, southern industrial town, greenway advocates had plans for a trail along their river. It was ambitious and hopeful, because the community was not particularly outdoors-oriented, and the river had long been viewed as a filthy eyesore. But the park folk were determined, imaginative, and just kind of irresistibly fun, and they crafted a plan to win over the naysayers.
After some politicking, on one clear afternoon, the greenway team led City Council down the forgotten river on canoes, pointing out their proposed trail route on the shores. Along the way, there were some mishaps. A boat got caught on a tire on the riverbed, some rogue currents led a boat astray, and the mayor fell into the water. But magically, this was all accompanied by laughter and a joyous sense of discovery.
City leaders were won over in part by this trip, where they found a personal connection to the town’s natural resources. They understood more about the abstract ideas and places presented in plans, and they could better imagine their possibilities and importance of outdoor recreation to their locality’s future. In fact, kind of to the surprise of advocates, city leaders requested yearly excursions on the river as a check in on the greenway (and perhaps escape from the mundane office scene).
What I love about this story— and it’s one that I’ve heard different versions of in different places— is how it represents generosity and understanding of different stakeholders. As people who love exploring nature, greenway advocates had to step out of their own perspective, think about what made them passionate about their vision, and wonder how that might differ from those they were struggling to bring along. City Council had to kind of take a leap of faith in going to a place they didn’t have favorable feelings towards, and maybe even feared. It was all a little vulnerable and a little generous in assuming the best of others.
It also was a bit of a bet, believing that if people experience the beauty of nature, they will become an advocate. They’ll get excited about being closer to it. They’ll benefit from it and want to be a part of it more.
“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else.” ~ Georgia O’Keeffe
Right now, it’s important to remember that not everyone has a favorable view of “nature.” To some people, the great outdoors may be daunting, scary, or inaccessible. They may find it unpleasant or have no interest in it. I’ve heard people say that nature is dangerous and unhealthy. And while some of these views may be utterly unchangeable, many are just one experience away from being converted.
As we are recruiting more people to push back against Trump’s plans to tread on our public land, it’s really important that we invite new folks into the fray. We need to understand and knock down barriers to entry, and then help usher newcomers in with care.
For some, this effort may look like finding accessible trails. For some, it may be having a community to explore safely with or transportation to reach parks and trailheads. For others, it can be having resources like basic outdoor education and supplies. While there are decades of organizations and activists dedicated to making the outdoors more accessible to different populations, there is nothing like a personal connection.
Everything from a walk-and-talk meeting at the park, to an afternoon in the garden, to a group hike to your favorite overlooks. The wonders of the world are right around us, and you are their best tour guide. You are the trusted person who knows the people and the natural places around you, and you bridge the gap between them. You know the importance of fostering passion in your compatriots.
“If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it…. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.” - Frank Lloyd Wright
Let’s all work to make our social lives tied just an inch more to our outdoor environments, and in doing so, practice the faith that they will both be all the richer for it.
Lace up your sneakers, grab your neighbor, and let’s go explore together.
With love and hope for the future,
Stephanie
What makes the outdoors accessible (or not) to you?
How do you incorporate the outdoors into your daily living and social world?
Wonderful ideas and strategies! Thank you!
I found your post a refreshing respite from the daily weight of Trumpian horribleness. With coffee in hand my mind relaxed into the boat, meandered down the river, and laughed at the mayor’s tumble; I pondered a similar fate for our small town’s officials.
And then you brought home an excellent message for today. Get outside, for your own well-being, and reach out to another, not with a pressure campaign, but with the physical proof of what is good and beautiful about America. Words, of course, are powerful but some folks need to see, hear, and feel another way. And some need to take a spill in a canoe, you know, to wake up.