Addressing the Nature Gap through Wonderfolk’s Our Naturehood Pillar
Juneteenth celebrates the official ending of slavery for the 250,000+ enslaved individuals who embraced freedom on June 19, 1865, nearly two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. While the march against institutional racism is nowhere near over, Wonderfolk works towards combating the inequities that still exist, especially with access to the outdoors.
While access to the outdoors has always been framed as an experience everyone should be able to enjoy for free, it has not been the case for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) due to barriers like finances, lack of information, accessibility, and transportation. According to “Portland’s Black community reaches beyond its historic roots to create world-class connections and relationships,” Portland is home to more than 41,000 Black Americans, most living on the east side of the Willamette River.” Kady Davis from Forest Park says that the park is geographically located in a part of the city that is not accessible or does not feel safe for BIPOC communities. Davis also acknowledged that the history of redlining in the city was not an accident, forcing Black residents into neighborhoods with fewer resources and access to the outdoors.
At Wonderfolk, we work with organizations like Friends of Tryon Creek, Forest Park Conservancy, Oregon Wild, and Jacobsen Salt Co. Beekeeping Program because we know the importance of making sure all our youth have access to the beautiful nature in their own backyard. Wonderfolk’s Our Naturehood pillar is described as,
A relationship with the natural world and access to clean air, clean water and green spaces is essential for all communities. These community projects range from habitat restoration, to park clean ups and community gardening.
In Spring 2024, Wonderfolk’s Our Naturehood programming provided various opportunities for our BIPOC youth to not only participate in activities in the outdoors, but to also feel empowered and understand that Portland’s green space is just as much theirs as everyone else’s. Below are three project highlights and the partners we have worked with this year!
Project Highlight: Our Naturehood Hike with Oregon Wild x Friends of Tryon Creek
One of our most special projects is a guided tour/hike with the nonprofit Friends of Tryon Creek at Tryon Creek State Park. We are joined by our friend JT Flowers (and yes, his last name is really Flowers!) from Oregon Wild who opens up the world of nature to our students and reiterates the importance of having more BIPOC youth in the outdoors. They claim we must have a pipeline of transportation of trails. Most of all, though, JT makes hiking fun and teaches us fun facts. Did you know Oregon’s state flower is actually a grape? While the fact is fascinating, our students did confirm that the Oregon Grape does not taste all that great.
Project Highlight: Our Naturehood Hike with Forest Park Conservancy
Another one of the favorite hikes we do is with the Forest Park Conservancy. This year, we met at Lower Macleay Park trailhead, where we learned the history of Forest Park and the importance of having a forest located at the heart of the city. Access to the outdoors improves exercise, our mental health, and is a stress relief. It’s important that everyone has access.
Project Highlight: Our Naturehood with Jacobsen Salt Co.
Every year, we meet Jacobsen Salt Co. at The Lot at Zidell Yards and they introduce the Jacobsen Hive program. For many of our students, they turn their fears of “bee”ing around bee colonies into learning opportunities. The Hive Program teaches our students about the importance of biodiversity planting on bees. Furthermore, they learn about the ecological impacts of native and non-native bees and talk through personal philosophy of honeybee stewardship
After learning about the process, our students then get to harvest honey themselves! They rake, till, and move the compost then line new beds with stones. After all of that work is done, they plant the yarrow, phacelia, and calendula in beds.
Sources:
Portland parks officials, advocates aim to make the outdoors more accessible to BIPOC
