Diversifying the Outdoors

By Julia Kaseta & Madi Thurston

One of the greatest gifts of America is public lands. However, while millions of acres are open to all for recreation, these spaces are not utilized by everyone. The TRT is an internationally-recognized trail system that brings adventurers from all over the world, a majority of who are white and affluent. There is a gap in representation and groups of differing skin tones, cultures, ethnicities, economic classes, gender identities and expressions, sexualities, immigration statuses, physical and mental abilities, and body types that are often underrepresented on trails and in outdoor spaces. While tourism plays a large part in the demographic disparity of Tahoe’s natural spaces, additional factors often limit the engagement of diverse local and regional communities

Group reflection at Round Lake

of Northern Nevada and Northern California from engaging in outdoor activities.

The TRTA’s Youth Backcountry Camp (YBCC) Program is working to address some of these factors through its immersive wilderness programming by partnering with social service organizations with a similar mission. Awarded the TRTA’s 2021 Partner of the Year award, Next Generation Scholars (NGS) and Latino Outdoors (LO) have inspired the TRTA to increase its youth outreach programming footprint after co-leading a YBCC trip for 11 underrepresented youth from the Bay Area. These organizations have been working towards providing educational and recreational opportunities for Latinx, firstgeneration, immigrant, English-learner, and low-income youth and families to make academic and outdoor spaces more welcoming and accessible. The TRTA’s fully-outfitted, four-day backpacking experience teaching wilderness skills, natural science, and stewardship ethics is helping fulfill these organizations’ missions by making the outdoors more inclusive. To gain perspective from the experts themselves, the TRTA connected with Aurora Perez, the SF Bay Regional Coordinator for LO, and Ruby Aguirre, the Social Services Director for NGS, to discuss the barriers and solutions to diversifying the outdoors.

Financial, cultural, language, transportation, and knowledge barriers have influenced the way many youth and families from disadvantaged backgrounds engage in outdoor recreation. Ms. Perez described the connection between her culture and outdoor experiences to be frontcountry activities involving LO core values of

Participants reach new heights

familia, comunidad, and cultura, “My family and I would go to local parks, hang a piñata from a strong tree branch, and have parties there.” And while outdoor recreation can take on many forms, inclusive immersive wilderness experiences that provide the knowledge and resources to continue outdoor exploration were absent for Ms. Perez and continue to be for many children today. “Growing up, I didn’t have any exposure to backcountry activities, and I know a lot of youth today can relate.” The backcountry activities that stimulate independence, resiliency, and confidence are primarily available for the wealthy, aware, and experienced. Despite many outdoor spaces being public and free, barriers to access begin at home. Pricey outdoor equipment, transportation to trailheads, and the time and knowledge required to safely enjoy remote destinations are resources that marginalized communities do not have equitable access to. With the support of

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.

—Dan Millman, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior

grantors and funders, including the Lana Vento Charitable Trust and Kate Svitek Memorial Foundation, the YBCC Program made progress to ensure that any child can attend camp regardless of their family’s financial resources. The TRTA provided the program free of cost to partnering organizations and youth participants, complete with medically-trained wilderness instructors, nature-based curriculum, logistics planning and support, backpacking supplies and gear, and food for the duration of the program. The introductory backpacking program requires only clothes, shoes, and a positive attitude for underrepresented youth to reap the rewards of outdoor recreation and educational experiences.

Participants learn to set up camp

Expenses aside, it is challenging to think you belong in the outdoors when you don’t feel included. According to Ms. Perez, what’s missing is representation, “knowing that people that look like me, speak like me, and share some of the same experiences and culture as me are recreating safely and happily in the outdoors.” Ms. Aguirre of NGS expanded on how this problem impacts NGS youth living in one of the wealthiest areas in California, Marin County, “They’re not made to feel comfortable and this keeps them away.” Cultural, language, and physical differences joined by large discrepancies in wealth leave them feeling disconnected from people and places within their community. These encounters are far too familiar for people of color and differing identities when exploring public lands. The YBCC Program seeks to change this narrative by creating a safe and supportive environment in the outdoors, involving adult leadership from diverse backgrounds, and facilitating culturally-relevant conversations. A memory from the first-ever YBCC trip in partnership with NGS and LO represents the power of inclusivity in the outdoors. Ms. Perez and Ms. Aguirre shared their stories and how the outdoors have impacted them on the trip, setting the stage for open discussion with the youth participants. Participants, in turn, felt safe and inspired to share their backgrounds and culture. The commonalities and values shared fostered a sense of inclusivity and belonging in spaces where these youth had not felt it before.

Representation matters. It tells youth what’s possible. When we create a community of trail users and outdoor leaders that

Participants geared up and ready to go

accurately reflects the diversity among our schools, homes, and communities, we inspire youth to follow suit. We inspire them to form a connection with nature, to engage in physical activity, to feel the healing effects of time spent outside, to learn about their natural surroundings, to become outdoor leaders, and to be stewards within their communities. When working towards this vision, we look towards collaboration. Through building new partnerships with organizations like NGO and LO, the TRTA can bring together the resources for equitable access and the perspectives of underrepresented adults and youth to create a more inclusive and relevant YBCC Program.