<
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240109-the-hiking-groups-tackling-racism-in-nature>
'"For decades, the outdoors has been a predominantly white field," says Jasmine
Guadalupe, a New Yorker with Puerto Rican heritage. "Inner-city people [of
colour] might say: 'You are going hiking? That's for white people.'"
When Guadalupe started posting about her outdoor experiences on social media,
she felt very aware that most people spending time in nature didn't look like
her.
In many parts of the world, access to nature is not equal. In the US, both
income and higher education are significantly linked with living near
accessible green space. Public parks in neighbourhoods with majority black,
indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) residents have been found to be half
the size and almost five times as crowded, compared with parks in predominantly
white areas.
The picture is similar in the UK – 2020 research suggested that 40% of people
in the UK from ethnic minority backgrounds lived in the areas most deprived of
green space, compared with 14% of white people.
This lack of access is just one of the barriers that can make it harder for
people from ethnic minorities to spend time in nature – and access the wealth
of physical and mental benefits that brings. One poll by the UK's Woodland
Trust found a lack of access to green space was linked to climate anxiety.
Conversely, a growing body of evidence suggests that spending more time in
nature can reduce stress and improve mood.
Today, a number of groups are trying to remedy this inequality in access to
nature, one hike at a time.'
Via
Positive.News
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
