Event
Inside the Nature Gap Report: A Conversation for Early Childhood Professionals

A man walks with his two children in a neighborhood in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in May 2016.

A man walks with his two children in a neighborhood in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in May 2016. Due to new development and construction, their bike path has been displaced. 
Photo Credit: Getty/Jeff Swensen/The Washington Post

Date

–

Event Type

Webinar

Topic

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Policy and Advocacy

Tags

  • Children's Health and Wellness
  • Urban Education

Register to Attend

Every young child deserves to grow up with nature nearby. Yet across the United States, access to nature is not shared equally.

Building on the landmark 2020 report, the new Nature Gap analysis from Conservation Science Partners, the Center for American Progress, and Justice Outside finds that communities of color are three times more likely than white communities to live in nature-deprived areas, and that three-quarters of people in those areas have low incomes. Using a new metric that measures both where natural areas have been lost and how severely, the report’s findings are clear: the nature gap persists, and the communities with the least access to nature often face the greatest exposure to pollution and climate risks.

Join Natural Start and Justice Outside Chief Program Officer Rena Payan on Tuesday, November 17 at 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT for a high-level look at the report’s findings and what they mean for our field. Together, we’ll explore why the nature gap matters for young children and their families, and how nature-based early learning professionals can work toward programming that is equitable and accessible to all children, especially those in communities most affected by nature loss.

In this webinar, attendees will:

  • Get an overview of the latest Nature Gap report and its key findings on race, income, health, and climate risk
  • Understand how nature loss shapes children’s health, well-being, and connection to the natural world
  • Reflect on what the findings mean for your own program, community, and practice
  • Hear examples of community-led efforts working to close the nature gap

This webinar is for anyone who cares about equitable access to nature, particularly for young children.

>>Register to Attend
 

This webinar will take place on November 17, and the recording will be made available within a week following the live event. 

Speakers

  • Rena Payan headshot

    Rena Payan

    For Rena (she/her), her love for this work boils down to her personal experience of loving the outdoors, not feeling like she was represented and receiving messages that she didn’t fit into the “outdoorsy” white-centered narrative. She never wants someone to walk into an outdoor space and feel that they don’t belong. In her role, she works toward racial equity in the outdoor field by building power with communities of color. She is proud to work daily to honor her community’s leadership, strengths, and connection to the outdoors.