CONTACT:
Omari Washington, (845) 256-9830
omari@wildearth.org
The Children & Nature Network, the National League of Cities and KABOOM! have partnered to launch a new initiative designed to increase equitable access to Nature Everywhere children live, learn and play in 100 communities by 2025. Recently, Kingston was selected along with 18 other U.S. communities through a competitive application process to join the inaugural Nature Everywhere Communities cohort. As a Nature Everywhere Community, Kingston will receive two years of strategic planning, technical support and start-up funding to develop and implement community-driven plans for connecting children and families to nature-based experiences and learning.
A growing body of evidence indicates that spending time outdoors, in nature, is essential for children’s healthy development. Time in nature improves physical and mental health, academic outcomes and social-emotional learning. Equitable access to nearby natural spaces and outdoor learning and play helps children and families thrive – and can support community-wide sustainability, climate resilience, green workforce, and public health goals.
Nature Everywhere Kingston is a partnership led by the local nonprofit Wild Earth, along with the Kingston City School District, City of Kingston Parks & Recreation, Kingston YMCA Farm Project, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County. The coalition applied to become a Nature Everywhere Community with a focus on the intersection of youth development, community health and wellbeing, and removing socio-economic barriers to nature access in Kingston.
The vision of Nature Everywhere Kingston is for all youth in Kingston to have a meaningful connection to nature.
To begin the journey, the team joined eight other communities for a Nature Everywhere Vision Lab in Austin, Texas, to explore proven nature connection strategies and connect with technical assistance experts. Over the next year, Nature Everywhere Kingston will build on this by:
The Nature Everywhere Kingston team received a seed grant of $40,000, and hopes to add to this through investments from local businesses, foundations, and government support. Our Nature Everywhere partners (Children & Nature Network, National League of Cities, and KABOOM!) will also help Kingston track outcomes and communicate the impact of this work.
For more information about the Kingston Nature Everywhere Team, contact Omari Washington, Executive Director, Wild Earth, at (845) 256-9830 or email info@natureeverywherekingston.org .
For more information about the Nature Everywhere initiative, visit childrenandnature.org/nature-everywhere, read this national news release, and/or contact Laura Mylan, Children & Nature Network, laura@childrenandnature.org.
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The Children & Nature Network believes, and research proves, that regular time outdoors is essential for children’s healthy development. The non-profit organization leads a global movement of leaders, educators, practitioners and parents working to ensure equitable access to the benefits of nature everywhere children live, learn and play. Learn more at childrenandnature.org and get connected on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X) and The Trailhead, a free online community for global children and nature leaders.
The National League of Cities (NLC) is the voice of America’s cities, towns and villages, representing more than 200 million people. NLC works to strengthen local leadership, influence federal policy and drive innovative solutions. NLC’s Center for Leadership, Education, Advancement and Development is the go-to place for city leaders and their partners seeking to improve outcomes for children and families. Stay connected with NLC on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ending playspace inequity – the reality that quality places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids and communities to create or transform 17,000+ playspaces and ensure that nearly 12 million kids have equitable access to the critical benefits and opportunities that playspaces offer. In 2022, KABOOM! launched the 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity to accelerate its mission in 25 high-priority locations over five years. Learn more at kaboom.org or join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Nature Everywhere Kingston community team, clockwise from back left: Zach Jones, Brenda Kessler, KC Keegan-Twombly, Beth Bonville, Omari Washington, Jennie Swantz, Esperanza Gonzalez, Shanna Gonzalez, Emily Flynn
Photo courtesy of Wild Earth; photo credit not required
Abby grew up in NY, VA, IL, and PA moving frequently and living in a mix of urban, suburban, and rural environments. She discovered a passion for the outdoors in the backyard spaces of her many childhood homes: collecting acorns under oak trees in VA, hunting for snails in a small garden in the Bronx, exploring a thin strip of forest separated by farms in northern Illinois, and many more. Abby enjoys working outdoors with youth and communicating the wonders of the natural world, skills which she developed over the last 5 years as an educator at several outdoor schools in WY, WA, and MT and as a researcher, outreach coordinator and administrator in MT. She recently moved back to NY to be near family and was excited to join the Wild Earth team in 2022. More about Abby's work.