Nature Everywhere! Kingston, New York selected as part of national initiative focused on youth and nature

Published December 12th, 2024
By Abby Schmeichel, Communications Coordinator
Tagged with: City of Kingston Parks & Recreation • Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County • Kingston • Kingston City School District • Kingston YMCA Farm Project • Nature Everywhere

 

Press Release

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.

 

The Benefits of Nature

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.

 

Kingston, New York Team

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.

 

Next Steps for 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:

• Engaging youth and families through surveys, social media campaigns and community events to create visions for equitable access to nature.
• Connecting with local organizations to understand the opportunities that currently exist for youth to access nature spaces, along with the gaps and barriers to participation.
• Creating a Kingston Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights to guide ongoing planning and policy development in Kingston, in support of the fundamental right of all children to play, learn, and grow in nature.

 

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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About the Kingston Nature Everywhere Team

• Wild Earth (lead partner): With a mission to nurture the development and empowerment of youth through nature connection, Wild Earth has been working with the Kingston City School District since 2015, supporting 2,800 students in five schools through field trips and year-round guided recess and after school activities.

• City of Kingston Parks & Recreation: The Parks & Recreation department is dedicated to creating community through people, parks, and programs. The department oversees 13 parks, three community centers, a pool, and a nature center, and offers summer camps, after school programming, and year-round sports and recreation programs for all ages.

• Kingston City School District: KCSD serves 6,400 youth through seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and the Kingston High School. As the largest school district in Ulster County, KCSD is a proudly diverse community that benefits from a multitude of strong community partnerships.

• Kingston YMCA Farm Project: As an urban, youth-run farm that works to engage and involve young people in all aspects of food production, the Y Farm Project provides field trips, a summer camp program, and employs over 100 Kingston High School students in growing over 5,000 pounds of produce each year.

• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County: CCEUC works with communities throughout Ulster County through city government, school districts, and directly with families to support economic vitality, ecological sustainability, and social well-being.

 

About the Children & Nature Network

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.

 

About the National League of Cities

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.

 

About KABOOM!

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