Introducing: Teens on Trails
What value has the outdoors brought to your life? Have you ever considered how a lack of outdoor access might have impacted your future?
We know all about the joy that comes from a day outdoors, and have made it our mission to connect community members to nature so that everyone can enjoy the adventure, wonder, and healing that nature provides.
We’ve also grappled with the inherent inequities in access to the outdoors for a long time. We realize that outdoor activities are often unintentionally inaccessible and gatekept, and we want to change that.
In an effort to reduce barriers to the outdoors, we’re launching our new pilot program, Teens on Trails, to introduce underserved youth to our environment, connect them with the special places we work, and inspire them to become caretakers of this land.
This pilot program consists of twelve events out on the trails. We’re partnering with existing youth organizations and hosting their students out on the trails for educational field trips that will build new connections to the outdoors. With each event, we’re lifting up our fellow community groups and changing kids’ lives. Together.
Research shows that access to the outdoors improves both mental and physical health, plus problem-solving skills, academic performance, and environmental awareness. Teens on Trails will make sure that local youth can reap the benefits of outdoor adventure in a safe and educational environment.
Our Teens on Trails pilot partners include Watsonville Environmental Science Workshop, Community Bike Collective, Watsonville Wetlands Watch, and Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History’s Earth Stewards. We’re grateful to have their support in bringing this program to life!
When students join us out in the field, our team will not only teach them about trail stewardship, but also foster personal connections to create shared, memorable experiences that build community pride and inspire a long-term love for the outdoors.
We’ve already hosted two Teens on Trails outdoor events, and have ten more on the calendar for the year.
It’s important to note that Teens on Trails is a pilot program–meaning that there’s lots of flexibility in how this program will be run in the future. We created a framework that we think will best support local youth, however, we plan to collect feedback from these first twelve events and use it to improve the program so it creates the most value it possibly can.
With your support, we’ll create meaningful change in the outdoor-loving community, and introduce more–and more diverse–youth to the transformative power of trails. To support this program beyond the pilot phase, please consider contributing to our Timeless Trails campaign today.
