Time spent in nature has the power to teach us, restore us, and bring us joy. However, for Black and other racialized people, nature experiences are often hindered by the fact that they rarely see people like themselves reflected in environmental groups, nature activities, or nature-related media. This lack of representation reinforces the perception that nature is a white space and is for white people.

Set against this backdrop, Nature Canada has partnered with two experts in the intersection of race and the outdoors, Jacqueline Scott and Ambika Tenneti, to produce an important new report entitled, “Race and Nature in the City.” This report explores the barriers to urban nature experienced by young racialized people and presents recommendations that can be implemented by any environmental or nature group.

During this webinar, Jacqueline and Ambika will present the findings and recommendations of this report and answer questions about how to effectively and equitably engage youth of colour.

The "Race and Nature in the City" report comes out of Nature Canada's commitment to the ethical imperative to achieving racial justice and gender equality. Nature Canada’s NatureHood program connects young people to nature in their neighbourhood and nearby natural spaces and has a growing focus on addressing barriers to accessing nature and creating opportunities for racialized communities to engage in nature based programming. Our goal is to take an intersectional approach which considers how power is exercised across issues of gender, age, class, ability, and culture, as well as race. We invite you to join us in this conversation and in the journey to be a better ally. Participants can expect to leave the session with increased awareness around the lived experience of youth of colour and the barriers to nature and actionable ways to confront these issues.

Presenters

GAURI SREENIVASAN:

Gauri Sreenivasan is Director of Policy and Campaigns at Nature Canada where she leads advocacy strategies to advance protected areas, nature based climate solutions and equity. She has previously worked for a range of international cooperation organizations, in the research sector, and on Parliament Hill.

JACQUELINE L. SCOTT:

Jacqueline L. Scott is a PhD student, whose research is on how to make outdoor recreation and environmentalism accessible for Black people. A keen outdoor fan, she leads hikes and bike rides for outdoor clubs and community organizations. Jacqueline is also a writer. She writes feature articles on how race intersects with environmentalism and outdoor recreation.

AMBIKA TENNETI:

Ambika is an environmental scientist by training and has worked extensively with communities in the fields of environmental health and education. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto where her research is on connecting recent immigrants to nature in the city.

To register to this webinar please click here!