At BOLD & GOLD we believe that the outdoors is for everyone, but we know that access to outdoor spaces is not equal. While some young people may grow up camping with their families, others may lack the financial resources or time to do so. Or maybe they don’t see themselves represented in outdoor leaders, so a backpacking trip doesn’t feel like an option for them. Whether it’s gear, transportation, community connections, or otherwise, there are many barriers to accessing outdoor adventures. 

One strategy that BOLD & GOLD uses to help bridge these gaps is building relationships with existing communities and organizations. This month, we talked with one of our partners in Detroit to hear how creative connections between the Detroit School District, Detroit Outdoors, and BOLD & GOLD help open access to the outdoors. To Jac Kyle of Detroit Outdoors, the key ingredient to these successful partnerships is trust.

BUILDING TRUST ROOTED IN COMMUNITY

Last year, we shared the story of how the Detroit Outdoors Collaborative (DO) was born. A unique partnership between Detroit Parks and Rec, YMCA of Metro Detroit, and the Sierra Club, DO provides overnight experiences at Scout Hollow Campground in Detroit, which is managed exclusively for youth programs. If leaders of existing youth organizations complete an outdoor training through Detroit Outdoors, they are able to reserve a night at Scout Hollow and access a gear library to outfit their group for a camping trip. 

“If youth have a trusted relationship with their soccer coach,” says Kyle of Detroit Outdoors, “let’s get the soccer coach trained to take them on a camping trip.” By focusing on representation of outdoor leaders and integrating camping into existing programs, Detroit Outdoors provides a pathway to youth who may not otherwise access the outdoors in that way. The collaborative also looks for ways to expand the types of outdoor experiences offered, which is where BOLD & GOLD enters the scene. 

“Nature is everywhere, but there are these places that illicit this sense of awe,” says Kyle. “It’s one thing to be in a park, and it’s another thing to be at the edge of a Great Lake.” After that initial camping trip, many youth leave wanting more. Last year, BOLD & GOLD partnered with Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) to offer a backpacking trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Over five days, eight young people from all over the school district learned about themselves, explored the beaches of Lake Superior, and connected with one another over campfires.

Again, this trip was made possible by building connections with existing communities. The school district first presented the opportunity to parents, and Detroit Outdoors and BOLD & GOLD held info nights for parents and students over zoom and in person. Some parents may have been wary of an extended backpacking trip, but their existing trust in the school administrators helped them overcome their hesitation. The young people were able to participate at zero cost for themselves of their families, made possible by school district funding for their Outdoor Adventure Clubs and a grant awarded to the Detroit Y by the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation.

Of the eight DPSCD students on the first Pictured Rocks trip, six will be returning this summer for another trip. This time they’ll take a four-hour ferry ride to Isle Royale National Park, a remote island in Lake Superior that is home to moose, wolves, and beavers. Kyle says that “having extended days in these remarkable places produces a shift in people.” After spending time on an outdoor trip, they’ve seen young people become strong advocates for natural areas within Detroit and outdoor recreation opportunities closer to home. 

For other BOLD & GOLD program sites looking to form meaningful partnerships with community organizations, government entities, or nonprofits, Kyle says the key is to find the advocate, or “the person who will connect the dots when you’re not present.” Detroit Outdoors has found advocates in amazing folks at many different levels of leadership at all three organizations, which has been essential for creating sustainable programs.

DPSCD youth looking out over Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

A saying that has come up in my life recently is one that I found, typed on a scrap of paper and tacked to the outside of a small shed where I ran an outdoor program, a long time ago. “What I’m not up on, I’m down on.” I love how simple this is and how easily it applies to both what I need to give and receive. Lately when I feel like there is conflict in an area of my life, I’ve been asking if I have more information to share, and when I feel myself getting testy, I look at what questions I might ask. Sometimes life moves quickly and its hard to slow down enough to share the important parts about why I’m doing what I’m doing with others or take the time to figure out what else I want to know. A few decades in and I still feel like I am learning lessons from my time in small groups in the outdoors. I hope you have the chance to slow down and appreciate any nuggets of wisdom that come from your outdoor community.