Nate Whitley

I am an avid backpacker, skier, rafter, and hiker. There is always one trend which confuses me. Where are the minorities? Outdoorfoundation.org reports that "Consistent with previous years, minorities lagged behind in outdoor participation. In general, Caucasians had the highest participation rates and African Americans had the lowest" (Outdoor Participation Award 3). What is the reason behind this disparity? It seems as though most minorities choose to spend their time doing other activities rather than be outside. One explanation for this may be the cost of outdoor activities such as skiing and backpacking. More expensive outdoor sports might be hard to afford or justify spending money on for economically lower class citizens. We have learned in our readings that many of the poorer citizens in America tend to be minorities, or their families previous generations were part of the lower class. It is not that minorities don't want to participate in outdoor activities, it's that lower economic class citizens cannot afford it, and many minorities are of a lower class. If the current minorities are of a lower class, then it is granted that they are going to be less likely to spend money on luxury items such as skis or backpacks. Minorities have historically been oppressed, allowing for no culture or history of leisure time or ability to spend exorbitant amounts of money on outdoor equipment. There is also no history or tradition in their families or friends of going camping, backpacking, skiing, or hiking. This is an issue. It can be difficult to see the value in outdoor sports if there is no outside influence to inspire people. It is very important that everyone has access to the outdoors in order to become excited about it and inspired to vote in a way that reflects this inspiration. So how do we close this gap in outdoor participation? I believe that this will be solved through programs and camps that start a history and culture of minorities engaging with nature. 

There is a reason why people of all classes and economic standings should have quick and easy access to the outdoors. Being outside is proven to be the best way to connect with nature and to care for it. A connection with nature is crucial when accounting for our current environmental situation. In order for the world to change it's ways there needs to be an internal drive within each person. This wont happen if people are not able to see and interact with what they are saving. Outdoor sports is one example of how people can get this inspiration. However as I just discussed, there is not enough money in the lower class to participate in this industry. In order to do that we need to have some way of raising money to help the lower class engage with nature. This could be done by increasing taxes to create more government programs aimed towards getting lower class citizens outside, or by finding new, cheaper ways for people to get in touch with nature. This could be through public gardens, parks, or opening more land owned by the government to the public for people to get the connection they need to become inspired to protect the areas they love.