Expanding Opportunities for Children and Families to Be Active Outdoors [Podcast Series]
[:54] Dr. Bantham introduces her guest, Jackie Ostfeld
Jackie Ostfeld is the Director of the Sierra Club’s Outdoors for All Campaign. She is also the Founder of the Outdoors Alliance for Kids.
[1:10] Engaging children in outdoor physical activity
“And living through a pandemic, I have become even more acutely aware of just how important nearby nature access is for my own family's mental and physical health….And it's also really shone a spotlight on how access to parks is not a ‘nice to have’ but really an absolutely essential for all of our well being.”
“I've seen nature change us. I've seen nature heal us. And I just I believe every child deserves to benefit from the outdoors, whether that's physically, emotionally, socially or academically.”
[3:39] Outdoors for All Campaign vision
“Our work is to envision a just equitable and sustainable future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. And so, we're striving for a world where all people can breathe fresh air, drink clean water and safely and regularly spend time outdoors.”
[8:18] Addressing transportation barriers
“So a lot of our work has been educational. In some places, there are public transportation lines, and people just don't know about it. And all that's needed is better signage and better communication. And in some places there needs to be new bus lines created or other transportation solutions.”
[12:00] Addressing access and inclusivity issues
“And so I think understanding how people engage, how people want to engage is one part of helping to make sure that the outdoor community is more welcoming, inclusive.”
[14:45] Founding Outdoors Alliance for Kids
“I am so grateful to have been able to co-develop with many partners the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, which we're celebrating our 10 year anniversary this year. And we have worked together, we started as seven organizations, groups like the YMCA and Sierra Club and REI. And we've expanded to over 100 organizations working to advocate for equitable access to the outdoors for children, youth and families specifically, and we've had a lot of success at the national level.”
[18:19] Evidence linking outdoor physical activity and mental and physical health
“There is evidence about the need for the nearby nature and that kids, families who have that neighborhood level access to green trees have better overall health outcomes, whether it's about obesity and mental health, but also the mortality rates are lower when you have access to nature. And then there's evidence that suggests that all you really need to gain many of those health benefits is about 120 minutes a week.”
[22:37] Nature prescriptions and integration with healthcare
“I think it's critical that people are hearing from their doctors and trusted professionals in their lives that they should get outdoors.”
[24:58] Making outdoor physical activity more affordable
“ We are working to reduce and remove fees as much as possible, working to expand transportation lines. But it's more than that. We need to have programs that invite and welcome and create opportunities for kids, for families to get outdoors.”
[28:18] Healing through nature
“I am hopeful that this pandemic and also the uprising for Black Lives that we have seen all at the same time in the last couple months have woken us up as a society to the systemic racism and inequities that impact our society and our culture, including who has access to clean air, clean water, parks and play spaces, and that we move forward as a society to address through nature and all the other ways in which communities are needing to heal right now.”
