This past fall, the San Mateo County Parks Foundation created a new small grants program called Enhancing Equitable Access. The goal is to fund and support organizations that increase opportunities for Black, Indigenous and people of color, and low-income and marginalized youth and their families to enjoy the many benefits of being in parks and nature. Grants of $3,000 were awarded to the following organizations which are expanding access to our parks, trails and coastal areas for those who may face barriers, including a lack of transportation, a lack of representation and/or a lack of awareness about the parks themselves.
Is a park ever permanently protected? Will tomorrow’s leaders appreciate our parks? Will they work hard to steward them?
One thing I know for certain is that the leaders of tomorrow are children today. And one of the best investments we can make in our parks is to nurture a new generation of young people to grow up and fight for them. But first, we must make sure our youth are getting to the parks because people protect what they love, and to know the parks is to love them.