Sadly, a number of our children who live within 10 miles of the shore have never been to the ocean. Thank you, Rachel Kippen for programs like O’Neill Sea Odyssey that connects children with nature.
From Rachel Kippen, Our Ocean Backyard, Santa Cruz Sentinel
“Author Rebecca Solnit opined last year that, “Enjoying nature during the shutdown is easy, but only if you’re rich.” While she agreed that recreating locally prevented the spread of the virus, she made the valid point that nature space and access varied dramatically depending on the community in which a person lives.”One neighborhood may be rife with soccer fields, bike lanes, and hiking trails, while another may have zero points of entry. In July 2020, researchers published a study titled “The Nature Gap,” finding that “people of color, families with children, and low-income communities are most likely to be deprived of the benefits that nature provides.According to 2017 census data, 76% of low income and nonwhite people are living in nature-deprived tracts in the U.S.” Read more here.