Connecting with Nature is Easier When You’re In It!

Throughout my years of working in the outdoor and conservation space, I’ve noticed a common theme; galvanizing people to conserve their own communities is a lot more effective when they’re experiencing it firsthand. After finishing an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Policy, I spent about a decade working in outdoor recreation and education. As part of my studies, I undertook a research project examining the effect of engaging with outdoor spaces on people’s views on conserving that space, and found a strong positive correlation. As a result, while I wasn’t directly using environmental science, I never really felt I had moved away from my interest in conservation and ecology.

At various points, I worked as a backcountry guide, a safety boater, a bike mechanic, and as an instructor teaching skills ranging from orienteering, to basic camping, to Leave No Trace principles. I coordinated events, trained instructors, oversaw volunteer projects, and worked on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects. In all of these roles, I have had the opportunity to see the impact engaging with the outdoors can have on people.

Orienteering is a recreational activity during which participants use a map and a compass to find a series of locations. Photo credit: Jametlene Reskp

We often tend to talk and think about conservation and restoration in an abstract way, and for many topics, that makes a lot of sense. We can discuss local impacts of global climate change, for example, but by virtue of being a complex global issue, it is very difficult to interact directly and we must rely on a conceptual understanding. On the other hand, it is fairly straightforward to get hands on with more localized concerns.

Getting hands on can be as simple as attending an event hosted by an outdoor group, going to a nature-themed workshop to learn something new, or participating in a volunteer event, like this Alliance tree planting in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

I have found time and time again that when people interact directly with a resource, they are more deeply and more personally motivated to protect it. The folks at the litter cleanup are generally the ones who use that park or boat launch regularly. The people who are removing invasive species along a trail may be mountain bikers who ride that trail every weekend. For a long time, the role I saw for myself in the conservation space was getting people outdoors. The interplay between the conservation of and the interaction with our environments runs deep, and I think it is no coincidence that the crossover in people engaging with both sides of that coin is significant.

It is always inspiring to see newcomers get excited to learn about their surroundings, like at this Alliance tree identification workshop last winter.

I have recently moved back into the conservation side of things, largely because on a personal level I missed the science part. However, I do not see forestry or my work with the Alliance as separate from my time in outdoor recreation and education. I see it, rather, as a specialization and deepening of a relationship with forests I have had for many years. Looking at the work the Alliance and other groups do to practice conservation and restoration on a watershed level, I think these same thoughts apply. We are all engaging with our water on a daily basis. It may just take some help to see how. If we can all be invested in protecting our local river, or creek, or park, that’s all working toward the same goal.

Every spring and fall, the Alliance hosts Project Clean Stream events. Participants across the watershed help clean up their own local waterways, and some leave with new insight as to how important clean water really is in their communities.

So get out there and connect with your local greenspace. You might be surprised how much appreciation you gain by simply signing up for a local guided hike, volunteer event, or anything with others who admire their communities. We hope to see you out there!

By Matt Pienkowski, Forests Projects Field Specialist