NatureKids BC is committed to providing inclusive and accessible nature-based experiences for all children and families. We envision a future at NatureKids BC where everyone feels welcomed, a sense of belonging, and where participants, staff, and volunteers reflect the diversity of families in our province.
This inequity exacerbates existing health disparities and social and environmental injustices.
We recognize that access to nature is not equally distributed, with many communities often facing barriers such as limited transportation and urban densification without adequate green spaces to nourish the human and wildlife populations.
NatureKids BC’s programming is designed to address the problem of equity and access to nature, a decline in nature connection and lack of place-based environmental awareness for BC children and families. We foster social connections and a sense of belonging among the families who participate – not only within a localized region, but among member families across the province.
We strive to create a welcoming space for those who face multiple barriers (financial, cultural, accessibility/transport) in this search for connection to nature.
We are committed to ensuring that the voices featured in our magazine, NatureWILD, reflect and celebrate the diversity of our province. We are actively working to include more Indigenous knowledge and stories in our magazine, and to reflect the many ways of knowing that go beyond western science. We are also actively seeking diverse perspectives for our Editorial Committee and have created a Youth Advisory Circle to provide guidance on our magazine.
NatureKids BC recognizes that many children, especially those from equity-deserving populations such as newcomers to Canada, face obstacles that hinder their ability to access/enjoy nature and reach their full potential. Recognizing the unique needs and challenges faced by newcomers to Canada, NatureKids BC is building partnerships with organizations that provide settlement and immigrant services for families in communities across BC to ensure that its programming reaches and engages these underserved communities.
Development of Canadian identity is linked to the local natural environment, especially for children who join us through our Newcomer Agency and Family Services Agency partnerships. Lack of connection to nature and care for our environment is a social problem. By providing meaningful and equitable connections to nature we care for the future of our communities.
