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Thanks so much for featuring a discussion on this important topic! I've just tuned in mid-discussion so don't know if you've already broached this subject but I do feel the access issue is critical....in more ways than one. While I love my time in the wilderness, increasingly it simply is not feasible or, for that matter, sustainable to hop in one's car and burn a bunch of fossil fuel to experience nature. We need access to nature where we live....where for nearly 80% of the US population is urban areas. And, frankly, there are also equity concerns re: providing access to folks that simply can't afford to get "into the woods". As someone who grew up low income in the Portland area my first experiences of nature were an undeveloped lot behind the apartment building I grew up in.....not pristine habitat but it provided a sanctuary for me from a not so pleasant childhood. All children, no matter their income level need/deserve access to nature near their homes. Designing our communities this way is better for them and for our region as a whole. I'm grateful to organizations like the Portland Audubon Society and people like Mike Houck who have led this effort for many years. I'll leave you with a quote from Robert Michael Pyle that illustrates this issue: "What is the Condor to a child who has never known a Wren".

Thanks for the opportunity to comment!

posted 4 years ago
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