We stand in solidarity.

San Francisco Children & Nature stands with our black colleagues, partners, collaborators, and the entire black community in opposition to systemic racism, white supremacy, and police violence. Racism has no place on this planet – not in our city, school grounds, parks, nor open spaces.

Yet people of color, especially black people, continue to be unsafe from microaggressions, harassment, and violence while birding, running, or simply by being outside.

Over the last two weeks, we have witnessed an uprising of people everywhere, of all ages, races, and ethnicities in the biggest collective demonstration of our generation demanding equity and justice for black lives. We cannot stay silent, nor let this pivotal moment in history pass without real change, including within the outdoors and environmental fields.

Black lives matter. Black children and youth matter.

Nature can be part of the solution.

In nature, we connect with others and build compassion.
We care for living things and learn empathy.
We develop a sense of wonder and experience joy.
In nature, we find ourselves and heal.

But for the social transformation we all seek, change must come from all of us and from within us, as individuals and organizations. This means committing to doing what we can to work against systemic racism as well as the implicit bias and silent discrimination that happens every day.

We say the names of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and we commit to listen, learn, evolve, and act.

We are humbled to work in solidarity with our local and national environmental and social justice partners, with community leaders, families and youth, so that our outdoor spaces are safer, more welcoming, and inclusive for black, indigenous, and people of color to ensure that our public lands and natural spaces truly belong to all of us.

The San Francisco Children & Nature Team