Outdoor Equity
FCCAN and Fuerza Latina are proud recipients of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Outdoor Equity Grants, which are helping reduce barriers to the outdoors for all of Colorado’s youth. The grant supports our efforts to create opportunities for youth from communities that have traditionally been excluded from recreating in the outdoors and learning about our state’s beautiful environment.
2023
Our team, consisting of four Natural Trail Leaders and two part-time Outdoor and Health Equity Program Managers, focused on building strong relationships within our group. We held monthly meetings, both outdoors and indoors, at various locations in Fort Collins, such as the Poudre Library and along the Cache la Poudre River in Lee Martinez Park. These gatherings were essential in defining our collective core values, which include Cultural Relevancy, Togetherness, Belonging & Community, Intergenerational Reciprocity, Ethical Harvest, Honoring the Land, Agency, Joy, Place-based Connection, Accessibility, Inclusivity, and Diversity.
One significant suggestion from our team was to align our programming with the changing seasons and the natural offerings each season brings. This approach led us to design our programs around Mental Health Awareness, Education, Connection, Moon Walks, bi-/multilingual spaces, Spanish-only spaces, non-English-only spaces, access to outdoor spaces, community snacks, and nature-based activities like seed-saving, canning, and crop planning during the winter.
We also mapped out our capacities and the potential impact of our offerings, creating a forward-looking 2024 calendar that includes culturally relevant holidays and events. This calendar helps us avoid scheduling conflicts with other community partners, fostering greater collaboration within our community.