Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights

Green Space, Park Access, and Trees

County of Los Angeles

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative

Long-standing systems of inequity have determined who has access to safe existing green spaces, parks, and other outdoor spaces in L.A. County. Historic policies and practices crafted to promote racial segregation, redlining, and other interests have disproportionately impacted communities of color. In the present day, those decisions continue to promote gaps in access to green spaces, parks, and other outdoor spaces in communities of color. L.A. County has a median of 3.3 acres of park space per 1,000 people, while the median in other high-density U.S. cities is 6.8 acres per 1,000 people. Research-based evidence is now broadly available that provides data demonstrating the physical and mental health benefits of time spent in nature/the outdoors. In addition, newer research is beginning to document the effectiveness of health and educational interventions aimed at increasing equitable access to quality nature and nature experiences.

The Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) initiative connects children, youth, and the communities they live in, to the benefits of nature. They do this by supporting municipal leaders and community partner actions that increase access through an equity lens. In L.A., we are developing a Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights (COBOR) for the county. A COBOR is a list of activities that every child in a given community should have the opportunity to experience; it serves as a public-facing symbol of ongoing efforts by a region to connect children to the outdoors. Prior to the grant period, the COBOR rights will be selected with input from county stakeholders through public surveys and focus groups. The 2050 grant will support the activation and implementation of the COBOR in L.A. County by funding the work of a Community Outreach Coordinator who will manage the initiative, working to connect the "rights" of the COBOR to resources for children and families. The Community Outreach Coordinator will engage in stakeholder relationship building, community organizing, and advocacy. Primarily, they will collaborate with local policymakers, government agencies, and community groups to advocate for policies and initiatives that promote children's outdoor experiences. They will also develop an outreach strategy to engage the community stakeholders through public awareness campaigns, social media outreach, community events, and educational workshops.

Short term, our Community Outreach Coordinator will engage organizations and public agencies to become signatories of the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights (COBOR) and develop intersectional strategies to actualize the rights listed on the public-facing document. Longer term, the COBOR will be written into legislation and implemented countywide with the support of organizations and public agencies. The inter-agency and cross-sector collaboration will enable each of the COBOR "rights" to be connected to resources that make it possible for community members to experience that activity. This will also result in increased access to the outdoors. A deepened and more frequent connection with the outdoors will result in L.A. County community members receiving the proven mental and physical health benefits of time spent outdoors. Further, research has shown a myriad of community-level benefits linked to increased exposure to nature and green space, including decreased community violence.

At this phase of the initiative, we have conducted meetings with leaders from cities in three County supervisorial districts, both at the community and municipal levels, who have all shown a genuine interest in contributing resources to the cause. Additionally, we have actively engaged stakeholders throughout the process, ensuring their involvement and feedback. For the next phase of our initiative, we will engage dozens of agencies throughout the county to become COBOR signatories in order to meet implementation goals; including various city parks departments and the county parks department. We will measure metrics that indicate COBOR implementation on a city and county level. We will also assess the number of resources connected to COBOR rights. Ultimately, the initiative will be a success when the COBOR is written into legislation at a county level and within at least one city in each supervisorial district.

Wildwoods serves as the backbone agency for the LA STEM Collective, which is not just one organization, but a network of more than 50.Many of these organizations are taking an active role in the Cities Connecting Children to Nature initiative, and they will be key partners in the activation phase of the COBOR project, providing families with access to the outdoor opportunities enumerated in the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights.These organizations include: Aquarium of the Pacific Friends of the LA River Heal the Bay Natural History Museum of LA County Nature Nexus Institute TreePeople USC Sea Grant Program These organizations provide a range of outdoor experiences, from the mountains to the sea. They will be vital in helping to bring the LA County Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights to life.