
As April comes to an end and we approach May, we embark upon another Earth Day and Arbor Day. These days of recognition and remembrance help us to pause and reflect on our relationship with the earth and our role in our global ecosystem. For some, this includes reviewing the small ways in which we help sustain natural resources. For others, political and community advocacy come to mind.
This year, as I sit in my backyard space, I find myself reflecting on my relationship with nature and public spaces. As a member of multiple minority groups, I think about the community spaces around me and my engagement with the earth versus those of identities different than mine. I observe how parks and community gardens are occupied, if cultural inclusive park planning accounts for people of different cultures. As a South Asian Muslim, I take note of if parks create spaces for us to gather for Iftar during Ramadan, make wudu during prayer times, and gather for a game of cricket. As a woman, I tally how public spaces account for my safety.
Are there enough security mirrors, well lit walkways, and restrooms? Most of all, I observe who occupies the space and whether they look like me, assessing my role in the community and whether my presence has been accounted for in park planning.
Though much of this has to do with park and public space planning and less with the natural earth, I believe they offer insights in the way people of color engage with nature and the environment. The National Recreation and Park Association advocates for inclusive planning in public spaces. In a recent report, it emphasized the roles of parks in improving health outcomes for LGBTQIA+ community members, connecting refugees and immigrants to their new placements, and engaging neurodivergent community members in recreational activities. From health to social inclusion, the key theme of the report was one centered on human to environment connectivity and the role of public space engagement in fostering this connectivity. Capital Women’s Care discusses some of these benefits in regards to women’s well-being and longevity. On its website, it educates viewers on how engagement with nature aids in reducing risks for chronic illnesses and cancer, hypertension, and even aids in regulating sleep patterns. It is clear that engagement with the outdoors allows for better health outcomes and mental clarity. But this all starts with the comfort we feel in public spaces in order to then engage with them. These considerations in outdoor planning have the ability to shape our relationship with our larger communities, our bodies, and the earth itself.