Urban Nature Exploration

Green space, park access, and trees

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Being outdoors is good for you. It’s that simple. While that fact was intuitively true for Wildwoods’ founders 25 years ago, there are now volumes of research available that clearly document the multiple benefits of regular exposure to nature, including contributions to the social-emotional and cognitive development of children, plus mental and physical health benefits for everyone.
However, many areas of Los Angeles (especially those that have historically been marginalized) are “park poor.” They suffer from a lack of tree canopy, the impact of traffic and, increasingly, the climate crisis. Residents in those areas face multiple barriers to access parks and green spaces at a distance, such as transportation, cost, etc.
While re-greening, tree planting, and park development can mitigate those impacts, those tactics face the challenges of funding and (frequently) a bureaucratic approval process, often taking years to accomplish.

Urban Nature Exploration is built around a simple theory of change: Nature exists within the built environment. If urban residents can recognize and appreciate the elements of nature within reach, they will experience the health & wellness benefits attributed to regular exposure to nature. This requires facilitation to help shift residents’ thinking about what and where nature is.
To accomplish this, Wildwoods will partner with CicLAvia, using their open streets events to reach a broad cross section of LA residents.
As CicLAvia routes are established, a team from Wildwoods and CicLAvia will scout the routes, looking for optimal sites to create Urban Nature Stops. Based on the sites, Wildwoods will craft sensory and exploratory experiences to help residents appreciate nature there at the site. Before the event, CicLAvia and Wildwoods will promote the Urban Nature Stops via social media and marketing. Participants will be encouraged to collect a series of “Engagement Stamps” on an “Urban Nature Passport” at each stop.
During events, CicLAvia will place signage for the Nature Stops. Wildwoods staff will position themselves at each stop, engaging participants, helping them download the iNaturalist app and make their first post. Wildwoods will live-stream the event to our YouTube channel via our backpack video rig that streams high-definition video and audio from the field. We will also collect participants' demographic information and conduct a preliminary survey.

Residents who shift their perspective about Urban Nature will live longer, healthier, and happier lives. They will have a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world. As a result, they will make lifestyle and consumption choices that protect the natural environment. They will protect nature and green spaces in the nearby built environment. Children introduced to Urban Nature will experience more advanced cognitive and social-emotional development. These children will also display a greater aptitude for science and scientific principles, benefitting their academic performance. As a result, these children will go on to have a greater earning potential in their professional careers.
Families who appreciate Urban Nature will be more resilient, contributing to stronger social connectedness in communities. This, in turn, will contribute to healthier and safer communities for all and result in decreased costs for public services such as law enforcement and sanitation.

We will measure the success of the Urban Nature Exploration project in multiple ways, beginning with a count of participants at each event and returning participants at subsequent events. Collected data will be shared on a GIS map.
We will track the number of posts and views on iNaturalist and other social media platforms on the days of and the days following events. We will track the number of views of the live-streamed videos throughout the year.
Note: Volumes of existing research show the health & wellness benefits of regular and increased exposure to nature, much of it curated in the research library of the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) However, according to Cathy Jordan, Ph.D., Director of Research for the C&NN, a study of the model that we are proposing has not (to her knowledge) yet been conducted. We hope to identify additional partners in the research and health and wellness sectors to craft a research project that will document the effectiveness of this methodology.

Our partners at CicLAvia will be involved in nearly every aspect of the project including:
Scouting routes and determining Urban Nature Stop sites.
Serving as an intermediary between Wildwoods and municipal agencies.
Managing the permitting process, when necessary.
Promoting the project in marketing and social media.
Design and printing of signage and collateral.
Providing equipment and materials (canopies, tables, chairs, etc.).
Event day volunteer support.
Providing transportation support for individuals with mobility challenges.
Sharing and promoting collected data.