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Summer Wednesdays: Nature Includes You
Celebrate Juneteenth with a Social & Environmental Justice Fair where you will meet local organizations making a difference & learn how you can become involved, while grabbing dinner from the Really Amazing Food Truck (R.A.F.T.), learning from guest speakers Kim Woodford and Joe Worthy, and hearing live music from Skwerm (@skwerm.band on Instagram).
Local Organization Highlights:
- GirlTREK with Jo Rattiliff | Far more than a walking group, GirlTREK is a life-saving sisterhood. We are a campaign to heal intergenerational trauma, fight systemic racism and transform Black lives.
- Ohio Environmental Council & Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund with Brian Siggers
- Journey on Yonder with Kim Woodford Smith | The mission of JOY is to inspire Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) to have enjoyable and healthy connections with nature that will lead to increased health outcomes and stronger environmental stewardship through mindful, cultural, educational, and social outdoor experiences.
- Community Life Collaborative | Engages communities around social and environmental justice issues by empowering untapped relationships, collaborations, and understandings across boundaries.
- Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition | The Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition (NEOBHC) was established in 2011 and is the first organization in the State of Ohio dedicated to addressing disparities in the black community. Their mission is to address the social, structural, behavioral, and environmental determinants of health in communities of concern.
- Doan Brook Watershed Partnership | Doan Brook Watershed Partnership (DBWP) leads conservation and restoration projects that champion environmental justice and foster a sustainable and resilient watershed. They serve as a collective voice for the Doan Brook and its constituencies through equitable engagement and by providing reliable, accessible watershed science.
ABOUT NATURE INCLUDES YOU:
This traveling photo exhibition and program series explores the rich relationships that people of color have with nature in Northeast Ohio, past and present. Nature is all around us: in our communities, gardens, parks, and yards. It nourishes and teaches us throughout our lives.
In nature, we can . . .
Grow healthy foods
Nurture our spirits
Become inspired
Express our creativity
Collect scientific data
Explore different careers
Learn something new
Enjoy friends-and-family time
Build a sense of community
Heal our land, water, and selves
Nature Includes You is a project of Cuyahoga Valley National Park in collaboration with Museum of Creative Human Art (MOCHA) and Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. A total of 15 organizations contributed images of people from diverse Northeast Ohio communities. The show highlights the work of more than 20 photographers.
Funding provided by a grant from the National Park Service.
Photo: As an autistic person, landscape designer Maci Nelson reflects on how natural spaces help her relax and “unmask.” National Park Service / © Amber Ford
