Category: Tips for Safe Exploring

Last Tuesday, May 5th our partners over at Ocean Positive headed way inland to join 18 members of the NJ School of Conservation team for an inspiring training session talking about safe, inclusive outdoor recreation that builds communities and inspires others to care about the places we love from the ocean to the mountains.
This was done in conjunction with Pinelands Alliance’s – Nature Accessible for All campaign.

Ocean Positive was on the campus of NJ SOC for a Safe & Positive for All training — and what was supposed to be a 90-minute session turned into a genuine conversation about what it means to ensure that everyone who immerses themselves in nature can have a lifetime of safe and positive experiences.

What happens when you put 18 outdoor educators in a room and ask them to think about who might not feel safe or welcome in the spaces they steward? The staff at NJSOC, soon found out.
Educators. Field staff. People who spend their lives helping others connect with the natural world. They shared their inspiration and insight that makes this work matter.
By training the trainers, these best practices don’t stop with the 18 people in that room. They have the potential to reach the nearly 4,000 people who visit NJSOC each year for programs and field experiences — many of whom may be living with spinal cord injuries, movement and sensory limitations, or neurological differences that standard wilderness safety training too often overlooks.

The NJSOC team doesn’t just teach conservation — they live it. Making sure their programs are accessible and empowering for everyone is a natural extension of that mission.
Grateful to Kerry, Tanya, and the entire NJSOC team for having us. Nature is for everyone. Making that true in practice — not just in principle — takes training, intention, and teams like this one.

The second online town hall focused on improving access to the Pinelands for people with disabilities.
Despite being the most crowded state in the nation, New Jersey has a large amount of open space, including the 1.1-million-acre Pinelands National Reserve. The forests, streams and ponds found here are an important resource for residents in the region.

Unfortunately, access to the vast natural areas found in the New Jersey Pinelands can be difficult if not impossible for people with physical or other disabilities. Visiting natural places can be uncomfortable, unsafe or impossible. Barriers may include a limited number of accessible sites or a lack of comprehensive and reliable information of the accessible sites that do exist.
PPA wants to help overcome these barriers so everyone can enjoy the benefits of time in nature and visit the parks, forests and preserves which our state and communities have protected.

Check out this video and hear from advocates on the need for accessible nature sites and the criteria needed for creating and promoting these areas to the public. In this video, volunteers are evaluating the Blue Trail at Evesham Townships Black Run Preserve for accessibility for all persons.

The inaugural zoom meeting provided a tutorial of the www.AccessNatureNJ.org website. We covered use of the mobile website, how to personally update information and we took feedback for improvements. More information about this project can be found at www.pinelandsalliance.org/the-pinelands-is-for-everyone/access-nature-forum/

Get to know your National Parks in New Jersey! Join us for a conversation with Jeremy Buzzell, Branch Chief for the National Parks Accessibility Program. He will discuss his role, current projects and initiatives, opportunities for networking, information on funding opportunities and resources, and items to focus on for our goals. There will be time to ask questions. National Parks in New Jersey include Sandy Hook’s Gateway National Recreation Area and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

What does it mean to build disability community and justice in the outdoors? Why is it important to have Disabled leadership, and how can allies and organizations be better partners? Join Syren Nagakyrie, founder of Disabled Hikers, for answers to these questions and more. Syren will provide an overview of disability language, models of disability, and how to think about access vs accessibility. They will share about their work as the founder of an entirely Disabled-led organization working at the intersections of disability justice and outdoor recreation, and how you can create more space for Disabled people to drive your access and inclusion work. Time will be set aside for questions and answers.

Syren Nagakyrie is the founder of Disabled Hikers, a nonprofit organization building disability community and justice in the outdoors. Syren grew up with multiple disabilities and encounters numerous barriers to outdoor recreation but has always found nature to be a place of belonging. As a long-time disabled activist and community builder, Syren is committed to building a movement of Disabled leadership in the outdoors. They are the author of The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Northern California: outdoor adventures accessible by car, wheelchair, and foot (2024) and The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western Washington and Oregon (2022), both published by FalconGuides. They also work with parks, organizations, brands, and government agencies to improve access and belonging for disability community.