City picked alongside St. Louis, Twin Cities, MN, and Maine to encourage accessibility outdoors

After Philly’s ParkScore declined due to inequality of park access, a new initiative is encouraging accessibility outdoors locally.

The Outdoor Foundation announced Philadelphia as a new “Thrive Outside” community, which will award multi-year, capacity-building grants to diverse communities. These grants by Outdoor Foundation and National Wildlife Federation aim to build and strengthen networks for families with repeat and positive experiences outdoors.

“Working with Thrive Outside will strengthen amazing conservation partnerships across the Delaware watershed to overcome the unique barriers our communities experience in getting outdoors. We are excited to team up with Thrive Outside to expand access to the outdoors for Black, Latinx, and frontline communities and implement on-the-ground activities that ensure everyone is able to safely enjoy nature,”  says Collin O’Mara, President and CEO of National Wildlife Federation.

The project will expand existing efforts in the Delaware River Watershed (Alliance for Watershed Education, the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed and the Circuit Trails Coalition) and enhance a more cohesive model of communication, partnership, programming and placemaking. 

“The Thrive Outside Philadelphia Community, led by the National Wildlife Federation, is bringing together several regional organizations, existing large-scale networks and stakeholders to co-create pathways for equitable access to the outdoors,” said Jame McCray, PhD., Managing Director, Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River.

Photo by Elevated Angles for VISIT PHILADELPHIA®

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Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia. View all posts by Julie Hancher