Disproportionately, people of color and lower-income families are less likely to live near green spaces or regularly spend time in nature. These families are also often unequally shouldering the burden of living in polluted industrial areas with little to no access to natural spaces. Through the Environmental Stewardship Internship program, underrepresented youth are afforded the opportunity to get comfortable with the outdoors, explore nature and nature-based careers, become environmental stewards, and change the face of conservation while learning job readiness skills. In this session, Micah Blake-Smith and Amy Greene discuss why getting the youth of color in nature is important and how to facilitate those experiences.
Friday, February 3, 2023
10:25 am - 11:15 am
Presenters

Belle Isle Nature Center
Amy Greene, nature centers director, oversees operations and programming for the Belle Isle Nature Center, supporting stewardship, connection, and equitable access to nature for metro Detroiters. Before joining the Detroit Zoological Society, she spent 13 years teaching science in the metro Detroit area.
Micah Blake-Smith
Belle Isle Nature Center

Belle Isle Nature Center
Micah Blake-Smith is an education specialist at the Belle Isle Nature Center. He has a background in agriculture education and youth outdoor engagement. Previously he served as an Americorps VISTA at the University of Michigan’s Office of Metropolitan Impact, where he coordinated community engagement efforts for OMI and the SEMI Wild Network Youth Career Pathways committee. He worked to create long-lasting bonds between the committee and local youth-serving organizations with the goal of providing nature-based educational programs for their summer youth programs. Currently, Micah oversees the Environmental Stewardship Internship program.