O'Mara: Miles to go, a lot to be proud of
Story Location:
Inlet, DE
United States
Parents and schools are two big obstacles between kids and outdoor experiences, said Collin O’Mara, speaking to a few dozen outdoor enthusiasts gathered Oct. 30 for the fifth annual Sussex Outdoors Summit.
A whole generation of people did not spend time outside when they were young, and in schools, a lot of nature-based education has fallen by the wayside because it’s viewed as an unnecessary extra-curricular activity, said O’Mara, former Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control secretary and current National Wildlife Federation president and CEO.
O’Mara said there are great educational outdoor programs in Delaware and across the country, but few people participate in them. The challenge, he said, is to get everybody outside enjoying outside experiences, not just middle-class white kids.
O’Mara said there’s no silver bullet; instead it’s up to individuals with the talent and networking capabilities to step up and make the experiences available. It’s time to double down, he said. It’s good for the economy, and it’s good for the health of our children.
Pointing to the popular Gordon’s Pond Trail as an example, O’Mara used Delaware as is a state making those investments.
“We are as good and enriching a place as anywhere in the country,” he said. “There are miles to go, but there’s a lot to be proud of.”
O’Mara was the keynote speaker at this year’s summit, which took place in the Delaware Seashore State Park campground on the south side of Indian River Inlet. This year saw half a dozen speakers focus their attentions on the theme of getting kids outside.
Chris Bason, Center for the Inland Bays executive director, said it was important for nature-based organizations to play to their strengths and bring to light the proximity of open space available to student-aged kids.
Bason highlighted the center’s James Farm Ecological Preserve. He said the preserve gets 10,000 visitors a year and is creating a new master plan. The trail system will be redefined, boardwalks added and the parking lot expanded, he said.
Jeff Gordon, American Birding Association president, said in today’s world, meaningful experiences must integrate technology like smartphones and tablets.
“The genie is out of the bottle, and it’s not going back in,” he said, holding up his iPhone. “We have to learn to use this technology.”
Ethan McKinley, director for Delaware’s National Park system, said he was excited about the possibilities in Delaware because it was a blank slate. Created in the last two years, the state’s national park system includes Lewes’ Ryves Holt House and seven other Kent and New Castle county locations.
McKinley said programs will encourage families and their young children to explore and take advantage of Delaware’s outdoors. He said breaking through the urban interface is a challenge, but it can be overcome with crowdsourcing and citizen science.
We need to use whatever resources we can, he said.
For more information on outdoor programs and activities, go to sussexoutdoors.org.
