Authentic Community Engagement in the Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States and stretching nearly 200 miles long, is a natural wonder that supports abundant and diverse wildlife and communities with its tributaries, wetlands, and forests.

In addition to the natural diversity the Bay supports, the history and culture of the communities of the Bay, including the Indigenous peoples of tribal nations across the states of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, and African-American communities, have shaped significant cultural elements of the Chesapeake Bay region. 

The diversity in the Bay has contributed to the many unique efforts to empower communities to adventure outdoors and make them feel included and welcome. The  National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office  has been leading the effort to connect visitors and those that call the Chesapeake home to its incredible natural resources and history through the  Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network.  

 A system of over 170 sites  located within the Chesapeake Bay region, the Chesapeake Gateways and Watertrails Network welcomes visitors and those that call the Bay home to experience its natural wonders and diverse stories. Each partner site in the Gateways Network contributes its own perspective on Chesapeake history and provides a range of opportunities for education, recreation, and exploration.  

By connecting people with landscapes and historical sites, visitors can learn and be inspired by the historical journeys along the Chesapeake and its rivers, including the Susquehanna and the Potomac. When exploring the Chesapeake’s many historical places, visitors can learn about the people who once lived there. Including historic sites such as the  Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad and Scenic Byway , the Chesapeake Gateways Network supports the connectivity of the Bay’s history and people, promoting public access to the Bay’s natural resources, and sharing its diverse stories.

Today, the Chesapeake Bay is a place of extraordinary value and a reflection of its natural and cultural heritage. This diversity of habitats, cultures, and experiences establishes the Chesapeake as a national treasure, providing endless opportunities for discovery and enjoyment. Since its inception, a goal of the Chesapeake Gateways is to facilitate broad, inclusive, and equitable access to the Chesapeake Bay watershed's natural, cultural, and recreational resources. However, to sustain and encourage further public access to the natural beauty and bounty of the Bay, partners in the Chesapeake Bay are now pursuing increased accessibility with an explicit focus on equity. These initiatives echo the broad efforts within the conservation community. 

As the narrative surrounding outdoor recreation has evolved to emphasize accessibility and encourage diverse participation, many park systems and conservation organizations are re-evaluating their efforts to improve diversity and inclusion. Including the Chesapeake Bay, the discussion and movement to enhance equity in conservation and the outdoors is happening across the United States and the world. 

The lack of diversity in the outdoors is well documented (see:  The great outdoors has a diversity problem. Can it be fixed? ;  Nature Gap: Why outdoor spaces lack diversity and inclusion ; and  Here's how national parks are working to fight racism ). While the underlying challenges to diversity in park systems and within conservation organizations are complex, there is increasing awareness and efforts to address these barriers and to share best practices.

Collaboration with non-profit organizations such as  Latino Outdoors ,  Hispanic Access Foundation , and  Corazón Latino  is essential to encourage environmental stewardship and promote an outdoors that is welcoming of all people. Furthermore, by recognizing the unique cultures of the local community, the narrative surrounding recreation in the great outdoors can expand to one that includes sharing and celebrating diverse stories and history.

Over the course of summer 2021,  the Park Institute of America  and  Chesapeake Conservancy  led a project to gather recommendations for authentic community engagement for park systems.

During that time, we spoke with regional and national partners, National Park Service staff, and leaders in community engagement. We heard strong consensus across these discussions that there is a need within the National Park Service, within other park systems, and within conservation organizations to better share lessons learned about authentic community engagement.

This website outlines some lessons learned and examples of authentic community engagement in response to this challenge. These examples and shared lessons can serve as guidelines to keep in mind when developing outreach to communities, as well as serve as inspiration for future programming and park planning. 

The most important first step is to get to know your community. Instead of making assumptions as to why outreach efforts are not effective, park managers and conservation partners need to proactively include staff time and resources dedicated to engaging with community leaders to learn about their goals, points of view, and stories.

Suggested action items: Learn your community! Step out of your comfort zone to initiate meetings with community leaders, including mutually enjoyed activities such as hiking. Attend after-hours events within the community and local celebrations.

By first listening to community leaders and hearing their concerns and goals, park management and conservation groups can "build a bigger table" where mutual relationships that are collaborative and purposeful can be developed. However, it is also essential to be consistent with outreach to reinforce the goal of building an inclusive space. Being mindful and following through on actions to create a more diverse community will encourage participation and help build authentic, trusting relationships.

Suggested action items: Proactively include community leaders and partners in the early planning stages of events. Create community advisory teams that are formed from community members and leaders outside of the organization. Support partners by providing compensation to reinforce that their time is valued.

In addition to being sincere in efforts to foster an inclusive environment, it is also important to realize that cultures are not uniform. Rather, cultures are diverse and people can have multiple identities. Moreover, communities themselves can be comprised of smaller communities that identify with different nationalities. These unique backgrounds can influence perspectives of stewardship and uses of natural areas. Allowing diverse stories to be shared can help re-establish or create a new connection to nature.

Suggested action items: Outreach should go beyond just translation. Programming can include diverse cultural traditions, stories, food, and history. Include multiple translations on signs with QR codes.

As professionals in the outdoor community, it is important to realize we are rehabilitating the image of outdoor spaces. In doing so, park managers, staff, and partners need to recognize there are multiple obstacles that can prevent members of the Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) communities from adventuring outdoors. By being purposeful and explicit in the goal to increase BIPOC participation in the outdoors and parks, goals and barriers can be addressed from the beginning and lead to more mutually beneficial engagement and progress to creating inclusive, diverse spaces.

Suggested action items: Evaluate what park uniforms are needed in what circumstance. Ranger uniforms can have a negative connotation with law enforcement and can unintentionally create an intimidating atmosphere. Consider uniform polo shirts instead, especially when first establishing a relationship with a community.

Outdoor recreation activities are not easily afforded by everyone in the community. Providing access to outdoor recreation equipment can reduce barriers to entry and encourage greater participation. Be it hiking, camping, or biking, reinforcing the narrative that there is no correct way to recreate will reassure visitors that everyone is welcome. Likewise, by understanding community needs and providing spaces that allow multigenerational families and people of different abilities and backgrounds to engage in a variety of activities, the outdoors will become a more accessible place.

Suggested action items: Provide free transportation to events within parks and evaluate the affordability of park admittance fees so they are not significant barriers to participation. If possible, bring outreach events to communities by planning them at community centers, schools, and urban parks. Use multiple outlets and methods to provide information to the public, including non-conservation-related organizations such as local food banks, religious centers, and civic associations. Additional communication avenues include radio and social media platforms. 

In order to embrace and witness an outdoor community that resembles the diversity of America, it is imperative to see that same diversity reflected in the leaders and staff of the conservation community. While initiatives have been established in hiring programs to recruit more diverse staff, additional effort, funding, and support are necessary to create long-lasting change. 

Suggested action items: Establish funding internally or through partnerships to support employees who identify with underserved communities. Advertise opportunities through non-conservation partners, such as community resource centers and community colleges, to recruit diverse members of the community.

The visitation experience of parks and outdoor spaces is another opportunity to make people feel included and welcome. One way to enhance the visitor experience is to incorporate traditions and events from different cultures. Incorporating cultural celebrations into programming recognizes the unique patchwork of the nation and supports a welcoming and open environment to all. Furthermore, it is imperative to recognize Indigenous culture and how traditional ecological knowledge has contributed to and shaped land management and stewardship. These non-traditional efforts can support ongoing conservation and engage communities to increase diversity in outdoor recreation and management. 

Suggested action items: Make an event fun! Bilingual programming can include art, music, and opportunities for storytelling. Host events that feature music from relevant music genres based on the event and targeted audience. Provide ethnic food options from food trucks or local vendors. Consult with local American Indian Tribal leaders on how to honor original Indigenous inhabitants of the land.

Lastly, it is important to engage the younger generations in environmental education and advocating for natural spaces. Acknowledging concerns voiced by young adults and children in the community will influence their involvement and interests in the environmental field, and lead to the development of the next generation of environmental leaders. However, members of the BIPOC community have been historically underrepresented. Solutions to improve representation include initiatives that address systemic inequities associated with access to environmental education and provide sustainable professional and career opportunities.

Suggested action items: Organize educational and professional opportunities to provide training and guidance to students interested in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field or environmental field, especially to people of color and low-income communities. Create pipeline programs for youth interested in the outdoors and natural resources to seasonal and permanent positions.

We have highlighted examples of authentic community engagement in the Chesapeake Bay, including stories from  Chesapeake Conservancy  and  Anacostia Watershed Society .

Supported by the  National Park Service's Chesapeake Gateways Program,  both organizations are incorporating these lessons learned to make a more diverse and inclusive conservation experience.

With the Bilingual Ranger Program, Chesapeake Conservancy, Maryland DNR, and the NPS Chesapeake Bay Office established a sincere commitment to value inclusivity and diversity within the outdoor community visiting the Chesapeake Bay and parks. To improve customer service and reduce access barriers, translated materials provided by the bilingual rangers and creative, innovative engagement helped bridge a communication gap between parents and children.

Likewise, by being cognizant of barriers to the outdoors associated with Hispanic experiences and consistent with outreach measures and staff, communities feel more comfortable recreating within the park system.

Realizing that environmental stewardship can take on different meanings for people of diverse backgrounds, including those in the Hispanic community visiting the parks across the Bay, the Conservancy, Maryland DNR, and the NPS Chesapeake Bay Office partnered together and worked on developing intentional programming that appealed to diverse audiences.

By planning events that include cultural programs, such as the reoccurring " Es My Parque " events, Hispanic and Spanish-speaking communities can connect to conservation and outdoor organizations in an authentic way. This authentic community engagement increases positive participation in the outdoors and stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay.

Anacostia Watershed Society provides experiential learning opportunities with the goal to empower and educate community members of all backgrounds and ages.

The  Watershed Stewards Academy  creates avenues for community leaders to focus on concerns local to their own community. With projects ranging from rain garden installations to water quality testing, projects are exclusive to participants' interests.

Additionally, to help foster a more inclusive outdoor space, Anacostia Watershed Society realized the importance to engage underserved youth who have inequitable access to the outdoors and nature-based education. These students are primarily from Black communities where they are disproportionately impacted by having little green space and inadequate funding to support environmental enrichment in their neighborhoods and communities.

By focusing on these communities, and fostering relationships across neighborhood boundaries, the  Saturday Environmental Academy  provides an opportunity for students of all backgrounds to learn about the Anacostia River and the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Chesapeake Gateways has a decades-long commitment to facilitating broad, inclusive, equitable access to the Chesapeake Bay watershed's natural, cultural, and recreational resources. These features on authentic community engagement illustrate how Chesapeake Gateways is now pursuing increased accessibility with an explicit focus on equity.

The effort to unite Chesapeake Bay sites together and expand public access to the Bay is also an opportunity to engage the Bay's many communities and to create a park experience that is welcoming and that reflects the diversity of residents and guests.

Today, there is an effort to establish a unit of the National Park System that would be dedicated to the Chesapeake Bay, called a “ Chesapeake National Recreation Area .” Community leaders and partners from around the Bay region are uniting to advance this proposal and establish this new national park unit.

Recognizing the great diversity in communities and visitors in the Chesapeake Bay, the Chesapeake Conservancy and Park Institute of America realizes this is an opportunity to share the stories of the people of the Chesapeake and its communities, and how we can work to make the Chesapeake National Recreation Area a welcoming, accessible place for all.

The mission of the  Park Institute of America  is to champion parks and protected areas by increasing understanding through education, enhancing the exchange of ideas, and building momentum through partnerships.

To realize our mission, the Park Institute of America engages in broad conversations about the importance of parks and protected areas as a vital component of society. The Institute will advocate for parks and other important natural and historical places through public education and will make practical recommendations to advance public policy. The Institute will also ensure that protected areas are widely recognized as vital components of human society. 

We believe the Chesapeake is a national treasure that should be healthy, accessible to everyone, and its watershed is a place where people and wildlife thrive. The mission of the Chesapeake Conservancy is to conserve and restore the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

We serve as a catalyst for change, advancing strong public and private partnerships, developing and using new technology, and empowering environmental stewardship.