October 9, 2021 was National Thrive Outside Day!
To celebrate, we invited Mainers to share stories and pictures of the diverse ways they like to #ThriveOutside
We are part of a nationwide group of networks and collaborations working to make the outdoors accessible and equitable for all people.
As the backbone of the Thrive Outside Maine Community, NBEC is strengthening our statewide network of nonprofit, philanthropic, and business partners.
How do you thrive outside in Maine?
Together, we can shift the narrative.
Here's what is happening in other Thrive Outside communities across the US:
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ATLANTA: The Thrive Outside Atlanta Community is led by the Trust for Public Land together with a diverse network of partners in West Atlanta and along the Chattahoochee River.
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GRAND RAPIDS: The Thrive Outside Grand Rapids Community is led by Our Community’s Children, a partnership of the City of Grand Rapids & Grand Rapids Public Schools & the Parks & Recreation Department.
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OKLAHOMA CITY: The Thrive Outside Oklahoma City Community is led by the OKC RIVERSPORT Foundation together with a broad based network of partners infusing an active, outdoor lifestyle among youth.
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PHILADELPHIA: The Thrive Outside Philadelphia Community, led by the National Wildlife Federation, is bringing together several regional organizations, stakeholders and existing large-scale networks to collectively create pathways for equitable access to the outdoors.
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SAN DIEGO: The Thrive Outside San Diego Community, led by The San Diego Foundation, is strengthening an existing network of nonprofit, philanthropic, academic and government partners.
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ST. LOUIS: The Thrive Outside St. Louis Community, led by newly created River City Outdoors, is activating a growing network of community stakeholders dedicated to making outdoor recreational opportunities more accessible and equitable for their region.
From the Outdoor Foundation:
We’re helping create a more inclusive and accessible outdoor experience for all through the Thrive Outside Initiative, a community-led program built with trusted local and national partners.
Thrive Outside is focused on reversing the declining trend of outdoor engagement by working at the grassroots level, empowering communities to make outdoor recreation an accessible lifestyle for all. The Initiative awards multi-year, capacity-building grants to diverse communities to build and strengthen networks focused on providing children and families with repeat and reinforcing experiences in the outdoors.
Our world is witnessing incredible upheaval, and Americans across the country are taking to the outdoors in search of respite from COVID-19. The Outdoor Foundation 2021 Participation Trends Report recorded that 7.1 million more
Americans participated in outdoor recreation in 2020 than in the year prior, the highest participation rate ever recorded.
Outdoor youth programming and public-private partnerships such as the Thrive Outside Initiative are helping to address equity barriers to the outdoors in communities across the country. The Outdoor Foundation is working through strategic investments to move the needle on barriers such as safety, walkability, transportation, cost and cultural inclusion.