In the age-old tradition of the Sierra Club, the Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) program, founded in 1976 as Inner City Outings (the name was changed in 2014), seeks to foster meaningful experiences between participants and the natural world. However, the targeted demographic is what makes this program unique. ICO focuses on children and families primarily from urban areas who might otherwise lack access to both nature and principles of conservation.
Philadelphia ICO is one of fifty-three similar volunteer-run groups throughout the country. Don Miller, a Philadelphia ICO trip coordinator with a PhD in chemical engineering, became involved after his retirement from the pharmaceutical industry. In many ways, the position seems a natural progression of his passions and background.
“I’ve loved the outdoors my entire life,” Miller says. “I grew up in Pittsburgh, city proper, with few parks and very little nature. I would always go to any park and, once I could drive, I traveled to various Pennsylvania state parks to hike.” Over the years, Miller has built up an impressive hiking resume, which includes the Sierra Nevada, the Rockies, the Himalayas, the Alps, the mountains of Patagonia, and the Peruvian Andes. Now, Miller is back in his home state, showing Philadelphia kids all that a relationship with the outdoors can offer.
Frank “Dusty” Welsh, whom Miller refers to as the “driving force” behind Philadelphia ICO, took up the position as chair of the program after his retirement. “My background is scientific, but my true love is the outdoors. I am a big John Muir fan,” Welsh explains. “Like Muir, I sincerely believe in the value of spending time outdoors and wish to give inner city kids the opportunity to do so as well.”
In addition to connecting kids with the outdoors, ICO serves another purpose. It takes a step towards addressing the underrepresentation of low-income communities and people of color in the conservation movement, and often in the environmental movement more largely. To lead these trips and participate in this effort is a form of activism in it of itself.
“Lack of exposure to nature, and how it is challenged by what man is doing to it, contribute to inner-city communities not being fully or even partially engaged in the conservation movement,” Miller says. In today’s world, access to nature is often a privilege rather than a given. For inner-city poor and working class communities, the leisure time and transportation necessary for accessing and enjoying nature may both be missing. According to Welsh, “The main barriers are the distances from natural places and the incentive to seek out those places.” Without awareness and appreciation of the outdoors, these communities are far less likely to become involved in efforts to preserve America’s wilderness and natural environment.
Working together, Philadelphia ICO volunteers are streamlining the process of getting inner-city youths out into the natural landscape. They have developed relationships with the area’s schools and after-school programs, and now have a database of previous outings with permission forms and other required documents, making a leader’s job freer of hassle. Trip leaders are responsible for informing students of upcoming events, following up with parents, and running ICO transportation.
Trip participant expresses her appreciation for a tree by giving it a big hug.
Philadelphia ICO aims for two outings per month. “During each trip, we begin with some background on the Sierra Club and the trip itself, conduct the trip, and if time permits run an outdoor or environmental learning activity,” Miller describes. A particularly memorable excursion for him was taking students to a working dairy farm. “They had a complete tour of the barns, animals, milking areas and fields. Their faces were so expressive as they saw, for the first time, where their food actually comes from.” Additionally, they were able to enjoy some farm-fresh ice cream.
Both Miller and Welsh have observed real changes in students, even during the course of a single outing. “It is amazing how they come to life, follow their own curiosity, and find their own enjoyment,” Welsh says. “I can only explain it by saying that, on most trips, magic happens. We live in a highly programmed world with little free time. Our trips give the kids the free time and the freedom to discover for themselves what is in a natural place.”
Miller finds similar satisfaction in his work with ICO. “The day of the actual event is always a joy. The students who have been quiet typically open up and begin to engage with both the adults and other students during the day.” He adds, “I love seeing the joy on the faces of the students during an activity and sharing the wonder of nature around us.”
Hopefully, trips like these can make environmental enthusiasts and activists out of those who otherwise would not have had the opportunity. As Miller puts it, “The younger generation will become the community leaders of the future and our efforts are laying the groundwork for those leaders-to-be regarding conservation and nature.”
Welsh, too, sees the ICO programs garnering a long-term appreciation. He says, “I believe the trips we take may instill a love of nature that will last all their lives.”