The YES! Parks program allows youth aged 13 to 18 a chance to explore nature.
Local kids can frolic in the great outdoors more than ever now thanks to a bonanza for Sonoma County Regional Parks. The parks’ YES (Youth Exploring Sonoma) Parks program last week received a nearly $300k grant from the California Natural Resource Agency’s Youth Community Access program.
The program, started in 2017 as YES! Coast, has expanded to include offerings for the Russian River and area mountains, YES! River and YES! Mountain, respectively.
The grant will support four sessions of YES! Mountain and YES! River, which will reach 120 local teens. It will also allow the team to recruit two youth leaders per session—alumni from past YES! Programs—to help develop plans for field days and the campout, help manage supplies and lead activities during field trips.
Guadalupe Navarro, community engagement manager for Sonoma County Regional Parks, applauded the grant, which will enable the program to be more inclusive. “Our YES! Parks program was created with equity in mind,” Navarro said in an announcement of the grant. “We recruit low-income, BIPOC and LGBTQ-plus youth to take part in this program, which introduces them to nature.”
Outdoors for All, which is funded by Proposition 64, the cannabis tax passed in 2016, establishes spaces for people and nature to thrive in a welcoming and inclusive culture; builds equitable career paths for outdoor recreation, natural resources and restoration professions; and aligns funding partnerships among federal, state and non-governmental entities, according to the press release. The grant totaled $297,320.
Added Navarro: “The grant enhances the YES! Parks programs and keeps them viable for years to come. We’re fortunate to be able to introduce even more Sonoma County youth to our vibrant natural resources.”
