I’m Not Playin’: Introducing Black & Brown Urban Youth to Nature
Sunday, March 24 at 4:00 pm
Flying Deer Nature Center
122 Daley Rd., East Chatham, NY
Free admission—registration requested; donations encouraged!
Flying Deer is committed to offering the Speaker Series at no cost to the public. To help spread the impact, any donations received through these events will go towards our outreach programming in Columbia and Berkshire Counties.
Join us for an inspiring and enlightening event as Flying Deer instructor Vanessa Baehr shares insights into the challenges and rewards of introducing Black and Brown youth from urban communities to the wonders of the natural world. Drawing from her experiences in the field, Vanessa will explain the importance of supporting marginalized populations to experience greater comfort and connection in nature.
Vanessa is an accomplished environmental educator and landscape gardener who has worked on numerous projects within these fields, ranging from community gardens and ecological restoration initiatives to advisory boards and after-school programs throughout Columbia County. Driven by her passion for history, culture, and community, Vanessa offers a unique perspective at the intersection of urban life and environmentalism.
More About Vanessa
Vanessa (Nature Name: Blue Vervain) grew up combing the beaches for treasures in New Jersey and exploring the forests of the Adirondacks during summer camps, but was otherwise raised mostly in urban environments. She reconnected with nature when she worked with farms and camped in New Zealand and Australia for six months.
Soon after that trip, Vanessa started to learn everything she could about botany, gardening, herbalism, and foraging. Since 2012, she has worked as an environmental educator and landscape gardener, working with both public and private land and clients on various projects, including community gardens, ecological restoration projects, advisory boards, and after-school programs in Columbia County.
Vanessa attended C-GCC and Bard College, completing a degree in Environmental and Urban Studies. She was drawn to Flying Deer when she saw how transformative her child’s experiences here had been, and she’s been grateful to join in the fun!
About the Speaker Series
Inaugurated in 2020, the Speaker Series aims to:
- Educate the FDNC community and the general public on the impact of white supremacy and land ownership on access to and connection with nature
- Foster knowledge of this history in order to establish a shared understanding of and commitment to reparations, anti-racism, and decolonization, particularly in the area of nature connection and outdoor education
- Highlight the voices of Black-led nature-connection initiatives
- Build insight into how to create diversity and inclusion within the work of nature connection