Kara Lapso
Nov 24, 2024
I'm excited to share this Q&A style interview highlighting Alicia M. Highland - founder and executive director of Tiny Green Learner. Over the past year, Alicia has become both a friend and a business inspiration. She's a lover of all things outdoors, super smart, and great at social media. She's also an all around great business owner, friend, and person. Please keep reading to learn more about Alicia and her work!
Who are you? What is your name, where are you from, what else is important that you’d like to add?
👋🏾 Hello! My name is Alicia M. Highland, I am originally from Cincinnati, was mostly raised in
Munroe Falls Ohio, and have recently returned home after a few years in Washington State.
What organization do you represent? Tell us about it.
I am the Founder + Executive Director of Tiny Green Learning, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting children, families, and communities to nature through outdoor learning and play. Tiny Green Learning is an expression of all the things that bring me joy in life- authentic learning experiences, being in nature, and my love of children and community. I bring a lot of lived and professional experience to this role including my work as a field biologist, Equity & STEM program coordinator, elementary teacher, outdoor recreation trip leader, and mom!
What do you love most about the outdoors?
What I love most about the outdoors is that nature provides us with so many gifts that are essential to our well-being. Time spent in nature is restorative, it provokes introspection, it also provides opportunities for relaxation, education, or adventure. I love that folks can begin a relationship with nature at any level of comfort and know-how, and find something that is accessible for where they are at that moment.
How does your organization accommodate beginners?
So at Tiny Green Learning, we start with the most beginner of beginners, lol, children ages 0-8 and their families. By centering young children and their families, we're creating low-risk, high reward opportunities to engage in the outdoors, especially for folks who may not spend a lot of time in nature. We also work to remove barriers to access. We host free programs that require no specialized equipment for our participants, and hope to expand and provide more opportunities for children with disabilities. We also hope to host a gear library so that folks with less experience aren't deterred by the high costs of outdoor gear.
As a Black mom in the outdoor scene, what barriers have you faced? What advice do you have for other BIPOC moms wanting to do more nature-based programming or spend more time outdoors?
Women of color face a lot of systemic barriers to participation in the outdoors, whether that be lack of access to safe outdoor spaces, physical or emotional safety concerns, lack of finances, limited time, lack of knowledge, or lack of access to gear or other essential resources. And at various times in my life I have been affected by all of those barriers, so I recognize that it really can be uncomfortable to engage in the outdoor community as a woman of color. That being said, I am happy to share that I've seen so much progress in the areas of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the outdoor field since I entered it in 2003. There is, of course, a lot more to do, but tremendous strides have been made.
To my BIPOC moms or parents, my advice is to seek the resources in your community, whether they be your friends and family, organizations, or online groups. Not only can these folks provide you with information and companionship, they can connect you to gear, events, funding for trips, or support you in creating your own outdoor group. Organizations to connect with include your local YMCAs and park district. You can also find national affinity groups online like Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors, and Outdoor Asian, and in Northeast Ohio, there's a lot of organizations dedicated to getting people of color outdoors.
My other piece of advice is to start small. You don't have to go to the Grand Canyon for your first hiking trip and you can go on your first camping trip in a backyard. Do what works for your comfort level, ability, and schedule. As you gain experience, your confidence and curiosity will encourage you to go further.
What are your dreams for inclusivity in the outdoor industry in NEO?
I would love to see a greater emphasis on centering the needs of folks who currently have the least access to the outdoors. Providing intentionally inclusive spaces, for folks with disabilities, people of color, children, and the elderly, benefits our entire community.
In your opinion, how can other outdoor businesses, organizations, groups, etc. be more inclusive?
I think that inclusivity begins with self reflection and self education so that you can begin to identify the ways that your programming may be inaccessible. I think it's also important to make authentic connections to the communities that you hope to serve. As you build out those relationships, you will grow a more inclusive environment.
Are there any websites, research, books, etc., you recommend to better understand inclusivity in the outdoors?
“Black Faces, White Spaces” by Carolyn Finney;
“The Nature Gap Report” by The Center for American Progress;
“Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv;
“Is Everyone Really Equal?: An Introduction to Key Concepts in Social Justice Education” by Ozlem Sensoy and Robin DiAngelo;
“Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer; and
“The Rise of the American Conservation Movement: Power, Privilege; Environmental Protection” by Dorceta E. Taylor
Is there anything I am missing or anything else you’d like to share?
I'm excited to see what happens next! I'm glad we're all on this journey together!