Youth champions: Stories of impact and initiative

From the bustling streets of urban centers to the serene landscapes of national parks, young activists are driving change and advocating for equitable access to nature across the globe. 

Youth leadership is essential for ensuring that the efforts of the children and nature movement are sustainable and relevant to future generations. Investing in youth leadership better tailors nature connection strategies to young constituents, promotes lifelong activism, results in mutually beneficial outcomes, and supports workforce development and green career pathways.

The Children & Nature Network’s Youth Outdoor Equity Leadership Fund (YOELF) provides financial support to young advocates and environmental stewards seeking to grow professionally as leaders in the movement. Throughout the year, young adults ages 16-30 are awarded mini-grants of up to $500 from the YOELF. The fund helps grantees implement projects, attend professional development opportunities and host events. While the scope of their initiatives varies, grantees share a unified focus on the environment, community health, well-being and justice — and a passion for creating equitable access to nature.

“The best part about granting these awards has been seeing all the amazing work young leaders have been doing in their own communities,” says the Children & Nature Network’s President & CEO Sarah Milligan-Toffler.

Below, we dive into the stories of several YOELF grant recipients, each with a unique vision and drive to make a difference in their corner of the world. 

Landon D’Agate

Immersed in nature from a very young age, Landon D’Agate developed a deep sense of care for the natural world — particularly plants and their cultivation. Now, D’Agate is the chairperson of the Suffolk County Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Council’s Environmental Justice Subcommittee and a guest blogger for Long Island Cares, a food bank serving Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York. 

Landon D’Agate at the Bay Shore United Methodist Church’s community garden. Photo courtesy of Landon D’Agate.

D’Agate used his YOELF grant to help fund the Soil2Salad project at Bay Shore United Methodist Church, a community garden that engages children, families and other community members in gardening and food sustainability. Since its inception, the Soil2Salad garden has had a positive educational, social and nutritional impact on the community, while cultivating and donating over 1,100 pounds of produce to a local food pantry. In addition, the garden was the setting of an “outdoor classroom” series, where experts were invited to speak with community members about various topics related to gardening and sustainability. 

“Many community members mentioned that the garden gave them an opportunity to reconnect with nature and other members in the community,” reported D’Agate. “It also helped them appreciate the importance of sustainable food systems.”

D’Agate looks forward to spending another season in the garden reconnecting with community members, tending to the plants and harvesting. He hopes the garden will encourage increased community involvement and generate an even more bountiful harvest next summer!

Gabriella Parra

While studying for her degree in Natural Resources and Mexican-American Studies at the University of Arizona, Gabriella Parra applied for the YOELF. Parra used the grant to support her work as an intern with the Latino Heritage Internship Program at Zion National Park, where she researched Latino history in Utah and conducted outreach to the Latino community.

Gabriella Parra, leading a Junior Ranger Program on dinosaurs at the Zion Nature Center. Photo courtesy of Gabriella Parra.

Throughout her research, Parra found major recurring themes in labor, migration and religion. At the end of the summer, Parra presented her research to fellow interns at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. 

In addition to her research, Parra led Junior Ranger programs for up to 100 visitors daily, ranging from drop-in interpretive moments on the trails to 30-minute programs in the Zion Nature Center building. Parra also helped plan the first-ever Latino Conservation Week at Zion, which included a guided hike that discussed mindfulness, movement, migration and the idea of homeland. 

“Doing this internship really did change my life,” reported Parra. “I now feel like I have a clear idea that community outreach and environmental education is the career path that I want to follow.”

Elena Smith

Elena Smith is the education and program director for the Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership (SCRGP), a nonprofit organization based in the Denver, Colorado, metropolitan area. SCRGP strives to promote curiosity, environmental awareness and community health through stewardship and outdoor experiences along the Sand Creek Regional Greenway — an urban greenspace that runs through Denver and the nearby towns of Aurora and Commerce City.

During Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership programs, the Greenway becomes the outdoor classroom. Photo courtesy of Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership.

“Fostering a sense of love for the natural world is imperative to the continued health of our planet,” said Smith. “Time spent outside makes this possible! The ability for every person, no matter where they come from, where they live, or who they are, to safely and comfortably access outdoor spaces is my vision for the future.”

Smith used her YOELF grant to attend the annual Colorado Open Space Alliance Conference. While at the conference, she participated in learning sessions, listened to inspiring keynote speakers and met a variety of her peers in Colorado’s natural resource field. The sessions ranged in topic from presentations on prioritizing the creation of safe, open space lands for folks within the LGBTQIA+ community, to going “Beyond Land Acknowledgments” in order to create lasting relationships and partnerships with Indigenous peoples.

“Attending this event was incredible,” reported Smith. “It gave me the opportunity to hear new perspectives on the challenges and issues that I deal with in my line of work. I brought a handful of new ideas back to my organization!”

Giselle Arroyo 

Giselle Arroyo is a community organizer, land and water protector, and activist based out of Denver, Colorado. Arroyo used her YOELF grant to help co-host the 2023 Denver Youth Unity Rising Summit in partnership with a collection of students and organizations. The event provided Colorado youth (ages 13-18) with immersive learning experiences through hands-on activities, workshops and inspirational panels of speakers. 

“Our collective goal was to guide youth toward sustainable practices and provide them with empowering resources… to uplift our next generation of leaders,” explained Arroyo. 

Drawing inspiration from the power of intentional connectivity and the intersectionality of activism, the summit created a space for students to come together and learn from Black, Indigenous, and other leaders of color, as well as LGBTQIA+ youth and allies. In addition to fostering community, the event also strengthened the bond between young people and the land by offering co-stewardship opportunities that centered Indigenous perspectives on stewardship and the voices of environmental justice advocates.

“I am especially invested in our youth and supporting them because they are our future and will continue helping to save and repair Mother Earth,” added Arroyo. 

Check out a video recap of the Denver Youth Unity Rising Summit here!

Corbyn Loftin

Corbyn Loftin is a high school senior from Kerrville, Texas, seated in Texas Hill Country. Growing up, Loftin’s participation in summer camps instilled a love for the outdoors that has continued into her present work. Inspired by the beauty of the Guadalupe River, which runs through the center of Kerrville, Loftin used her YOELF grant to create “Kerrville Connection Kits.” She aims to inspire other youth and families to get outside, and hopes that the toolkits help families, both local and visiting, explore and engage with the area’s nearby natural features. 

Corbyn Loftin assembling the kits. Photo courtesy of Corbyn Loftin.

Loftin’s Kerrville Connection Kits included a nature guide, magnifying glass, bug catcher, bug jar, binoculars and “Welcome to Kerrville” sticker, as well as an activity booklet to fill out while hiking, complete with a pencil, pencil sharpener, and button to be awarded after finishing the nature activities. She created and distributed 50 kits to the Kerrville Visitor Center.

Loftin encourages other youth interested in spearheading environmental initiatives to jump in. “If there’s a will, there’s a way,” she advises. “Lead with your heart first, and then with your head. The worst that could happen is that people say no to you, and that’s okay!”

The Youth Outdoor Equity Leadership Fund is open to young leaders in the U.S., Mexico and Canada between the ages of 16 and 30. Mini-grants are awarded quarterly. Learn more here. 

The Youth Outdoor Equity Leadership Fund is supported by Macy’s Mission Every One.

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