Community Spotlight: Lowell, Massachusetts

In Lowell, Massachusetts, nature is a vital community asset. Driven by the belief that every resident deserves access to green space, the City of Lowell is working alongside community organizations, educators and youth to expand outdoor access and nature-based opportunities. In 2023, the city became a Nature Everywhere Community to increase access to nature by developing “nature exploration areas” within pocket parks and schools. 

“The Nature Everywhere Lowell team demonstrated a deep understanding of community needs, alignment with city plans, and a solid vision for expanding equitable nature access,” said Brenda Kessler, Program Manager for the Children & Nature Network and the Lowell team’s technical assistance lead.

At the heart of this work is the Pawtucket Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, a former Christmas tree farm now transformed into a flourishing wildlife haven. Pawtucket Farm serves as both a symbol and a catalyst for the city’s broader goals: promoting nature-based learning, creating inclusive spaces for exploration and play, and ensuring environmental access across all neighborhoods, especially those historically underserved.

Instead of pursuing separate agendas, Lowell’s Nature Everywhere team has integrated fully with the City of Lowell’s Open Space Plan for 2025. This cohesive approach ensures that nature-based goals are embedded directly into city-wide priorities, resulting in a strategic, inclusive and unified green space vision.

The initiative is rooted in cross-sector collaboration. Through a collaborative planning process, the team brings together stakeholders from across sectors to align on shared goals and elevate the importance of equitable outdoor access. The team includes representatives from the city planning department, the local school district, nonprofits with deep ties to Cambodian and other immigrant communities, and youth-serving organizations. 

Community input is central to Lowell’s work. The Nature Everywhere team takes a city-wide view, ensuring community voices shape all decisions. A recent kickoff meeting gathered 35 stakeholders from 20 organizations, including city departments and nonprofits. Before that, the team engaged local high school students to understand the real barriers young people face in accessing nature. Transportation and proximity to natural areas emerged as key challenges. By bringing together a broad range of community members, the Nature Everywhere team ensures that Lowell’s outdoor spaces are designed with the community, not just for them.

As the initiative moves forward, the Nature Everywhere Lowell team has identified several long-term goals:

• Increase the amount of time youth spend outdoors
• Improve the quality of outdoor experiences across the city
• Establish a citywide coalition of community organizations, city leaders and youth advocates

Lowell’s initiative reflects a growing understanding that access to nature isn’t just about aesthetics or leisure — it’s about equity, health, education and connection. By integrating community needs with municipal goals, and prioritizing inclusivity at every step, Lowell is building a blueprint for how cities can center nature in their urban planning — and in the lives of all residents.

Nature Everywhere Communities initiative

The Nature Everywhere Communities initiative was launched in November 2023 by the Children & Nature Network, National League of Cities and KABOOM!, with the goal of advancing equitable access to nature everywhere children live, learn and play in 100 communities by 2025. 

The effort builds on lessons learned over the past nine years of providing technical assistance, training, resources and grants in more than 50 U.S. cities through Cities Connecting Children to Nature, a program specifically designed for municipal leaders. Nature Everywhere Communities is an expansion of this proven approach, as it welcomes leadership from both city and regional governments as well as school districts and the nonprofit, philanthropic and private sectors. 

Through a competitive application process, communities are selected to join the Nature Everywhere Communities initiative. They receive assistance in strategic planning, technical support and start-up funding to develop and implement community-driven plans for connecting children to nature-based experiences and learning. 

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