This is the first of two live episodes that were recorded at the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s 2023 annual meeting in Houston, Texas. The topic of this panel discussion was Equitable Access to the Outdoors, a subject that is timely and important in all areas of the West, but especially important in Texas, where 93% of the state’s land is privately owned. Whether your interest is outdoor recreation, public health, climate change, or public-private conservation partnerships, the ability for people to have access to parks, trails, open spaces, and wild places is becoming more and more important with each passing year.

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For this conversation, I was joined on stage by five Texas conservation innovators– folks who are working hard to ensure that Texans of all stripes have ample opportunities to spend time outside– whether in the cities or in the state’s more rural areas. In order of their appearance in this conversation, we had Jaime González, Healthy Communities Director for the Nature Conservancy; Sarah Coles, Executive Director of the Texas Children in Nature Network; Immanuel Salas, Texas Parks and Wildlife’s R3 Coordinator for Hunting and Shooting Sports; Neal Wilkins, President and CEO of the East Foundation; and Joseph Fitzsimons, conservationist and owner of the San Pedro Ranch. You can check out the episode notes for more information on each of the panelists and links to their respective bios and organizations.

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I could’ve spent hours talking to each of the panelists individually, but as a group, we had a very informative and educational conversation– one that provided a different perspective from some of my past episodes that focused on equitable access. we covered a lot in this hour-long discussion, including: the importance of building thriving cities with ample parks, trails, and outdoor space; how these organizations are working to reverse some of the disheartening trends around children’s health and their access to the outdoors; the importance of collaborative partnerships, the R3 program in Texas– what it is, why it’s important, and how it is evolving; the role of private landowners in providing access opportunities; the importance of youth education; the role of government; public land in Texas; the need to engage with elected officials; favorite books; and much more.

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I learned a lot from this conversation and was honored to share a stage with such an impressive group of people who are working so hard on this all-important issue. Click the link in your podcast player to access all of the notes and links from this episode– we’ve listed tons of excellent resources from this episode.

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Thanks to John Kinsey and the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society for inviting me to host this event, and thank you for listening. Hope you enjoy!

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• Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society
• The Wildlife Society
• Panelists Bios
• Full episode note and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/equitable-access/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED

• 3:04 - An introduction, and then Jaime discusses his work with TNC in Houston
• 9:25 - The quantitative way that Jaime and TNC evaluate success in connecting youth with the outdoors
• 11:25 - Sarah introduces Texas Children in Nature Network
• 15:55 - Sarah explains TCINN’s partnership model
• 19:10 - Immanuel discusses the R3 program and its importance
• 26:40 - Neil introduces the East Foundation
• 30:55 - How the East Foundation’s educational programs have shifted over time
• 32:10 - How Joe became involved in public lands conservation work through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission
• 38:55 - The panelists' experience in dealing with politics and elected officials
• 46:40 - The panelists discuss the importance of storytelling
• 58:40 - Panelists’ suggestions for books, podcasts, resources to access, etc

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