Chris Rief
The Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK) annual awards were delivered during OAK’s annual advocacy week in D.C. Established in 2016, they are bestowed yearly on OAK members and decision-makers for significant contributions toward advancing opportunities for children, youth, and families to connect with nature.
This year, seven people were celebrated for their leadership and work to get more youth and families in nature, whether it was through engaging with outdoor clubs in their schools, their key roles in advancing outdoor programming, or working to enact important legislation.
OAK Awardees this year received an OAK pin and a copy of Iron Tazz's new hiking guide "Hike It: An Introduction to Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking Through the U.S.A.," sponsored kindly by Iron and Magic Cat Publishing.
The awards are broken up into three main categories: Acorn, Leaf, and Tree.
The Acorn Awards are given to youth who exemplify leadership in connecting young people with the outdoors. This year’s awardees are:
- Lydia Gomez, an Environmental Education Specialist/Team Lead with Austin Civilian Conservation Corps. Lydia serves as a peer mentor with her alma mater Akins High School’s cadet program, creating a positive culture for students to engage, facilitating conversations on intersectional identities and cultures, supporting student health and self-care. She leads additional programs in venues like the Austin Watershed Protection Department’s 5th grade Earth Camp and facilitates Spanish-language outdoors classes and programs.
- Madelane Martinez, a Cass Technical High School student, who is also president of her school’s Outdoor Adventure Club. Madelane has worked to engage her classmates in inclusive, welcoming and educational outdoor recreational programming, including rock climbing and volunteering in urban farms. She has also been part of the Sunrise Movement advocating for the Green New Deal for public schools.
The Leaf Awards are given to OAK members – individual or as an organization – who have gone above and beyond to support OAK goals. This year’s awardees are:
- Akiima Price, founder of Friends of Anacostia Park, has revitalized programming in the historic Anacostia Park, developed a model of how community care in nature can be transformational, and inspired many Outdoor Foundation Thrive Outside communities.
- Miho Aida, who has held several roles at NatureBridge over 24 years from Environmental Science Educator to Director of Equity and Inclusion, has made invaluable contributions to NatureBridge and its community over the years. Miho has been a sustained practitioner of inclusivity and ensuring everyone can share their voice as a valued member of the community.
- Sarah Cryder, executive director of City Kids Wilderness Project, a DC-based nonprofit that provides outdoor programming for 6th-12th grade students over a seven-year timeframe. Alongside outdoor programming City Kids provides job training, community service opportunities, and social justice workshops for its participants. City Kids stands out because of its unique model of working with the same kids from 6th to 12th grade to incredible impact on participants.
The Tree Awards are given to decision-makers at the federal, state, or local level who have worked to create change in connecting kids with nature. This year’s awardees are:
- Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick for his work on the Outdoors for All Act, which authorizes the Outdoors Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program, which helps economically disadvantaged communities with little to no access to public outdoor recreation spaces.
- Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán for her work on the Outdoors for All Act, authorizing the ORLP program, which provides funding for building or improving outdoor recreation sites and facilities in underserved communities.
