Outdoor equity framework: gear, trauma-informed safety and cultural practices to improve coastal access, speaker says

In an online City of Sunnyvale Sustainability Speaker Series event, Sarah White, executive director of Outdoors Empowered Network (OEN), outlined a framework to increase equitable access to the California coast that emphasizes gear libraries, leadership training, trauma-aware safety practices and culturally grounded programming.

The webinar — presented as part of Sunnyvale’s sustainability speaker series and moderated by Ria Grover, an environmental program specialist for the City of Sunnyvale, with opening remarks from Sustainability Commissioner Christina Pistone — framed coastal access as both a climate and equity issue. "The city of Sunnyvale's climate action playbook is our plan to reduce our carbon emissions," Grover said while introducing the city’s climate resources. Pistone said the series theme for 2024–25 is "Beyond the Shoreline."

White described OEN as "a national network of community led, youth centered outdoor education groups dedicated to increasing access and diversity in the outdoors through gear libraries and outdoor leadership training." She said OEN has grown from seven gear libraries to nearly 40 nationwide and that members support outdoor access for thousands of young people annually.

White called gear a key practical barrier. "Our rough estimate is that it's about a thousand dollars MSRP ... to purchase the gear that you need for one person," she said, noting that a full kit for camping can be cost‑prohibitive and that OEN helps members obtain gear at nonprofit pricing — typically 30%–50% below retail.

Beyond gear and training, White presented a four‑part framework she uses with communities: safety, inclusion, culture and healing. Under safety, she highlighted generational "land trauma" tied to colonization and displacement, community traumas such as segregated beaches and wade‑ins during the civil rights era, and family‑level trauma including housing and food insecurity. White said those histories can shape whether families feel welcome or safe at the coast.

She also addressed present‑day safety concerns: discriminatory enforcement by rangers or law enforcement, the risk of vigilante or other human predation on remote sites, and group dynamics that can produce exclusion within programs. White advised program leaders and teachers to anticipate questions families might have about safety and to build clear protocols for trips and transportation.

On culture and inclusion, White urged agencies and organizers to use signage and materials that reflect local history and languages and to design programs that accommodate cultural practices. She cited Kings Canyon National Park as an example where visitor center materials translated into Spanish were associated with greater campsite diversity. White stressed that for many Indigenous participants, outdoor activity is cultural reclamation rather than recreation, and she advised non‑Indigenous leaders not to appropriate practices: "It's not your job to bring native culture," she said, recommending that Indigenous groups be supported to design and lead their own programs.

White framed healing as both individual and communal: nature‑based practices, affinity groups, and community organizing around outdoor access can build resilience. She said OEN supports libraries and community groups with program design, IT and lending systems, and thought leadership to help libraries and local partners scale programs. In the Bay Area, she pointed to Bay Area Wilderness Training as a partner that loans gear and trains teachers; White said that program lends tens of thousands of pieces of gear annually and supports thousands of students on field trips.

During the question‑and‑answer session, participants asked about practical allyship, inclusion of Indigenous knowledge without appropriation, how schools engage with gear libraries, and how to make urban nature spaces more accessible. White recommended doing local historical homework, centering humility and long‑term relationships, accommodating religious and cultural food and prayer practices on trips, and ensuring forms and outreach give families non‑stigmatizing ways to note needs.

The webinar included technical interruptions but concluded with a reminder that the session recording and follow‑up resources will be emailed to registrants and that OEN accepts donations and partnerships. White encouraged attendees to contact OEN or local member libraries for gear and program support.

Ending: The City of Sunnyvale said it will share links to resources and the webinar recording with registrants; participants were invited to complete an evaluation form and to watch for future sustainability speaker series events.