Examining outdoor recreation as an approach to promote youth engagement in environmental activism

Abstract

Recognizing that youth will play a critical role in shaping our future and taking consideration of the environmental crisis at hand, it is imperative to examine new ways to engage young people in environmental efforts so that they can contribute to viable solutions related to environmental sustainability. This chapter examines Sport for Development opportunities, with a specific focus on outdoor recreation programming as a significant opportunity to promote youth connection to nature and engagement in environmental sustainability in order to enhance environmental outcomes in the future. It highlights the health benefits that can be derived from engaging in nature and emphasizes that this may help to moderate human investment in the environment and influence engagement in sustainable behaviors. This chapter also examines a range of program approaches and applies ecological systems theory to examine the benefits, both for youth as well as for the community and environment. Finally, it applies ecological systems theory to examine Indigenous programming and the concept of two-eyed seeing.