Lower Columbia Nature Network – What is it? How did it start? What’s ahead in the future?
Formerly the Clark County Nature Network, the Lower Columbia Nature Network (LCNN) is committed to working together to connect our community to nature through programs, facilities and partnerships.
Back in 2015 the Intertwine Alliance brought many government and nonprofits groups together, all interested in creating more opportunities for youth to connect with nature. Since then, the group has grown due to their passion for this cause.
Unofficially, we called ourselves the Clark County Nature Network and worked towards these goals:
Build stronger connections between organizations
Raise the visibility of the opportunities for kids to get outdoors, learn and be active
Develop larger collaborative efforts
Support networking — social gatherings, trainings, special events
Regional Green Schoolyards collaboration project
After the Intertwine Alliance stepped aside in 2017 to pursue other projects, the group became volunteer-led under the leadership of Jane Tesner Kleiner of Nature+Play Designs. During this time, we continued meeting and the group slowly grew. It proved to be difficult to move the work forward without funding to allow for paid staff and money to build a website, etc. but momentum continued to grow with dedicated partners continuing to join in conversations about how we could do more.
In 2020 the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service stepped in with some seed money as they had a belief the organization could do a lot of good work in creating access to nature for all. USFWS has provided funds to allow for contractors Jane Tesner Kleiner and Michelle Sanow to continue the work and grow the organization as well as create tools like the website and more, including social media accounts to come.
With the future in our sights we have created a five year plan, communication plan, and conducted a stakeholder mapping. We also were just invited to join Cities Connecting Children to Nature, a joint program run by the National League of Cities and the Children & Nature Network, a national organization who supports and mobilize leaders, educators, activists, practitioners and parents working to turn the trend of an indoor childhood back out to the benefits of nature–and to increase safe and equitable access to the natural world for all.
With these great strides forward, we look forward to what is ahead, creating pathways for children and families to connect to the natural world in ways they haven’t had access or opportunity to before. With partnerships and collaboration, opportunities open up that didn’t exist before. We are grateful to our dedicated partners look, with anticipation, for what is next.
