Nature for Everyone: What Inclusion Really Looks Like

Not everyone can walk a forest trail. Not everyone can visit a farm, a wildlife center, or a botanical garden. For many people in our communities—elders, people with disabilities, individuals living in group homes or memory care units—nature has become something out of reach.

At The Nature Connection, we believe nature should be for everyone.

Inclusion isn’t just a value we talk about—it’s something we design for, every single day. It shows up in how we structure our programs, train our staff, and work with each person, one-on-one. We don’t expect people to come to nature. We bring nature to them.

And we do it with intention.

We adapt our materials to meet sensory, cognitive, and mobility needs. We use trauma-informed and dementia-friendly approaches. We create quiet, respectful spaces where people can explore natural objects, smell herbs, feel the weight of a rabbit, or just listen to a story about the wind in the trees.

We work in facilities and settings that are often overlooked—places where programs like this are rare, if they exist at all. We show up at group homes where residents have lived most of their lives without access to meaningful enrichment. We visit memory care units where moments of clarity are fleeting, and incredibly precious. We partner with therapeutic schools where students are managing more than most people ever will.

Inclusion also means how we invite people to participate. We never force interaction. We follow the participant’s lead. Some people want to touch every object and ask a dozen questions. Others want to observe quietly from a distance. Every response is valid. Every person is respected.

And inclusion doesn’t stop with the people we serve. It extends to our volunteers—some of whom are individuals with disabilities or at-risk youth seeking connection and purpose. They help care for our animals, prepare materials, and co-create meaningful moments in our programs.

This is what inclusion looks like: people of all ages and abilities connecting to nature in a way that works for them. No expectations. No pressure. Just presence, dignity, and the gentle possibility of wonder.

Because everyone—everyone—deserves to feel a part of the living world.

Call to Action:
Help us create inclusive, accessible nature experiences for those who need them most. Visit www.nature-connection.org to learn more or support our work.