With your help, we can bridge the nature gap and connect children and young people with nature

The aim is to bridge the nature gap by providing equal access to nature in order to strengthen young people’s self-confidence, resilience and future skills. It also seeks to promote environmental justice, empower young people through leadership and build far more inclusive and resilient communities.

Many children grow up surrounded by concrete, traffic and the stresses of school, knowing forests only through books. This inequality is referred to as the ‘Nature Gap’, which highlights that not all children have the same opportunities to experience nature, to have role models, or to feel welcome and safe outdoors.

Ensuring equitable access to nature is a vital issue of equal opportunities and environmental justice. Shared experiences in the great outdoors are fundamental to the development of children and young people, as they help to build self-confidence, a sense of community, resilience and joy, creating spaces where young people can discover their own strengths and take on responsibilities.

To change this reality, EMPOCA (the only organisation in Europe dedicated to this cause) facilitates access to nature for Black children and young people and those from migrant communities. What began in 2019 as a personal initiative is now a nationwide community movement in Germany that combines nature camps, mental health support, sport and leadership training to promote greater social diversity in natural spaces.

• Organisation of camps and residential events with educational support and experiential learning.

• Organisation of family and youth events that combine exercise and community.

• The ‘Black Nature Heroes’ training programme for young adults, which includes environmental education, mentoring and independent event organisation.

• National and international collaboration with organisations in the fields of education, sport and social enterprise to broaden our impact.

It directly benefits Black children and teenagers, or those from migrant communities, as well as young adults and their families, who gain a safe space and role models. At a wider level, it has an impact on the community and on natural spaces themselves, making them more diverse and representative of society.

EMPOCA