Over 300 people – elected officials, City of Reading staff, local school administrators, students, and youth leaders – gathered at Berks Nature’s 18th Annual State of the Environment Breakfast to address the gap between Berks County’s abundance of green spaces and the mounting mental health crisis facing today’s youth.
Tami Shimp, President of Berks Nature, walked the group through the facts of the matter.
First, Berks County is rich in green spaces: nearly 39% of the county is forested and 11% of the county’s total acreage is dedicated to recreation. Where other cities now labor to create green spaces, Reading is home to over 60 parks, playgrounds, and natural areas and sits between 2,500 acres of forested mountain slopes, interlaced with trails and outlooks.
Second, time in nature improves our physical and mental health. Just 20 minutes of time outside measurably drops stress hormones and children who grow up with regular access to green spaces have a 55% lower risk of developing psychiatric disorders later in life.
And third, adolescents today are facing a mental health crisis. Nationally, feelings of sadness and hopelessness have been on the rise and in Berks County, 38% of middle schoolers report feeling sad or depressed most of the time. Struggling to cope, Berks County’s youth are increasingly turning to self-harm and around 16% seriously considered suicide in the last year.
It is no coincidence that these same children are spending less time exploring the outdoors compared to any previous generation. In one survey, 65% of parents reported playing outside daily during their childhoods, compared to just 30% of children surveyed today.
What is stopping us, and especially youth, from getting outside? In the Greater Reading Area, the greatest barriers to nature’s bounty appear to be feelings of safety and belonging.
Tami Shimp, President of Berks Nature speaking at the 18th Annual State of the Environment Breakfast.
Rick Perez, President & CEO of the Olivet Boys and Girls Club, then took the stage. He shared memories from his own childhood, how the lessons from his beloved mother, while well-intentioned, had steered him away from the outdoors. The water at Blue Marsh Lake wasn’t “safe” to swim in, fruits fresh from the vine were considered “dirty”, and much of the natural world was not clean enough to touch.
Now though? Perez takes daily breaks from the hustle and bustle of modern life by simply lying in the grass at Grings Mill Recreation Area. These nature breaks are a key piece of his self-care routine.
Perez’s childhood is one that many children in Reading are still living today; then, to truly address barriers of safety and sense of belonging in nature, we must help adults, guardians, and youth leaders acquire their own confidence and sense of place outdoors.
This is what Berks Nature can offer to the City of Reading (and the county as a whole): resources, tools, and training that builds awareness, confidence, and community within our incredible green spaces. We call this initiative: Beyond Four Walls.
The 18th Annual State of the Environment Breakfast.
Breakfast goers peruse the map of Reading’s over 60 parks, playgrounds, and natural areas, which was included in this year’s State of the Environment publication.
The work begins with a map listing the address of every public green space and playground in Reading. This map will soon be available online and in Spanish and was distributed to all in attendance at the Breakfast.
Rick Perez, President and CEO of Olivets Boys and Girls Club, speaks to a full room about his personal journey finding nature as an adult.
Then, in 2027, Berks Nature has already set time aside to partner with youth leaders – places like Centro Hispano, Early Learning Resource Center, Olivet Boys & Girls Club, Nolde Forest, Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light, and Reading Public Library, just to name a few – and provide training that builds familiarity and confidence with outdoor activities.
The deep-seated barriers of safety and belonging in nature are a reality we must address together, as a community.
“If your park’s not safe, make it safe!” asserted Perez to a room of nods and applause.
Shimp also issued a challenge: “Please consider a commitment to working together in this community to actively break down these barriers and get our children outdoors. After all, nature belongs to everyone and everyone belongs in nature.”