Everyone has a right to nature by Isabelle

Everyone has a right to nature by Isabelle - February 2020 Scholarship Essay

Nature has always been a huge part of my family’s life. All of my best childhood memories are from camping trips. Rolling down my window as we drove into the campground so I could smell the sticky-sweet sap of the ponderosas. Going exploring with my sister as soon as we got out of the car and giving names like “elephant rock” and “kid island” to all the beautiful places we found. Sitting on the ground with my back against a tree, waiting for our instant oatmeal to cook. Squatting down to inspect flowers huddled together around a clear gray stream. Sitting cross legged at the base of a tree older than the world and bigger than the universe. Watching sunlight fall through broad leaves and stain the air below green or red or yellow. Inhaling the lavender-colored smell of the forest.
However, my family has always had more obstacles when it comes to hiking and backpacking because my brother uses a wheelchair. It helps that most of us are in good shape (my dad pushed him all the way to the top of Mount Washburn in Yellowstone!), and we have a lot of adaptive equipment like a tent-cot for him to sleep in. However, there are still a lot of things he can’t do, like backpacking and hiking on narrow trails. My heart breaks a little every time he talks about how excited he is to try skiing or backpacking or climbing.
My mom and I have discussed starting a nonprofit to help provide adaptive gear for wheelchair users to participate in outdoor activities. This gear might include thinner wheelchairs that can more easily handle rocky trails or wheelchairs that include a battery so the person pushing doesn’t have to work quite so hard.
My mom has always wanted to start a nonprofit before she turns 50, and although we probably won’t meet that deadline, we have done a little bit of preliminary planning. I’m hoping that within the next few years, we will be able to make this idea a reality. I believe that everyone has the right to experience nature.