By ANN RICHARDS
Growing up in the shadow of a Texas oil rig drove Charles Jordan into a nearby woods where he spent many pleasurable hours getting to know the perimeters of the wild place that served as his only playground. It also drove him into a career as a parks director and life-long advocate of the benefits of open and green spaces, particularly for children growing up in urban or heavily industrial areas.
"If it had not been for parks, I don't know where I'd be today," he said. "Through my conservation work, I try to encourage cities and municipalities to develop a parks strategy even if it requires a change in the way local nonprofits -- including government -- work together."
The first African-American to chair the Board of The Conservation Fund, Jordan also serves on the board of the Land Trust Alliance, both long-time grantees of the Mott Foundation. Recently, he visited Flint, Michigan -- where the Foundation is headquartered -- at the invitation of the Flint River Corridor Alliance. He spoke about the importance of urban river and land restoration and management as well as advocated for "color-coordinated conservation" that is inclusive of people of all races, incomes and ages.
"What people don't understand, they don't value," he said of his efforts to bring the principles of land conservation and protection to under-represented communities. "It is important that no one is left out of this work -- that everyone is invited to share their ideas."
Segregation put parks out of Jordan's reach during his youth, further strengthening his resolve to encourage urban communities not only to create parks, but programs that serve nearby neighborhoods.
"Through parks and recreational programs, we build communities. Building communities means connecting people to their neighborhoods, to one another, and to the land," he said. "Once kids begin to understand that the parks belong to them, they're much less likely to destroy what is theirs -- and they're much more likely to notice a tree, a flower or a bird and understand they need to protect it."
There is no better place to introduce a child or young person to these concepts than in a park, he continued.
"Growing up, I had access to nature and an absence of fear -- things that kids today don't seem to have, even in the more affluent communities. We have to find ways -- whether its through the schools, the faith community or voluntary agencies -- to work together to develop outdoor programs for our children. We need our public and private agencies to demonstrate flexibility, to be willing to try new ideas, to quit competing with one another and work together to serve more kids."
Former director of parks for the cities of Portland, Oregon and Austin, Texas for more than 30 years, Jordan witnessed first-hand the civic and economic benefits that well-programmed parks and recreational areas contribute to urban areas. Drawing upon this experience, and using his position with The Conservation Fund as pulpit, he now takes this message to planning boards, park boards, environmental organizations and other non-profits across the country.
"The Conservation Fund's approach to protecting this country's significant landscapes and waterways blends both environmental and economic objectives, which makes sense to many of the communities I visit," he said, noting that he tries to craft a message that reaches beyond "the usual suspects."
"I try to focus on the centrality of open space, clean air and clean water to the entire community's quality of life."
It is his generation, says the 70-year-old Jordan, who formed the closest relationship with the land, and it is up to those who enjoyed the benefits of this relationship to introduce a new generation of children to it. Early experiences with nature start the lifelong habits of stewardship and appreciation of beautiful places, he said.
"The Conservation Fund has protected millions of acres of public land," Jordan said. "It is important that future generations understand how rich they are, that they value the land they will inherit.
"They need to understand that their actions today will dictate what will happen in the future."
Additional Information and Links
• The Mott Foundation has provided more than $7.7 million in support of The Conservation Fund's Great Lakes Revolving Loan Fund, which provides short-term financing for the protection of ecologically significant freshwater sites in the U.S. portion of the Great Lakes basin. Since its 2001 inception, the fund has helped protect about 20,000 acres valued at nearly $56 million. To learn more about the work of The Conservation Fund visit http://www.conservationfund.org/.
• The Land Trust Alliance (LTA), a national provider of technical assistance to land trusts, has received more than $3 million from the Mott Foundation since 2001 to build the capacity of land trusts in the Great Lakes region as well as the southeastern United States. For further information on LTA, see the April 2006 edition of Mott Mosaic.