City grant looks to connect kids with nature

As one of six cities selected for the $25,000 “Cities Connecting Children to Nature” grant, Austin and its Parks and Recreation Department is looking for clues on how PARD might best spend the money, with a goal to “increase the number and depth of connections to nature among low-income children and children of color and identify communities or neighborhoods for targeted efforts to increase equitable access to nature,” according to a press release. To that end, it will be holding a series of focus groups, from July 27 to Aug. 4, to look for ideas. Information about those focus groups (which are open to the public and will have child care on site) is available online here.