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In Memoriam - Dr. Nina Roberts, by Aniko Kannas-Millan

Photo Credit: Dudley Edmondson

Aniko Kannas-Millan remembers her beloved friend and colleague who lost a battle with cancer earlier this year. To quote colleagues at SFSU, "...to truly honor Dr. Nina, get outside, visit a local park, and reflect on nature’s beauty and how we can increase access to our parks." Read Aniko's submission for Dr Nina Roberts' social justice field guide, and learn about how she honors and continues Dr Roberts' important work.
by Aniko Kannas-Millan
"I am proud to say that I was the first Black female Park Ranger hired at Santa Clara County Parks in 1994. I am disappointed to say I was still the only Black female Park Ranger when I retired in 2020. In all that time, 26 years, only one other Black male was hired. How can that be in California? In the Bay Area?
Along the way I appointed myself as a Ranger recruiter in the last 10 years of my career to try to diversify our ranks. Successfully we welcomed Asians, Latinos, Queer and more, but it was difficult as there was no pool of candidates to target easily. Department recruiting efforts were non-existent unless I and my team created them while compromising an enormous workload and job priorities. The good news is at least I was not stopped from spending time on local recruiting, but would have been great news to have been granted the necessary time and budget to outreach further.
As far as the shortage of black and brown faces in the queue, I feel it was because of social injustices of the past and barriers that kept them out of parks and nature outdoors. Many people of color have hesitancies about the “woods” where, in history, our relatives were chased, hunted, and hanged. It is a harsh but true reality that results in generation after generation cautioning and instilling fear rather than encouraging outdoor fun in nature. The same is seen in our visitation to the parks, with far fewer Black than white people enjoying our campgrounds and the trails. So how do we change this narrative to break down barriers so people of color can happily benefit from all things beautiful outside in recreation and employment?
On a greater necessary level, agencies must allow the dedicated time and funding for concentrated outreach to attract more people of color to both visit parks and apply for jobs. It is not enough to attend local career fairs or post fliers at Starbucks. Time should be taken to build relationships with churches, colleges, and ethnic or cultural clubs and organizations like university Black Student Unions and regional NAACP offices. Additionally, mentor programs and internships should be established to groom youth for careers in parks and the outdoors. An impressionable start to such efforts would be the Junior Ranger program or ParkRx programs targeted to kids of color for a welcoming introduction with a friendly host. This is not difficult nor costly, but it needs to be supported fully to work.
It is up to all of us, and especially my BIPOC brothers and sisters in the industry to be a model for and mentor our folks so they realize the opportunities and feel safe outdoors. It was my M.O. while on patrol to literally jump in front of Black visitors to the park to show them I was a Park Ranger and offer anything to make them feel welcomed and informed. With Black youth and young adults I offered then and now to share nature experiences and introduce them to outdoor fun. At the same time I make it a point to teach about flora and fauna, to dispel myths and turn the “scary” into “wow”. I hope and expect others with this expertise to do the same. So here is the call to action, Parkies…step it up! Each one, teach one, reach one and touch one."

Learn more about Dr Nina Roberts

More about Aniko

COUNTY PARK FRIENDS AWARDED OUTDOOR EQUITY PROGRAM GRANT
June 1, 2022 Live Oak, Santa Cruz County, Calif.—County Park Friends is proud to announce they have been awarded the Outdoor Equity Program grant from California State Parks to expand access to outdoor experiences on public lands for families and youth in the Live Oak neighborhood.
“We asked Live Oak families what they wanted and needed for their children to fully enjoy public parks and nature.” said Executive Director Mariah Roberts. “This grant is built on what we learned from the families who will participate.”
Along with 125 total communities statewide, the funding helps establish a community hub at Brommer County Park for local activities and trips to natural areas for underserved communities. The program also empowers youth and families with outdoor leadership education, career pathways, environmental justice engagement, and access to nature.
“California State Parks is incredibly proud to announce grant funding to strengthen access to parks and open spaces and contribute to a better quality of life for Californians,” said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “These programs will turn parks into outdoor classrooms, inspiring a new generation of environmental leadership in California.”
For the first grant cycle of the program, State Parks evaluated 384 grant applications totaling $167.78 million in requests. The $57 million in grants was made available through general funds approved by the California Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 state budgets.
In addition to County Park Friends (Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks) multiple other Monterey Bay communities received grants in a testament to area commitment and best practices, with the full list of projects available online at parks.ca.gov/oep.
In 2019, the Outdoor Equity Grants Program was enacted when Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 209. The concept for the grant program began with findings in the 2015 Parks Forward Commission Report stating that State Parks must expand access to parks for underserved communities and urban populations. The 2015 Parks Forward discussions became a catalyst for AB 209. Californians shared a similar vision in 2017 during 30 focus groups with over 500 participants for the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Throughout the state, from heavily urbanized to rural areas, Californians emphasized a desire for multi-generational programs that “bring families together,” activate local parks and take residents with transportation challenges to natural areas outside their communities.
“Delivering services across the state – including in many communities currently without adequate outdoor programs – will make a real, lasting difference in the lives of young people and all residents,” said Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot. “I am especially excited about empowering young people to explore their leadership potential. It’s one more way the state of California is working to improve the lives of all Californians.”
Four of every 10 Californians have no access to open space within walking distance of their home and six of every 10 Californians live in park-poor neighborhoods. Programs such as the Outdoors Equity Grants Program help advance the “Outdoor Access for All” initiative championed by Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the Natural Resources Agency’s “Outdoors for All” initiative. This effort expands outdoor access to all Californians through focused investments in open space infrastructure, outdoor programming, and improvements to permit applications, with a priority to expanding access in underserved communities.

Below: Young Outdoor Leaders visit Yosemite in April 2025

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THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS WERE THE FIRST PARK RANGERS!

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH APPRECIATION AND PRIDE FOR MY PREDECESSORS!
BY ANIKO MILLAN

The Buffalo Soldiers created the iconic Park Ranger hat or Smokey Bear Hat too! They found that by pinching together the top of the hat, that the rain would shed off of it faster. I can personally vouch for the brilliant design.

Formed in 1866 after the Civil War, 6 all-Black regiments were created within the US Army to help with westward expansion and protection. The 9th and 10th Cavalry and 24 and 25th Infantry were formed of 1000 men. Most were freed slaves from the north, however, this was also an opportunity for Black men to serve in a prestigious role and escape plantation work.

The soldiers were responsible for clearing westward lands of poachers, land squatters, fighting Mexican revolutionaries and anything else that would stand in the way of expansion.

Additionally charged with fighting in the Indian Wars, it became a personal struggle for the soldiers to carry out orders against the Native Americans. They found it difficult to fight against a people that were being oppressed by the very same government that treated Blacks so poorly, including the soldiers who themselves received rotting food, the poorest uniforms and equipment and the worst horses.

There are a few theories, but Native Americans are said to have named them the Buffalo Soldiers for their dark tight curly hair that looked like the buffalo’s fur, dark skin and bison coats they wore. Also they were considered worthy adversaries who fought hard and bravely like the revered buffalo. The Buffalo Soldiers accepted the name as an honor and both groups developed a mutual respect for each other.

Only allowed to serve west of the Mississippi, Buffalo Soldiers were chosen to fill the need to protect the new national parks that were established. So in the spring of 1899, the 10th Cavalry and the 24th Infantry of 500 soldiers were sent on a 16-day journey from the San Francisco Presidio to Yosemite to take up residency and build infrastructure. Until 1913 the soldiers managed and protected Yosemite, Sequoia and General Grant National Parks, becoming the first park rangers.

In 1903 Colonel Charles Young, one of only three Black men who graduated from West Point was sent to lead the Buffalo Soldiers at Sequoia in building roads, trails, buildings, and fighting forest fires. Colonel Young was the highest ranking Black officer and the first Black Superintendent of Sequoia National Park. Under his leadership the troops also built the first trail climbing Mt Whitney and created the Yosemite Arboretum, the first museum in the National Park Service. Many of their contributions to the parks still stand today.

ANIKO KANNAS-MILLAN is a retired Park Ranger, now serving as Parks and Programs Specialist with the nonprofit County Park Friends

In Memoriam - Dr. Nina Roberts, by Aniko Kannas-Millan

​THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS WERE THE FIRST PARK RANGERS!​

THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS WERE THE FIRST PARK RANGERS!