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Refugees connect with nature through Hoosier National Forest 

HANNA RAUWORTH
HANNA RAUWORTH
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.

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The Hoosier National Forest recently partnered with nonprofit Common Earth Gardens to provide refugees of war-torn countries the chance to connect with nature. 

More than 20 resettled refugees met with forest employees at the Tipsaw Lake Recreation Area in Southern Indiana to learn about public lands, hiking and Leave No Trace guidelines for minimizing impacts in outdoor environments. 

“It was great to have visitors from Burundi, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Burma,” said Cheryl Coon, Hoosier National Forest economic partnership coordinator. “It was a great cross-cultural event for everyone.” 

staffer helps refugee prepare for hiking
Hoosier National Forest staffer, Jeremiah Heise, helps newly arrived Somali immigrant, Muhammad Hassan, prepare for hiking on forest trails (Photo provided/USFS)

The trip also included classes on camping techniques and recreational opportunities on public lands. 

“I enjoyed the trip to the Hoosier National Forest very much,” said Muhammad Hassan, a recent immigrant from Somalia. “I’ve never been to a national forest. I didn’t know about all of the opportunities available. Now, I’m looking forward to coming back with my family and hiking along the trails.” 

As new U.S. residents, many of the participants were unaware of public lands and where they were located. 

“Being able to share the benefits of access to public lands to newly arrived citizens is huge,” Common Earth Gardens Director Jane Evans said. “Many newly arrived citizens don’t have a good enough grasp of the English language to fully understand what public lands are and the benefits that they are entitled to.” 

The event was funded by the Forest Service’s Urban connections program grant, which connects urban and underserved communities with the outdoors. The program began in 2001 when Eastern Region Forest Service employees realized many in the area didn’t know where the public lands were or how to get involved. 

The funding will continue in 2025 with another round of refugees visiting to learn about wildlife and forest species. 

“Even if our newly arrived people don’t come back and go camping, they now know they have a place to fish or trails to walk where they can pick persimmons and paw paws,” Evans said. 

For more information, visit fs.usda.gov/hoosier

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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth. 

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