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theses

This study is largely based on the new Fish and Wildlife Service Urban Initiative and the responsibilities they have undertaken to reach populations most detached from wildlife and the great outdoors. It emphasizes the lack of exposure to nature in underrepresented populations and the ways in which the federal government can influence these relations. This paper broadly seeks to understand the history of the Fish and Wildlife Service and the impact it has had on the conservation of American landscapes while distinguishing the political forces that have caused the disassociation of minorities from these landscapes. The case of this research is derived from the historical narrative of an urban community in Philadelphia, Eastwick, revealing layers of environmental racism and injustice. The use of archival research and residential interviews helped in identifying the strengthens and barriers of this community and its relationship to the Urban Wildlife Refuge adjacent to it. John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge has assumed responsibility in reestablishing a relationship between the surrounding community and the natural federal landscape. As America’s first Urban Refuge, John Heinz, has begun to implement programs that are specific to the surrounding communities. This paper highlights the two-prong approach of engaging and reaching outside of the refuge in order to gain the attention and trust of underrepresented populations to bring them back into the refuge.

ETD_8046

M.L.A.

Includes bibliographical references

by Amber Lynn Betances

doi:10.7282/T3QN69KS

ETD graduate

The author owns the copyright to this work.