“I think a lot of the nature clubs and backpacking clubs here are mostly men and it's not like that's a bad thing — men are welcome in our club. But we're also mainly focusing on women also being able to get out there,” Olive Otto, Berkeley High School’s Women in Nature club vice president, said. “It's very scary for women to be out in nature because it's just not always safe for women and we hope to establish that (women) can do anything men do, even if safety is a factor,” Otto said. Otto and the club’s co-founder, Anisa Hackett, collaborated to create a welcoming and safe environment for BHS students, especially those who are female-identifying, to learn about and explore the nature around our Bay Area home.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to spend time with people who you relate to and … connect with each other and nature more,” Otto said, “I think that the goal is to give us ideas for what we can do in nature and also give us a way to do it with people so we're not alone.” Although it is unfair, oftentimes being a woman alone in nature can be scary, uncomfortable, and even dangerous. The BHS Women in Nature club tackles this by motivating female students to explore together, looking out for each other and becoming more comfortable with the outdoors. By integrating themselves more into the outside environment, students are able to gain more perspective and experience with adventuring alone.
“Being around nature is really important and you should spend time in nature and not just in your house,” Otto said, “Most of the time when I'm in nature I'm on a hike with my parents and now it's for a club at school with friends my age.” Members of Women in Nature are invited to explore nature and appreciate the beautiful Bay Area outdoors. Being able to hang out with friends and peers who share similar interests while getting exercise and some fresh air gives members a high incentive to get outside and experience nature, especially now that spring is on its way.
“I was intrigued (by the club) because it was something my friends were interested in … and it was something … that involved getting off my phone and being in the wild,” Samantha James, a BHS sophomore, said. Club members like James discussed how this club has given them an activity that allows them to break the strong pull their screens have on them as teenagers and immerse themselves in an inviting community that appreciates their perspectives and ideas. “We just had one meeting and we discussed different places that we would go to with the club members and everyone had fun ideas for different nature spots that we could go to,” James said, “I would say every member can contribute to it and everyone's welcome to share their ideas.”
Hackett discussed how she created this space as a way to empower women and give them an opportunity to connect further with the outdoors and with their female peers. “It creates a really safe community for people to come together and feel safe and valued in nature,” Hackett said. The Women in Nature club has only had one meeting so far, but has begun planning and organizing many excursions where members can explore beautiful landscapes surrounding the Bay Area while uplifting the female community at BHS. “I hope that (the female community) finds a place where they feel welcome and able to share their views,” Hackett said. Especially with summer quickly approaching, there is time for teens to venture out into the numerous areas in nature with friends — gaining new experiences, healthy exercise, and connection with the female community present at BHS.