Friends of Anacostia Park
Over 100 million of us don’t have outdoor spaces close to where we live. So, we’re partnering with community-led organizations like the Friends of Anacostia Park to help get more people Outside in 5 minutes or less.
But Anacostia Park’s journey as a community hub has been long and hard-fought: Industrial dumping that began during the Civil War filled the river with waste, and highway construction in the 1950s cut off local communities of color from easily accessing the area. Since 2018, the National Park Service has collaborated with nonprofit Friends of Anacostia Park, an organization that aims to restore the park and create green jobs within the local community. The Friends group runs culturally appropriate recreational programming like double-Dutch and dance events. It also fundraises for improvements, including replacing old picnic benches and creating living-wage job opportunities, and promotes environmental stewardship within the park.
Meet the Friends of Anacostia Park
Illustration by Emily Irelan
Anacostia Park is a 1,100-plus acre green space in Washington D.C., covering an area roughly 25% larger than New York's Central Park. Friends of Anacostia Park Executive Director Richard Trent says the park is also “one of the most vibrant and resilient, but underinvested and under-resourced parts of the city. And it's one of my favorite places to be.”
Recreation here takes many forms, with deep cultural and intergenerational significance. It's the only National Park Service–operated park with a roller rink, and a vibrant skate culture thrives thanks to free equipment rentals and regular events. Community fishing all along the Anacostia River has a long history in the residential areas situated along the park’s south side. Elders regularly meet in the park for hand dancing, a regional form of swing dancing from the 1950s and Washington, D.C.'s official dance. Birders, joggers, cyclists and walkers enjoy the sections of the 12-mile Anacostia River Trail that are located within the park’s bounds. Rest is also key to the park's importance: For many it is a place to simply find peace and temporarily escape the city’s chaos.
5 Ways You Can Get Outside in 5
Outside in 5
At REI Co-op, we believe time outside is a necessity. So we're supporting local organizations and national legislation to help get 100 million people Outside in 5 minutes or less.
Studies show that spending time outdoors is beneficial to our mental, physical and social well-being. But the national nonprofit Trust for Public Land has found that for nearly one-third of us, it isn’t as easy as simply stepping outside. Physical, economic, systemic and cultural barriers prevent many people from accessing green space to play, rest, explore, connect and recharge. Join us to pass the Outdoors for All Act, which seeks to close this nature gap by solidifying a program called the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program to secure funding for green spaces in communities that need them most.
In Partnership
REI Co-op is on a mission to get 100 million people closer to necessary time in nature by supporting national legislation and local, community-led projects around the country.