Imagine if the river just down the road were not only a place to fish, but a way to connect generations through shared storytelling.
Or picture a local park where students practice communication, teamwork, and problem-solving while feeling welcome in the outdoors for the first time.
What if a local greenspace introduced a young person to a career they had never considered, or revealed hometown opportunities they had never been invited to explore?
These questions point toward a larger one: How can natural resources serve as infrastructure for more resilient communities?
Bringing the pieces together.
Natural resources are community, economic, workforce, and public health infrastructure.
In many rural communities, youth development, workforce readiness, public health, education, economic development, and youth retention are treated as separate challenges, each with its own program and funding stream. But people do not experience their lives in programming silos.
Someone might live near a river for their entire life without ever being invited onto the water or shown how it connects to local history and the community’s future. A young person may hunt or fish without realizing that those interests can lead to careers beyond becoming a biologist. A community may dismiss a walking path or green space as an amenity instead of recognizing it as an investment in health and social connection.
As a Regional Community and Economic Development Specialist with University of Illinois Extension, I collaborate with experts in outdoor recreation, environmental education, and systems-oriented health and psychology to explore the issues and questions above. For example, my colleague Dr. Brooke Jacobs, an organizational health psychologist with Delve Health Consulting, helps us think intentionally about belonging, access, relationships, and the conditions that allow some communities to thrive while others struggle, even though everything looks right on paper.
River Futures, a program we’re currently piloting, is one expression of that approach. It begins with a shared belief: Natural resources are not add-on amenities. Natural resources are community, economic, workforce, and public health infrastructure.
- A river can serve as the starting point for an intergenerational project on work, migration, flooding, or community change.
- A park can become a place where students practice soft skills such as introducing themselves, asking questions, working as a team, and adapting when plans change.
- A natural area can introduce students to careers in conservation, public works, recreation, water systems, agriculture, tourism, and small-business development. A recent Brookings report identified 81 occupations connected to service and conservation corps work, with about half of workers in those occupations holding a high school diploma or less.
The natural resource is the vehicle. The deeper outcomes are confidence, belonging, workforce readiness, community connection, and a stronger sense of possibility for both people and their community.
Why a community's natural resources matter
In 2024, outdoor recreation generated $26.4 billion in economic impact in Illinois and supported 179,162 jobs. Research has also found that spending at least 120 minutes per week in nature is associated with better self-reported health and well-being. While that study did not measure healthcare costs directly, it reinforces the idea that access to nature belongs in conversations about preventative health and community well-being.
Access to nature is especially important. Transportation, equipment, language, family familiarity, or the feeling that “this is not for people like me” can prevent someone who lives near a river or public land from ever feeling connected to it.
Being near an opportunity is not the same as being invited into it.
Does a community resource pass the "Tuesday Test?"
When thinking about parks, trails, tourism, and outdoor recreation, I often use this simple test:
Would this still improve life for a local resident on a cold Tuesday in February?
If the answer is no, it may be an attraction, but it is probably not yet community infrastructure. A resilient project should offer something beyond scenery or a busy visitor weekend. It might give residents a place to gather, help a student discover a strength, support a local business, connect generations, or improve access to nature.
Rural communities may not always have an abundance of funding, staffing, or formal programs. But they do have land, water, parks, cultural stories, and people with deep knowledge of place.
The opportunity communities have is not simply to promote those resources. It is to connect them and use what is already present to build healthier people, stronger communities, and more visible pathways into the future.
Resources to learn more
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: Outdoor Recreation Economic Statistics, U.S. and States, 2024
- Brookings: Corps to careers—Expanding career opportunities for young adults involved in service and conservation programs
- Scientific Reports: Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing
- Prairie Rivers Network: Integrating health, education, and economy in outdoor recreation
About Everyday Environment
Everyday Environment is a series of blogs, podcasts, webinars, and videos exploring the intricate web of connections that tie us to the natural world.
Was there something about this blog's topic we didn’t cover? See something cool in nature? Let us know! Hit "Connect with Us" below to send us your question or share your everyday nature observation with and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.
Subscribe to the Newsletter Connect with Us Find Your Local Extension Office