Watch Joann (Jo) Ayuso Create Access to the Outdoors for City Youth

@movementeducationoutdoors

MEOutdoorsRI.com

Tell us about yourself, your connection to Rhode Island, and your work.

I have been a resident of Rhode Island for 18 years, most of those years in Providence, and now I live by the water. I advocate for clean soil, water, and air for those who don’t have it. Growing up in cities, my relationship with the water was estranged. Because of that, I created MEO to provide urban and low-income youth with outdoor experiences. Our water programs let youth form connections to the worlds inside the ocean, especially through sharing knowledge about kelp and oysters.

What’s your motivation for doing this work?

I do this work because there are people in my community who have little to no access to the shoreline, green spaces, pollution-free air, fresh seafood, lead-free water, or lead-free soil or land to grow food in a garden. MEO works to create access to these essential resources, while sharing how vital it is to keep living waterways, used for food and recreation, healthy for generations to come.

In what ways do you hope to leave an impact on the Ocean State in the coming year?

Everything we do is for the next seven generations. MEO creates safe opportunities for our urban and low-income youth in the outdoors. MEO is planning an oyster restoration project in the Providence River, mirroring the practices of the Billion Oyster project in NYC. We believe all community members should be able to be involved in this process to ensure it is a cleaner space for people to visit and spend time on.

What challenges do you anticipate having to overcome to achieve these goals?

As a new non-profit, the biggest challenge is funding. MEO relies on funding from grants and individual donors. There are two of us on staff and we look forward to growing our team to continue to work for our community. Another challenge is buy-in – stakeholders from the State House, universities, policy-makers, and residents who want the same thing but either refuse or do not know how to support governance models led by those most impacted to be part of the solution.

What’s your reason for optimism approaching 2025?

As a community we move forward in times that are uncertain. I believe and trust in the circle of people I work with. We gather, share resources, and support our mental and overall health and safety.