“Could I put you down for 10 shares in Yosemite National Park?”
In an effort to protect public lands, activists are turning to the New York Stock Exchange for inspiration.
It’s all part of a campaign called Going Public, an initiative by United by Nature and Nature Is Nonpartisan, two groups working to bridge political divides by advocating for nature.
“Despite the increasing effort from politicians to threaten the nation’s public lands, almost 90% of voters believe that parks, forests, monuments, and wildlife areas play an essential role in the quality of life,” a press release from United by Nature shared.
Going Public aims to celebrate Americans’ shared pride for the country’s iconic public lands and inspire people — regardless of identity or political affiliation — to help protect these natural spaces.
And they’ve debuted a stock market-themed initiative to fund this work.
From March 27 to May 30, people can support their public lands by claiming a free, symbolic “share” of their favorite public lands, like major national parks, local trails, protected forests, and other natural spaces visited every day.
Essentially, each share represents a vote for a favorite public land location, which then ends up on a leaderboard where advocates can watch their stock “climb.”
By backing a share of a public land, supporters also receive a symbolic certificate of ownership, and everyone is invited to “protect” their share with a small donation. That donation will help boost the share’s standing in the market.
When the Going Public market closes on June 1, the locations with the most shares will earn a contribution for local restoration efforts, and the remaining funds will support public lands nationwide.
“Going Public aims to close the gap between strong public support for public lands and the political decisions that jeopardize their future by giving Americans a visible way to stand behind the public lands they already own,” the press release continued.
The federal government owns and manages approximately 640 million acres of land in the U.S., representing about 28% to 30% of the nation’s total land area. But Americans’ federal tax dollars fund federal agencies like the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service, which manage that acreage
The Going Public campaign hopes to remind people of the stake they already have in the game.
“People don’t engage with the outdoors because of politics. They engage with it because it brings them joy, and they want our nation’s immense beauty to be conserved for future generations,” Benji Backer, founder of Nature Is Nonpartisan, said in a statement.
“Nature is something we love at our core. United By Nature and Going Public is about turning a love of place and nature into a national movement to make it fun, engaging, and reflective of how people already feel about the outdoors.”
Going Public also aims to turn the page on political discourse around public lands, and Nature Is Nonpartisan will use the results to compile a report about how many people in each state and congressional district joined the campaign.
“Send a message to our leaders,” the campaign website writes. “No personal details, but real numbers that demonstrate the public is invested in our public lands, and our leaders should be, too.”
To kick off Going Public, United By Nature debuted a Public Lands Stock Exchange in Times Square earlier this week, where visitors can claim their symbolic shares in person, and a live ticker tracks participation in real time.
Those interested in getting involved can claim their shares via the Going Public web page.
“The hottest IPO just hit the market, and — guess what — you already own it!” a social media post by United By Nature shared upon the launch of the Public Lands Stock Exchange.
“We’re asking you to rep a landscape. The canyon, the forest, the shoreline, the trail that raised you, reset you, or reminded you who you are. America’s public lands are already yours.”
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Header image courtesy of United By Nature
