By Alisha Pye, Los Angeles Outdoor Afro Leader

So we went hiking above the Mountain Gate Country Club again, but this time we decided to mix it up a bit. So we decided to go off the fire trail and hike the hills. This was a great hike although we had fewer people we had a very diverse group, ranging from a mom wearing her 6 month baby, to a 9 year old cross country runner.
This hike was particularly challenging for me because I’m very afraid of heights and cliffs, both …

As many of you know, the Obama administration has taken a unprecedented stand on connecting people to our public lands and national monuments from its beginning. Today, we at Outdoor Afro are delighted that this effort will move forward and continue in its progress to preserve, protect, and embrace our natural assets and heritage.
Here are just a couple of shots that highlight the America’s Great Outdoors initiative and Obama’s personal connections to nature.

 We are excited about the work ahead!

Morgan Powell is  a landscape designer who edits Bronx River Sankofa on You Tube and Facebook.  He is passionate about New York’s Bronx River and its African American heritage. Here is Morgan’s second submission in a three-part series to highlight the generous yet delicate resource of the Bronx River:
I’ve just  taken my fellow Whole Communities alumni Audrey and Frank Peterman’s  challenge to enjoy my local natural treasures.  The Petermans wrote the Outdoor Afro classic Legacy on the Land.  I saw a vast natural place outside of my normal travel patterns both arresting …

Join Outdoor Afro in getting excited about the second annual National Kids to Parks Day May 19th, 2012! What a great opportunity to celebrate nature with kids, families, and fellow outdoor people!
Photo By Nkrumiah Frazier
The National Park Trust and our mascot Buddy Bison wants everyone to have an American park experience. We are inviting every family in America to visit a national, state or local park and play outdoors on May 19, 2012! As Buddy Bison says, “Explore outdoors, the parks are yours!”
Last year, nearly 200 mayors coast to coast signed …

From making trips to Washington D.C. to provide input on initiatives ranging from Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign to providing ideas to the Department of Interior on ways to engage African American families in outdoor recreation, Rue Mapp, Outdoor Afro Founder and CEO, realized, “I can’t do all of this myself,” and sought out more leaders to work along side her to engage more African Americans with the outdoors.
Over the past four months, she recruited thirteen Outdoor Afro volunteers (“disciples” she likens them to), who share her passion for nature …

Did you know that many National Parks highlight the African American experience?
The National Parks will be FREE to enter April 21-29, 2012 - 
Now is the time to start planning your National Park Week adventure! 
Did you know there are nearly 400 parks located all over the United States? These parks can be found close to home in urban centers as well as near pristine lands. They also provide a broad range of recreational experiences and opportunities to learn more about our collective history, and there are several parks that highlight the African American experience.
Visit …

By Danielle N. Lee Outdoor Afro Contributor and author of Urban Science Adventures! ©
Denene Millner and her family set up a tent
It’s summertime and the living is easy, especially if you’re a kid.  Schools out and fun is all that is on their hyperactive minds.  We adults still have jobs to attend, bills to pay and bellies to feed, but there’s no reason why we couldn’t be on the same page, at least for a single night. So, what’s the best way to enjoy the summer with your kiddos that’s fun, affordable, and …

Your Local REI Invites You to Volunteer this Summer for
National Trails Day on June 4th!
Thanks to the efforts of the American Hiking Society, National Trails Day is celebrating 19 years of hosting volunteer events across the country. This nationwide event is a great opportunity for families

to enjoy the outdoors together. As a national sponsor of National Trails Day, REI invites you to get outside, have fun, and feel good about volunteering on Saturday, June 4th.

REI employee Chuck Courts giving a trail some TLC
 

The …

Women of Color Backpacking Trip – 30% off for all Outdoor Afros who sign up!

Last October, Oprah Winfrey visited Yosemite National Park and asked the question: why don’t more people of color experience the outdoors and their national parks? They have wondered the same at Balanced Rock. And when this disparity was pointed out to them in 2004, they led the country’s first Women of Color (WOC) backpacking trek in Yosemite—the trip was even highlighted in Backpacker Magazine.

The Women of Color backpack retreat in Yosemite has become one …

National Park Week – April 16-24, 2011

Get out and discover something new about your 394 national parks! This year’s focus, Healthy Parks, Healthy People,highlights the connection between human and environmental health and the vital role America’s national parks play in both. You might be surprised by how close the national parks are to where you live, and there are many in urban areas: Find National Parks near you!
Whether your prefer a 20-mile backcountry hike in Yosemite or a leisurely stroll around Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, moving outside is good for you and offers a …