Over the past four months, she recruited thirteen Outdoor Afro volunteers (“disciples” she likens them to), who share her passion for nature and connecting more people to it. But these folks are not just advocates. They will organize outdoor activities across the country, from day hikes to overnight camping trips.

The Outdoor Afro Leadership Team (OALT) will organize trips on a quarterly basis, but Rue is prepared for the effort to grow beyond that.

Leveraging the Outdoor Afro social media community to recruit volunteers, she said, “I feel blessed to have found a group of like-minded people who can help literally move African Americans into the outdoors in greater numbers than I could alone.” The team represents a wonderfully diverse group from around the country, with a range of interests and expertise.

Introducing the Outdoor Afro Leadership Team! 

• Alisha Pye, a Los Angeles, CA Pilates instructor and mother of two.

• Beky Branagan of North Carolina has an M.S. in Recreation Administration and served as a medic in the US Army Reserve. She volunteers as an Outdoor Skills Facilitator; teaching Girl Scout Leaders about how to take their troops camping.

• Charles Yellowday, a Bronx, NY based social services professional.

• Cliff Sorrell, a SF Bay Area based landscape architect, assistant Scout Master and Cub Scout leader.

• Danielle Lee, a St. Louis, MO scientist and blogger specializing in mammalogy, ecology and animal behavior.

• Karen Bayard, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based college professor and community health educator.

• Karla Frye, a Jefferson City, MO resident who works as manager of urban initiatives for Missouri State Parks. Frye has previously worked as a journalist, a research analyst, and public relations consultant and university professor.

• Melissa Danielle, a New York City resident who promotes healthy lifestyles and wellness through her work as director of Central Brooklyn Wellness.

• Nkrumah Frazier, a Southern Mississippi Biology research technician at the University Of Southern MS and Hattiesburg Green Living Examiner and focused on the latest science and environmental research.

• Reginald Mitchell of Atlanta, GA is an outdoor enthusiast and hike leader for We Love to Hike.

• Sherrita Cole, of Oakland, CA, mom of a toddler, property manager, and hair care blogger

• Viva Yeboah, of Chicago IL, recently embraced outdoor connections through her participation with Girl Trek

• Zoe Polk, a San Francisco, CA resident and human rights attorney.

All regional leaders will be organizing day hikes, casual recreation, camping trips, bicycle rides and other activities on a quarterly basis and in their local regions.

Schedules of upcoming outings will be posted on Outdoor Afro as they become available, and check out the newly-launched Meet-Up groups as well:

SF Bay Area

Atlanta

New York (Brooklyn)

Outdoor Afro thanks REI, the national outdoor retail cooperative, KEEN Shoes, and Camp-California who are sponsoring the OALT with gear and practical support to inform trip ideas and support our success!

Rue Mapp of Outdoor Afro is excited to present in Atlanta this week at Keeping it Wild and at the American Camp Association‘s (ACA) National Convention! ACA is an education partner of Outdoor Afro, and together they have designed curriculum for their e-institute entitled: Cultivating Camp Relevancy for Diverse Audiences - check it out!

Both events are designed to energize the field of outdoor recreation and camp management around how to engage more diverse audiences with the outdoors.

Click on the image above for more information for the Keeping it Wild appearance, and click here to learn more about ACA.

Here is a wonderful PSA that shares more about ACA and its mission:

As I reflect on my birding experiences over the last month, I’m greatly challenged once again to select a “Bird of the Month”. I’ve had some wonderful experiences while birding over the last month. Not only have I bird-watched with some great friends, but I’ve also seen some birds that have a certain…“WOW!”…factor about them.

This month’s bird? I have to go with the American White Pelican. This is a compelling choice because, and I could be wrong, but I don’t think there have ever been so many American White Pelicans reported in Indiana in a single month. Indiana’s renowned birding expert, Dr. Lee Sterrenberg even said, “Indiana is currently awash with American White Pelicans.”

These pelicans were indeed reported in many locations, and in good numbers. There were at least 12 individual birds that showed up at Eagle Creek Park. There were also places like Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area in Linton, Indiana and other locales that had counts in the “hundreds”.

From a habitat perspective, pelicans are usually associated with seashores and coastal regions, so some may find it strange to have a “pelican” here in the Midwest. However, the American White Pelican will indeed hang out around large inland lakes and rivers, even here in the Midwest.

And what a great bird this truly is. The American White Pelican is indeed one of the largest birds in all of North America. It can weigh up to almost 30 pounds and has a wingspan that can exceed 9 feet (that’s actually a foot more than that of the great Bald Eagle).

American White Pelicans are very distinctive in their appearance. Even non-birders can easily recognize them because of their massive size, extremely large beaks, and bright white plumage (except for black on its wings that is usually only seen during flight, or whenever the bird spreads its wings).

I believe there are still some American White Pelicans hanging around. If you get the opportunity, head out and try to catch sight of this magnificent creature. I still haven’t met the person who after seeing one doesn’t say…“WOW!”

And thanks to Marty Jones for the great photographs!

Lynne Arrowsmith

Douglas “Birdman” Gray has been birding almost all of his life. He grew up on a family farm near Clarksville, Tennessee, where they grew crops ranging from apricots to wheat, and most things in between. They also raised chickens, guineas, pigs, horses, and a cow named…….Apples. Doug’s grandfather identified the birds they would see daily on the farm.

Doug now resides in Indianapolis and works in Parenteral Engineering with Eli Lilly and Company. Most of his current birding takes place in Indiana, with a concentration on Central Indiana, where he leads bird walks for “Backyard Birds”. Doug can be reached at 317-255-7333.

Outdoor Afro friends Frank and Audrey Peterman were invited, courtesy of the Deleware North Company, to take part in this historic Christmas Pageant penned by John Muir, as Visiting Squire and Lady. They generously provided a table for their guests to enjoy the experience, and Outdoor Afro was so glad for the invitation! Dr. Carolyn Finney was also in the mix, so we decided to make the pilgrimage together by car to Yosemite from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Without a shade of difficulty on the road, we descended into the Yosemite Valley in all its winter splendor with a fraction of the crowds. Light snow had fallen on the ground and around every bend of the road was a perfect visual frame of nature hard to harness within words.

The experience of Bracebridge is where “music, nature, and peace are united” in the austere and historic Ahwahnee Hotel that pays homage to native culture and its natural surroundings.  After an hour of pre-dinner caroling and picture taking in The Great Lounge (no cameras were allowed inside), the trumpets blew and guests were allowed to process into the festivities in the Great Hall and transported into eighteenth century England. As the program began, I felt so much pride to see Frank and Audrey enter as part of the cast. They brought so much elegance (and diversity!) to the show and their hosted table where we sat was positioned right near the couple at the foot of the stage.

The eight-course meal was served over four hours by the Squire’s serving party, with each course announced with enthusiasm and pageantry by The Manor Parson, serenaded by song: The Fish! The Peacock Pie! The Boars Head! The Baron of Beef! And in between the delicious courses the court jester and cook routinely poked fun at unwitting audience members with some hysterical results – including a gag on yours truly!

After hours of laughter, and revelry, the Squire Bracebridge and his family lead the final procession from The Great Hall and into modern times, and as they did, we Bracebridge guests rose our glasses over full bellies to celebrate with gratitude the joy of the Season and coming of the New Year.

Outdoor Afro is deeply thankful to Frank and Audrey Peterman, the Delaware North Company, and the fabulous folks of table 19 for including us in a memory of a lifetime!

Click to read more about the Bracebridge Dinner and its history, also check out Frank and Audrey’s delightful narrative of their wonderful experience.

left to right: Drew Lanham,Dave Mapgiong, Roy Rodriguez,Douglas Gray, Jeremiah Alexander, Me

Had the pleasure last week of being invited to the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in southern Texas. Had no idea that I would have so much fun. I was flown in to accompany attendees to designated birding location and help them identify and find birds. With over 20 years of birding and bird photography to my credit it seemed like an enjoyable and easy task.

With the help of local tour leader, Roy Rodriguez we took bus loads of birders out to pad their life list with new birds. Highlights included: Red –crowned parrot, Rudy ground dove, Crimson collared grosbeak, Least grebe and Aplomado Falcon.

Roy is one of the most amazing human vessels of knowledge I have ever met. He was never at a loss for information on the history of south Texas, its people or its birds. Many of the participants including myself were truly mesmerized by Roy’s extensive knowledge.

Perhaps the most amazing things about the festival that may have gone unnoticed by many in attendance was that it was perhaps the most culturally diverse birding festival ever held in the United States. Granted the numbers were not that high but of the 400-500 folks in attendance there were perhaps 8-10 people of color present as trip guides, attendees and vendors. None of this would have been possible without the forward thinking of Festival coordinator and longtime friend Mary Gustafson. Mary is no dummy she is fully aware of the fact that without young birders and more people of color birding simply has no future. So this year she stacked the deck by bringing in the most knowledgeable young birders she could find and then contacting me to help with ethnic diversity. In turn I brought in friends Dr. Drew Lanham, Associate Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources at Clemson University and Douglas Wayne Gray avid birder and member of the Indiana Audubon Society. Together with local Roy Rodriguez we made up the most noticeable diversity at the conference, as designated trip leaders.

Mary

This is just the latest of many efforts within the birding community to bring about a shift in who in America sees themselves as birders. Also in attendance at the Conference were Dave Mapgiong and Paul Baicich co-founders of the Fledging Birder’s Institute who’s main objective is to engage younger and more ethnically diverse birdwatchers. They’ve planned a conference on the subject for the fall of 2011 with a huge emphasize on ethnic diversity in birding.

Perhaps the most lasting effect of the festival will be the newfound friends in Roy, Dave, Paul and Jeremiah Alexander. All the folks mentioned have bonded and are already planning our next big adventure. We also realize now how many of us are out there are pushing change in the outdoors and plan to work together on this issue at every opportunity.

Sometimes  better, sometimes easier, to start with endings than beginnings . . .

I sat in the amphitheater at Zoo Atlanta listening to Shelton Johnson. He was the keynote speaker for the 6th Annual Keeping it Wild (KIW) Gala, and is a national park ranger and author of Gloryland. As I listened to Shelton, one row back from me I heard the rhythmic breathing of a six year old girl. Shelton’s passionate story-telling and cadence of that small child’s breathing mentally and spiritually took me outdoors.

I imagined being at Yosemite National Park, the source of many of Shelton’s stories.

Read full story…

1. Engage, Employ and Empower Youth by working with Outdoor Nation and its community of Outsiders.

2. Engage Youth in the Outdoors during the School Day by collaborating with the Department of Education and local school leadership to engage school children in outdoor learning opportunities and active time outdoors at school.

3. Increase the Number of Safe and Accessible Green Spaces, particularly in low-income communities with significant health disparities, by eliminating park, playground and natural space desserts where they exist.

4. Support Close-to-Home Outdoor Recreation by providing resources to parents and caregivers that help address the barriers to allowing unstructured outdoor play.

5. Strengthen Outreach to New Audiences at all relevant agencies by integrating 21st Century communications tools such as mapping devices, iPhone applications, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other tools that will increase the visibility of our parks and natural spaces.

“This Special Report for President Obama represents some of the best ideas and recommendations for protecting America’s great outdoors,” said Christine Fanning, executive director for The Outdoor Foundation. “For the first time, empowered young leaders from across the country are speaking with one voice about outdoor programs and policies — and being heard. We look forward to working with the Administration to implement these forward-looking concepts.”

Click here to download the full report.

Do you think anything is missing from the report? What might you add to it?

For more information about the Outdoor Foundation visit: www.outdoorfoundation.org

I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the  Bay Area Open Space Council Conference organized by Breaking the Color Barrier alumna and Executive Director Bettina Ring to celebrate and reflect on 20 years of conservation in the Bay Area and beyond. At the capacity filled event in the beautiful Presidio Club House was a dynamic mix of individuals and organizations who shared a range of data and stories: from the good news of how the San Francisco Bay Area has benefited from preserving its open spaces, to the sobering reality of childhood obesity and other health problems plaguing urban youth today because of a lack of connection to the spaces in their own neighborhood.

Thus, the conference represented a thoughtful look back at battles won and lost, but also a look forward to what is possible through fostering new collaborations that stretch beyond business as usual. Over the course of the day, we consistently heard the message of how engaging underserved and diverse communities is no longer an option, but intrinsic to the ecological survival of all, echoing what is commonly known about the benefits of plant and wildlife diversity. Therefore this conference underscored a necessary shift from simply preserving acres to preserving the people who live on them.

Elizabeth Goldstein, President of the California State Parks Foundation shared compelling California State Parks data that proves that people care about their local parks “no matter their financial circumstances, background, or where they live,” she said. The across-the-board support of the upcoming ballot measure that begins to address a decade of repair and maintenance backlogs and threats of park closures proves this.

The health benefits of outdoor engagement were also highlighted by Daphne Miller, MD, who shared that in addition to the known physical health benefits, there are some in the medical community who believe that time spent in outdoor spaces is beneficial for those suffering from depression, starting with just five-minutes a day outside.

Also in the building were Outdoor Afro favorites Dr. Carolyn Finney of UC Berkeley, who moderated a dynamic panel of youngish adults, like Ernesto Pepito from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, regarding the cross generation challenges and potential for collaboration, and Hazel Wong of The Nature Conservancy, who shared how the ballot is a powerful conduit to land, wildlife, and water protection.

New friend Laurie Schoeman also passionately related her experiences on the front line of the financial, environmental, and demographic hardships facing Bay View Hunter’s Point residents in San Francisco. Her silver lining is the recent opening of a green, community staffed EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park that came into fruition in spite of debilitating state funding obstacles.

Other conference highlights included a touching video retrospective of the Bay Area conservation movement, Golden Gate National Recreation Area Superintendent Brian O’Neill (1941-2009) and Conservation Legend Edward Wayburn, narrated by Doug McConnell of Bay Area Back Roads. A concluding poetry reading by Poet Laureate Robert Hass wowed the crowd with poems authored by children. Those poems proved to us all how powerfully youth connect to natural spaces when given a chance.

Overall, the conference was profoundly engaging, bringing together friends old and new.  I was delighted to hear throughout the day an echo of the message heard in Washington DC last month: connection and engagement with natural spaces is for everyone — and I am looking forward to seeing and taking part in next steps to make this vision a reality.

The photos are of Marshall “Major” Taylor, which were a pleasant surprise, as I had no idea that he even existed!

More about this man’s life can be found here and here. But basically, he was a turn of the century record breaker in cycling who also broke through the lines of discrimination.

But the most poignant reason to share these images, is that they are yet another reminder that African American engagement with outdoor activities is not at all new.

What is your family history involving bike riding?

Outdoor Afro interviews Douglas Gray, an avid birder, who shares in his own words the gratification he experiences birding, and why it is an important and relevant activity for anyone.

How did you develop an interest in birds?

My interest in birds started as a young child.  I grew up on my grandfather’s farm outside Clarksville, Tennessee (actually Woodlawn, Tennessee, but “Woodlawn” is a lot harder to find on a map!).  Naturally I would see many birds on the farm, and I’d ask my grandfather, “Granddaddy, what’s the name of that bird?” My grandfather, who only had a 6th grade education, somehow knew the names of all the birds we would encounter on the farm.  I’m sure that’s what initiated my interest in birds.  I’ve been told I don’t “look” like a bird watcher, so this question is probably the most frequent question I get asked.

Where is your favorite place to look for birds? And where in the world would you like to bird you have yet to visit?

Many times I’m looking for a particular species of bird, so many times my “favorite place to look for birds” is the particular habitat of the bird I’m searching for. However, if I “had” to pick a specific spot, it’s going to probably be in the southern United States.  This past fall I went birding at a place called Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida…and had one of the best birding times of my life.  I look forward to returning there soon and often.  I like birding at National Wildlife Refuges across the US.

I would absolutely LOVE to bird throughout Central and South America, and also Africa. I’m also developing a good birding relationship with a friend who lives in Uganda, and will likely be going there next year.

Why should African Americans take an interest in birds and their habitat?

This is an interesting question.  African Americans, like everyone else, should take an interest in birding, because it puts you “outdoors” and anytime one gets in the Great Outdoors, it is a natural stress reliever. Being out in nature is possibly, I believe, the most calming, relaxing, and unwinding thing one can do.  It really helps put our sometimes fast paced and hectic lives into a better and more realistic prospective by slowing us down.  And while out in nature, what better thing to do than bird? Yes, I’m using “bird” as a verb; I suggest the book, “The Verb To Bird”.

And also, we African Americans have a somewhat unknown heritage in the historical realm of birding.  John James Audubon is the “Godfather of American Birding”.  Audubon’s mother was not well known.  The reason for this is because she was a Creole slave.  Audubon was born in Haiti in 1785.

Wow — that’s fascinating. So, if someone were to get started, what are the three most important things they need to have? Is it easy? What are some barriers (if any)?

I believe the three most important things to have in getting started birding are: 1) Binoculars, 2) Identification Guide, and 3) Desire.  Binoculars are important because birds have no particular interest in folks approaching them and observing them.  So the binoculars allow you to see birds up close, without actually having to be up close to them.  I usually tell folks to get a decent pair of binoculars.  You can get a decent pair of binoculars in the 60-100 dollar range.  A bird identification guide is a very useful tool also.  It will greatly assist in identifying the birds you do see…and just aren’t sure what they are.  And having a desire to see birds will never be extinguished.  Birding is a pursuit that will easily last a lifetime.  A very close fourth item is to go birding with more experienced birders.  Birders love passing along knowledge they’ve gained through experience.  Find a free bird hike in your area by checking out the National Audubon Society’s web site.

Birding can be both easy and challenging.  For example it can be easy identifying a bird as a “sparrow” that’s at your feeder, but it can be challenging differentiating the 3-5 different species of sparrows at your feeder, or the 20-30 different species of sparrows all within an hour’s drive of the feeder in your backyard at different times of the year.

Anybody can birdwatch.  There are no obstacles or barriers that cannot be overcome when the desire is there to see birds. (That includes obstacles like poison ivy and stinging nettle one may bump into off the beaten trail…lol.)  I’ve even had folks on some of my bird hikes who have been constrained to wheel chairs…and some of those have been my favorite and most memorable hikes.

What was the first bird to make your ‘life’ list? What bird do you hope to see in the future?

I’ll answer this question by mentioning the bird that reignited my interest in birds.  About 15 years ago I looked outside and saw a bird hopping around my yard and I had no idea what that bird was.  It led me to buy my first Bird Identification Guide since my high school years.  The bird was a juvenile robin.  The very common American Robin was the bird that pulled me back into the world of birding.

Name a bird species you hope to see in the future:

Wow…I can’t even answer this question, because there are so many birds that I hope to see.  I will say that it is my desire to see thousands of different bird species during my lifetime…and to enjoy and appreciate each and every one that I do see!

Douglas Gray resides in Indianapolis and works in Parenteral Engineering with Eli Lilly and Company. Most of his current birding takes place in Indiana, with a concentration on Central Indiana, where he leads bird walks for Backyard Birds.

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