I had an amazing childhood, but did not know about a lot of opportunities that were available to me.

 
I met Karen last week at a local college event, and discovered we had some wonderful things in common, such as motherhood, blogging, and a passion for the outdoors. Karen shares with us how she discovered outdoor recreation, and what it means to her family today.
 
What experiences did you have as a youth that influence how you interact with natural spaces today?
As a kid, other than going to a local park to …

Outdoor Afro took a short trip over to East Oakland, California to participate in the community event: Love Yo’ Mama, hosted by the organization Communities for a Better Environment for Earth Day.

“Green is Good for the Hood” was this year’s theme, which was intended to create local awareness and a response to environmental concerns at a neighborhood level.
The event started with a rally to highlight environmental and health issues in Oakland at Tassafaronga Recreation Center, followed by a parade with Scraper Bikers, drummers, and youth dancing. In the afternoon, there …

….to register for camp!
Whether it be a family camp, like Oakland’s Feather River Camp in Northern California, or Camp Atwater on the East Coast, there are many opportunities to connect with the outdoors that require you to act now as spaces are already filling up!
Check out this neat Family Camp PSA:

Also consider making reservations now for your favorite campsite for tent camping. For example, popular Samuel P. Taylor State Park’s reservation line is red-hot during the winter months that fill the camp solidly after Memorial Day weekend through early Fall.
So …

People ask me all the time: “How did Outdoor Afro begin?”

Quite frankly, it began in the pages of a diary I wrote up when I was about 9,  and continued sporadically into other diaries over the years, until I became a young adult, when I discovered newsgroups, email lists, then finally blogs.
Here is the start of an entry that painstakingly detailed a Girl Scout camping trip at Hidden Villa Ranch, captured in vivid, youthful detail after arriving home:

I wrote, “It was so fun. It was the very first camping trip …

Robert Alexander became passionate about the outdoors during his youth in Oakland, California. Outdoor Afro recently spoke with Robert  to discuss his evolving commitment to outdoor recreation.
Robert and fellow diver
Tell us more about how your participation in outdoor activities began?

I have an affinity for water. I jumped into a pool of water at age two with all my clothes on, and my mother had to jump in and save my life! She got me into swimming lessons that same summer, and I was swimming laps by the age of five. I became …

In a rare TV watching moment, I came across an even more rare REI commercial. When the commercial ended, I wondered, did I just see people of color….camping — or was it wishful thinking? Well, of course I had to find the commercial on YouTube, and after about five views, I am now about 99.3% certain a black couple came out from under that rock.
Watch and tell me what do you think.

The Tennessee Aquatic Project is a youth organization that engages at-risk and inner city youth with a wide range of outdoor and civic activities to enhance personal development.

After meeting up at the Breaking the Color Barrier Conference last September, Ken Stewart of the Tennessee Aquatic Project (TAP) and Jerry Bransford, a Mammoth Cave National Park guide, decided to join forces and send over sixty youth on a trek up to the Caves. The youth were able to hear first hand the intriguing story of Bransford’s slave ancestors who were important …

Couples Camping © Steve Prezant/Corbis
You can’t change your friends and family, but you can change the way you camp with them. Some moderate planning can make a big difference in your camping experience together. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your camping trips with loved ones:
Shared Space
In some areas, the outdoors still has boundaries, and it’s important to honor both the environment and neighboring campers. If you are planning to visit a drive-up or RV campground, make sure you have reserved a site that …

Roberts Kids
I met the Robert’s family recently at a conference in Atlanta. Their courage to camp for the first time in the sublime terrain of the Florida Everglades is an inspiration for all families — and they are terrific people to be around as well! Watch all three parts!
Part I

Part II

Part III

Santa Monica Mountains
I met Eve Fields back in 2006 through an active online community that connected people together around travel to the annual Essence Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana. From her first post, Eve advocated getting out and traveling the world, no matter the budget – or physical ability.
Eve was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) when she was 25.  While it has not stopped her from camping, visiting her local fishing hole, collecting stamps in her passport from all over the globe, AND running her own construction company, she has …