By Eddie Dunbar, Entomologist, Oakland, CA
A Sand Wasp – She’s Got Your Back!
 
 Sand Wasp ( Bembix americanus ) on daisy
When we think of the insects that are “good,” typically only butterflies and honey bees come to mind. However, there are countless unsung insect good deeds that go unnoticed.
Consider the role of the Sand Wasp (Bembix americanus Fabricius). These are large wasps, nearly 1″ long. They have green eyes and an abdomen with grey and black bands. Adults can be seen at flowers sipping nectar.
Yet, these wasps, truly, are the unsung hero …

Yep, you heard us right. We are going to talk about bugs! If you have been following us, you know we are smitten by birds, and knowing birds love bugs, how could we not get interested in what they are about?
As my friend Clay of Swarovski Optik says, ”Learning about birds gives you reason to learn more about the world that the bird lives in – types of trees they nest in, insects that they eat, habitats that they frequent. This leads you to learn the butterflies, dragonflies, plants, windflowers, etc…, that …

Les Franklin, a member of the Junior Outdoor Afro Youth Leadership Team (JOALT) and student at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, was the official recorder for a team conducting a survey of colonial nesting waterbirds, today. Hundreds of herons, egrets, and ibis tending to nests, eggs, and chicks…the island was buzzing with wildlife activity!
The JOALT is a pilot of the Outdoor Afro Leadership Team for youth, in partnership with the Maryland Coastal Bays program designed to connect leadership, environmental stewardship, outdoor recreation, and career pathways for high school students.

A video of our friend John Griffith of the California Conservation Corp’s has gone viral! Check it out!
 
Yep, John can pop and lock – yet importantly exude a genuine connection and close rapport with Outdoor Afro corps workers Antwon McCoy and Leonard Patton in his workforce development program.  
Check out the salmon habitat restoration these amazing people have been up to, and how they are connecting with the mission of the Outdoor Afro community, thanks to John!

As I have gotten to know John and his work, I find him on the cutting edge of a …

We are so proud and grateful to have spent another day with Northern California Outdoor Afros in partnership with Golden Gate Audubon. Together, we connected more people to our local natural assets to help preserve and enjoy them with others. It was such a perfect day. The warmth of the sun and people who attended made us all forget it was still winter.
Outdoor Afro Leader Cliff and Keshia of GGAS discuss native plants
Clay, the official Outdoor Afro bird specialist!
Thirty Outdoor Afros and fifty more attendees from Girls Inc., California Conservation …

Survey Confirms a Positive Relationship with Rivers and Waterways in the Outdoor Afro community
Nearly seventy Outdoor Afros from around the country were sampled in a short survey distributed via social networks that provided a snapshot of how and why people connect to our waterways.
Much of what was observed from the results confirmed what Outdoor Afro already knew – that in the Outdoor Afro community overall, there is a positive relationship and perception of our rivers and waterways. Of the sample surveyed, the vast majority were African American, female, and between …

Check out this recent trip report from Outdoor Afro Leader Vi Ama out of Chicago!
Outdoor Afro Chicago volunteer day was held last Saturday at Montrose Bird Point Sanctuary. Montrose Bird Point Sanctuary is a hidden jewel located in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. The 15-acre property also known as the Magic Hedge Sanctuary was previously leased by the military.
Since the 1980s birders and the city of Chicago have transformed this park into one of the Midwest’s leading parks for bird watchers and migrating birds. The sanctuary includes a bathhouse, sand dunes, beach …

Outdoor Afro is pleased to partner with so many great folks and orgs, such as Hike4Life.  After so many months of communicating via social media,  Jerel Ferguson, Hike4Life founder was able to generously share a guest blog on Outdoor Afro, and his inspiration to connect more people to nature. Enjoy!
Welcome To Hike4Life
My name is Jerel Ferguson from Boston Massachusetts and I am Executive Director of Hike4Life.  I am a passionate outdoors-man.  I love nature and Hiking.  I enjoy outdoor sports. I’m a conservationist (a tree hugger) naturalist, environmentalist and a Father to 3 …

Strengthening Outdoor Leadership Skills
Outdoor Afro is SO excited to share with its community the exciting news of winning a Toyota Audubon Together Innovation Green grant of over $17,000 this year to support our Bay Area Outdoor Afro Leadership Team!
As you know, Outdoor Afro celebrates and inspires African-American connections to nature through recreation and conservation activities. Currently, our social media-based effort engages tens of thousands of monthly visitors nationally through trips and online platforms.

But this year, we envisioned a wider scope of Outdoor Afro outreach – one that seeks not just …

Queen Quet is a friend of mine, with whom I have had the privilege to work with since the beginning of Outdoor Afro. I am more than thrilled to finally host her first blog on the site that shares some of the rich history of the Gullah/Geechee Nation. Enter Queen Quet:
“De wata bring we an de wata gwine tek we bak.”

De wata may tro bak de chillun ef e ain kno how fa ack!
De chillun na de lun de lil one wha fa do
So, ef hunnuh wan um fa kno, den why don’t u?
Disya …