Last spring, I helped to organize a local event as part of a national campaign to get people connected to nature. As much as I wanted to share how wonderful the event was, how well attended and rich the experience, until now I was unable to do so because there was a part of the experience that day that pained me, and has since sat like a lump in the back of my throat.

All the time I hear reasons why African-Americans do not engage with the outdoors. From experience, I …

While standing on extremely long, thin, pink legs and sporting an elongated delicate-looking bill, this month’s bird appears to be the epitome of elegance and refinement.
This month’s Bird of the Month is the aptly-named Black-necked Stilt.

“Delicate”… “Elegant”… “Refined”…that is, while they’re undisturbed. But, when disturbed near their feeding or nesting ground, other words come to mind to describe the Black-necked Stilt. “Excitable”… “Noisy”… “Confrontational”…are more descriptive of this bird when it perceives a threat of some type. Intruders (including birdwatchers) are likely to be “dive-bombed” and scolded persistently while in …

Saturday, June 11th
10 am to 2 pm
Meet at Rob Hill Campground
Did you know that the Presidio is a birding hotspot in the Bay Area? After a short “binocular bootcamp and birding basics” youth ages 8 to 15 and their families will join experienced birders in teams on different routes throughout the Presidio. After an easy 2 hour walk counting observed bird life, groups will return to Rob Hill Campground to tally their numbers during lunch. The day be topped off with presentations of the day’s numbers by…kids!
Lunch will not be provided, so we recommend …

I attended the Goldman Prize for Excellence last week in San Francisco as a guest of friend Christy Rocca of the Chrissy Field Center. The awards honored extraordinary individuals who demonstrated a fierce and courageous protection of their local spaces. In common, the prize winners each found ways to significantly protect or restore the local environment for both human and non-human species.
The North American prize winner this year is Hilton Kelley, who is now leading the battle for environmental justice on the Texas Gulf Coast.  Hilton Kelley fights for communities living in the shadow of polluting industries in Port Arthur, …

By Douglas “Birdman” Gray, Outdoor Afro Contributor
Last month’s Bird of the Month was a duck (American Black Duck), and my birding over last month somewhat compels me to remain with this family of birds (anatidae).
As winter is winding down, and temperatures are trending upward, ducks returning north stop at once frozen waters for the feeding opportunities. Just yesterday, while out at Eagle Creek Park here in Central Indiana, I was able to observe rather easily, 14 different species of ducks at the bird sanctuary. I was actually wishing that …

Image by Amy Franceschini
Sunday, March 6, 1PM
Admission FREE | Mess Hall Cafe Open
Reservations are not required, but we invite you to click here as a courtesy RSVP
Invite Friends via Facebook

Join Creative Ecologies in a round table discussion and presentation by artists and creative thinkers from across the country who address the complex relationship between humans, cultural production, and the natural environment. As part of an initiative exploring ways that residencies catalyze collaboration, participants will spend two weeks prior to the event in residence at Headlands, living, thinking, and working …

Many in the Outdoor Afro community are elated by the announcement of the greatly anticipated America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) initiative by the Obama Administration. Following in the tradition of Lincoln, FDR, and Teddy Roosevelt — Presidents who each made great strides toward conservation, President Obama left his own mark today by initiating an historic initiative that is likely to change the way Americans perceive and engage with the outdoors.
Read or watch the President’s Remarks:

From the America’s Great Outdoors website, “AGO recognizes that many of the best ideas come from outside …

The following gem recently arrived in my mailbox — a humorous look at the tension between some environmental circles and underserved communities. Apparently, National Audubon birders were able to generate more support to conserve an area in Mississippi than its 100 year old African American residents.
One viewer wrote, “Clean air, clean water, healthy soil and undeveloped open space not only makes good wildlife habitat – but those landscape characteristics are also good for the well-being of human communities as well.” — Outdoor Afro agrees!
Check it out and tell me what you think!
CLICK …

It’s important to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. led a movement that was results driven with little rest toward a vision of equality and justice to benefit everyone. In the spirit of King’s work, celebrating his birthday as a day of service to address the practical, environmental, and spiritual needs of our community makes every bit of sense.
In 1994, Congress designated Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a National Day of Service to recognize the legacy of King in a new and active way. It is often referred to as “a …

Discover California’s Past
Splash in the water
Play in a safe place
Camp under the stars

Explore nature

Learn to swim

Play on a team

Follow a trail

Catch a fish
Celebrate their heritage
According to the California Roundtable on Recreation and Tourism, “Numerous studies document that children who do these things are healthier, do better in school, have better social skills and self-image, and lead more fulfilled lives.”
In 2011, please join Outdoor Afro in helping all children, no matter what state they live in and their adult caregivers, exercise these rights through activities such as camping, hiking, biking, birding, …