By Outdoor Afro Contributor, Phoenix Smith, MSW
Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to know – Winnie the Pooh
Wade in the water, Wade in the water children. Wade in the water. God’s gonna trouble the water– African American Spiritual
It has been noted that the esteemed African American ancestor Harriet Tubman sang this spiritual as a warning to runaway slaves. This song signaled a need to change paths …

Inga Sarda-Sorensen
Even though we lived in the city, my father remained true to his southern roots and was devoted to growing all types of things from the soil. And he consulted his Farmer’s Almanac and later the Weather Channel regularly to inform his urban gardening plans. I have to admit that I did not grow up with a spoken consciousness about the solstice. But considering the bounty of his garden each year, I know my father respected the solstice as a time of transition into a season of dormancy necessary for …

Larry Volpe was recently honored aboard a  Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Cruise around the San Francisco Bay for his innovative use of the outdoors to enhance classroom learning for his 5th grade students at Daniel Lairon Elementary School in Santa Clara County, CA. He said, “I spend 1000-plus hours a year on outdoor trips, gardening, home visits, taking kids to sporting events and much more, [these activities] bring me closer to the students and families and make what I do all the more worthwhile.”
Many thanks to the Children and Nature Network for such an informative …

A memo from National Parks Director Jonathan B. Jarvis shares:

“On October 29 and November 1, Oprah Winfrey will devote two entire shows to her overnight camping trip in Yosemite National Park earlier this month. Ms. Winfrey’s visit originated with a letter of invitation from Park Ranger Shelton Johnson. While in the park, Shelton shared his Buffalo Soldierpersona – Elizy Bowman – at an evening campfire chat with Ms. Winfrey and others staying at the Lower Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley.
While the shows highlight Ms. Winfrey’s visit to the Mariposa …

Dianne Glave, Atlanta-based environmental author and Outdoor Afro friend, attended the annual Keeping it Wild Gala last night, a fundraiser for the organization that was created in 2005 by several Atlanta citizen-advocates who perceived the need to bring together members of diverse conservation communities to promote stewardship for the natural lands in the area. Following are Dianne’s reflections on the event, originally posted on her fantastic site:

Sometimes  better, sometimes easier, to start with endings than beginnings . . .
I sat in the amphitheater at Zoo Atlanta listening to Shelton Johnson. …

Contributed by Blogger, Author, and Speaker Denene Millner of  My Brown Baby a weekly blog that provides thought-provoking, insightful, wickedly funny commentary on motherhood, for moms who love their brown babies, by moms who do the same. Through their posts, our MyBrownBaby bloggers lift the voices of African-American moms looking for the 411/advice/a high-five on everything from pregnancy and childrearing to sex, work, and relationships—all filtered through the lens of the African American experience.

So my baby Mari survived her first sleepaway camp. More specifically, I survived Mari’s first sleepaway camp. She …

By Douglas “Birdman” Gray, Outdoor Afro Contributor

As I reflect on my personal birding over the last month, I have to say it was a very good month. My last 30 days ofbirding reinforced something I’ve shared with folks before, “September is my favorite month for birdwatching in Indiana.” The month of May is probably most folks’ favorite birding month. With many migrants passing through not only singing, but also in their full breeding colors, it’s easy to understand why.
It was such a good month that I’m sitting here scanning …

The Black Cowboy Association began its Oakland parade tradition back in 1975, sponsored by various community organizations over the years as a showcase of civic pride that pays homage to the southern country roots of many area residents. The Black Cowboy parade is always held each year the first Saturday of each October.

The horses of the parade were simply stunning and extraordinarily groomed. Riders in fanciful to serious garb came in both genders and in all ages, and the parade MC kept up the excitement on the mic with his …

Near where I live is a nook of the San Francisco Bay called Albany Bulb. The area is well known to dog owners who are able to let dogs run free and splash in the low waves in a part of the shore facing west toward San Francisco and Marin County.
The Bulb is also a nice place to catch a sunset, see a variety of shore birds, view the Golden Gate Bridge, or spot some innovative installations of outdoor art along its sandy trail edges.

Last Saturday, my two youngest …

Green Tech High Charter School Students in Albany, New York Get Youth Outdoors and Prepared for “Green Youth Leadership”
Brother Yusuf Burgess, Outdoor Afro Contributor
Black Forest Lodge – Cornwall, NY

This summer the Green Tech High Charter School’s BOYS OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP TEAM (B.O.L.T.) was successful at getting 18 participants certified in Outdoor Leadership by the Sierra Club. This Outing Leadership Workshop was held at the Black Forest Lodge, in New York’s Catskill Mountains. This place is worth visiting just for the locale and the lodge itself. It’s close to Bear Mountain and …