by Zoë Polk
“I am a walker. Walked most of the major seaport cities of this country…. my favorite has always been and will be the city of St. Francis, San Francisco… To walk around Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park at seven o’clock on a cool, windy morning, with that fog rolling in from the ocean to smell the eucalyptus and the pine, not even your best wine is more intoxicant. Take Kennedy Drive to the Great Highway, stroll along Ocean Beach from the Cliff House to the zoo and …

What happens when you bring together outdoor retail giants, a major conservation non-profit in the US, researchers from top universities, a prominent DC advocate, a National Park ranger, a group of 13 African Americans with fire in their hearts for nature, crowd funding, volunteers  – and me, a social entrepreneur from Oakland, California…

The Outdoor Afro Leadership Team training weekend!
Even though it has been well over a week, I am still feeling the high of gratitude and moments where I ask myself did that really happen? Did such a diverse group of …

A human rights attorney in San Francisco, a mom in Memphis, and an accountant from Chicago have something important in common…
They are a part of the Outdoor Afro Leadership Team to reconnect African Americans in their community back to nature! A total of 13 individuals were hand-picked out of a generous pool of applicants from around the United States to join the team. This 2013 class represents a variety of backgrounds, outdoor expertise, and key urban centers from around the country. Continuing the success of the previous pilot year, each leader …

Outdoor Afros in Los Angeles explored local African American history and nature over the weekend – read on!
 
Alisha Pye here, I’m the Outdoor Afro Leader for Los Angeles. This week we decided to celebrate Spring by hiking at Solstice Canyon in Malibu which is located in the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s a beautiful hike with flowers in full bloom, waterfalls to enjoy, valleys and canyons to climb and picnic areas. We started on the stairs and continued on a steady incline until we came to an area of ruins that …

By Alisha Pye, Los Angeles Outdoor Afro Leader

So we went hiking above the Mountain Gate Country Club again, but this time we decided to mix it up a bit. So we decided to go off the fire trail and hike the hills. This was a great hike although we had fewer people we had a very diverse group, ranging from a mom wearing her 6 month baby, to a 9 year old cross country runner.
This hike was particularly challenging for me because I’m very afraid of heights and cliffs, both …

Lassen Volcanic Park continues to be the hidden gem enjoyed by the Outdoor Afro community. For the second year in a row, we partnered with National Park Service staff to lead a snow shoe walk among in the park’s beautiful red fir forest and for the second year in a row, we had a blast!
When we first arrived, Rangers Chris and Caitlin greeted us and explained the history of snow shoeing, including their use in Native American culture.
After all of us were fitted with our snow shoes, we made our …

Do you have a passion for the outdoors and want to share it with others? 
Consider applying to join the 2013 Outdoor Afro Leadership Team today!

In 2012, we successfully launched the volunteer Outdoor Afro Leadership Team of 13 folks – the OALT, who formed a team of “experience ambassadors” for Outdoor Afros all around the country. Between May and December of 2012, this team led 500 people to nature right in their own backyards, many for the first time, thanks to these inspiring outdoor role models and our generous sponsors! (see below!)

As you know, …

Recently, Outdoor Afro founder Rue Mapp, had a chance to chat with Laura Swapp who leads the Diversity and Inclusion efforts of REI out of their Kent, Washington corporate campus. She shares steps REI has taken to help the outdoors be more relevant and inclusive. Read more:

Rue Mapp: So Laura, it’s so great to connect with you again! Can you tell us how was your role imagined – this is a completely new role at REI right?
Laura Swapp: Yes it is a new role, and the position was born from …

Click to support our Indiegogo campaign to train locally relevant and inspired leadership!
As the founder of Outdoor Afro, you know I am passionate about the great outdoors for everyone to enjoy. Here is more:
Outdoor Afro Kickstarter from Community Bridge Video on Vimeo. 
Inspired by my family, I started Outdoor Afro in 2009 to share this passion using social media. The message quickly resonated with thousands of others from around the country who shared their own images and stories that affirmed African Americans do have a positive and historic relationship to nature.
In …