Author: James Edward Mills

#BlackLivesMatter, Black Lives Matter, Nelson Institute, Outdoors For All, Running, The Joy Trip Reading Project, Ultra Running / 28.02.2023

On the latest edition of the Joy Trip Reading Project book discussion. this month’s author is Alison Mariella Desire, author of “Running While Black”. This discussion is particularly important because February 23rd was the three-year anniversary of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. We’d like to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate his life that was sadly taken from the world far too soon. ALISON MARIELLA DÉSIR is an endurance athlete, activist, and mental health advocate. Currently, cochair of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition, a Run Happy Advocate for Brooks...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Black Lives Matter, Commentary, Essays, National Geographic, National Monuments, National Parks, Public Land, Unhidden, Yellowstone, Yosemite / 13.02.2023

On a recent visit to Yellowstone National Park, I had the chance to see with my own eyes for the first time the inscription carved over the Roosevelt Arch. Previously I had only seen pictures. I have the rare privilege to be among the many writers and scholars who serve as topic experts on National Geographic Expeditions to remote areas around the world. This landmark in particular was a gap in my pedigree that I was very happy to fill. It's in these moments when I am happy...

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Adventure Activism, Backcountry, Banff, Diversity, National Geographic, The Arctic, Winter / 26.12.2022

The Joy Trip Project is excited to announce the 2nd recipient of the Matthew Henson Memorial Polar Explorer Scholarship. In partnership with Polar Explorers, an Illinois-based guiding company, we are pleased to award Christine Meissner free tuition to attend a five-day introduction to a winter travel training course in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of Northern Minnesota. Christine will be joined by last year’s scholar awardee Stephan Scott to help guide and mentor her journey in the world of cold weather overland travel. To honor the legacy of...

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Diversity, Interview, National Geographic, National Monuments, National Parks, Podcast, Public Land / 19.12.2022

The protection of public land requires the broad ranging vision and leadership of federal service professionals at the highest levels. As the 19th Director of the National Park Service Charles F. Sams III is guiding the management of a complexed agency that oversees the protection of 63 National Parks and more than 420 individual monuments, battlefields, lakeshores and grasslands. A member of the Confederate Tribes of the Umatilla Indians, Sams is the first Native American to serve as the administrator of the memorial sites that preserve our natural history...

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Choose Outdoors, Environmental Protection, National Forests, Native Culture, Public Land, U.S. Forest Service / 14.11.2022

After eight years of following the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree I often forget that not everyone has heard about it. Though the People’s Tree is harvested from a different national forest every year, the primary tenants of the story remain the same. Our goal is to educate a broad general audience on the amazing work performed by the USDA Forest Service to protect and preserve the precious natural resources of tall trees across America. Organized by the nonprofit Choose Outdoors, we put together a coalition of support among...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Book Review, Books, Diversity, Green Economics, Sustainable Living, Urban Parks, Urban Revitalization / 27.10.2022

Through of the much of the last century, urban neighborhoods populated by Black and brown people, have been defined as places where not to live. Our long history of redlining, deliberate housing discrimination, crime, environmental pollution and benign neglect has systematically made residing in these communities of color undesirable. Success for the brightest and most talented individuals born in these areas is most often expressed by how far their education, talent and hard work can allow them to escape from the sidewalks, streets, shops and storefronts that their...

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