Diversity

Breaking News, Diversity, Environmental Studies, National Forests, National Parks, Nelson Institute / 17.04.2017

[caption id="attachment_2064253" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Photo by Marissa Hyland[/caption] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]here is a moment in the life of an idea when it becomes a reality. For a few years now I’ve been thinking about teaching a university class on diversity and inclusion in the world of outdoor recreation and environmental conservation. Having written a book on the topic, along with more than a few magazine and newspaper articles, I’m considered something of an expert. Despite having no formal training as a professor more than a decade of research and reporting has given...

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Breaking News, Diversity, Greening Youth Foundation, Millennials, SNEWS / 19.03.2017

The outdoor apparel and equipment brand Patagonia aims to create a more diverse workforce. In order to recruit and retain people of color in ways that are authentic and in keeping with its culture the company has forged a relationship with a nonprofit based in Atlanta that helps underrepresented children, teens and young adults  become stewards of the environment. The Greening Youth Foundation (GYF) provides cultural resources and guidance to  assist aspiring students, many of whom are African-American or Hispanic, in becoming knowledgeable of the natural systems that...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Commentary, Diversity, Essays, Guest Contributor, National Parks / 07.03.2017

Like much of modern America I was appalled by a seemingly innocuous line in a recent speech by the newly appointed Department of Housing and Urban Development Director Dr. Benjamin Carson. On his first day in office he addressed staff members with a lecture on the virtues of hard work and dedication in the pursuit of the American dream. With great reverence paid to the contributions of immigrants he particularly pointed out the efforts those forcibly brought to this country against their will. “That’s what America is about,” Carson...

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Book Tour, Commentary, Diversity, Environmental Protection, Public Land, The Adventure Gap / 06.02.2017

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]y host Dr. Kelli McMahan seemed to vibrate with enthusiasm. As she drove me from my hotel in Waco, Texas through the campus of Baylor University we watched an endless parade of young people in pursuit of knowledge and higher education. “There is nothing more exciting than life on a college campus,” she said. With obvious delight she smiled and shuttered with the tingling sensation of the very thought. Taking in the scene I couldn’t agree more as we rolled past white marble and red brick buildings teaming with impressionable...

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#ORWinter, Diversity, Life Out Loud, Millennials, Outdoor Retailer / 20.01.2017

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n the last day of the 2017 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market I stood thumbing the screen of my iPhone. My 2:45 appointment was running a bit late, so I waited patiently killing time like a teenager slouched over my Twitter feed in front of The North Face booth. Looking up as he approached I caught the attention of Gear Junkie editor Sean McCoy. He strode over to ask me a question. “We’re still trying to give away the last of our Best-In-Show Awards,” he said. “What was the most...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Capitol Christmas Tree, Commentary, Destinations, Diversity / 29.11.2016

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n a brisk afternoon in late November I walked from the United States Capitol Building to the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History & Culture in Washington D.C. My legs were a bit sore having already spent a long morning on my feet taking pictures of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. Just arrived from its home in the Payette National Forest near McCall, Idaho the People’s Tree had made a long journey of more than 3,800 miles over four weeks of travel to receive a hero’s welcome from a...

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