Diversity

Commentary, Diversity, Photography / 01.09.2017

A recent blog post described me as “a champion in the effort to bring more diversity to the outdoors.” As much as I appreciate the compliment, the statement appears as the cutline to a photograph at the head of an article that goes on never to mention anything that I might have done to earn the title of “champion”. The author never contacted me for a quote or even referenced a single one of the 800+ stories published on this blog or the scores of magazine articles, radio...

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Diversity, Interview, National Parks, Podcast / 12.07.2017

At 95 years young National Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin is a national treasure. Stationed at the Rosie The Riveter/World War II Homefront National Historic Park in Richmond, California she interprets the cultural narrative of life in America during one of the most turbulent periods in time. Drawing on her personal experience through the 1940s she offers a compelling look into the past that helps us to understand who we are today and chart a course toward a brighter tomorrow. As an African-American woman who endured and survived...

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Appalachian Trail, Diversity, Interview, Podcast, Through-Hiking / 22.06.2017

Outside Magazine recently featured a wonderful essay by the writer Rahawa Haile. This young woman from Miami, Florida had successfully through-hiked the Appalachian Trail. Walking solo, she made the journey of 2,179 miles from Georgia to Maine under the power of her own two feet over several months in 2016. In her fascinating story, one passage in particular stood out. "Throughout my youth, my grandmother and I took walks in Miami, where I’d hear her say the words tuum nifas," Haile wrote. "It meant a delicious wind, a nourishing...

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Diversity, Latino Outdoors, Urban Parks / 16.05.2017

[caption id="attachment_2064297" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook park aid Jamise Caesar (right) leads a nature hike for Latino Outdoors in Los Angeles[/caption] There are times when my faith in a bright future is renewed. On a recent visit to my childhood home in Los Angeles I had the pleasure of meeting Jamise Caesar, a park aid at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. Not only does this wonderful young lady come from my old neighborhood, she is also a fellow graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a...

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Commentary, Diversity, Environmental Protection, Environmental Studies, Nelson Institute, Public Land / 08.05.2017

When it comes to discussing complex social issues it’s hard to know where to start. This summer I'm scheduled to teach a course on diversity and inclusion in outdoor recreation called Outdoors For All at the University of Wisconsin Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies. As a linear thinker my first inclination was to begin the class with an  in-depth exploration of the cultural circumstances that got us where we are today, a nation tragically divided alone racial and socio-economic lines. For a variety of different reasons there are...

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Breaking News, Diversity, Environmental Journalism, Environmental Protection, Essays, National Monuments / 27.04.2017

Our National Monuments are enduring reminders of our historic legacy and past accomplishments. They aim to protect for future generations the natural beauty and cultural significance of public sites that have helped to shape our national identity. But they also preserve our memory of atrocities committed against vulnerable people and the land that we must never forget in the hope that we will not repeat them. A new executive order from the Donald Trump Administration, signed on April 26, 2017, may put the sanctity of our National Monuments...

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