Diversity

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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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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