Diversity

#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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Commentary, Diversity, Environmental Justice, Essays / 11.10.2016

Fall chores had preempted my regularly scheduled Sunday morning rituals. Yoga would have to wait as I raked the first round of fallen leaves from the lawn and prepared a pile of yard waste in anticipation of a Thursday pick-up. Sasha came bounding into the garden like a black scud missile on target to obliterate my efforts in a flurry of paws and her wagging tail. Our puppy loves the displacement of splashing puddles and swirling leaves as she turns every moment of our lives into a happy...

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Breaking News, Center For Humans & Nature, Diversity, Greening Youth Foundation, National Monuments, National Parks / 09.09.2016

[caption id="attachment_2064043" align="alignright" width="575"] Greening Youth Interns meet with US Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in Washington DC[/caption]   Until the lion learns to write, the tale of the hunt will glorify the hunter ~ African Proverb   [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen I was collage-age I doubt that I would have had the poise or presence of mind to speak to a cabinet member of a sitting President.  The students who met with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell carried themselves with a level of confidence and conviction that I couldn’t help but...

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