Nelson Institute

Books, Diversity, Nelson Institute, The Joy Trip Reading Project, Ultra Running / 04.01.2022

Mirna Valerio is a native of Brooklyn, NY, a former educator and cross-country coach, ultramarathoner, newish cyclist and skier, and author. Mirna's athletic story has been featured in the WSJ, Runner’s World, on NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in the viral REI-produced documentary short, The Mirnavator. Her writing has been featured in Women’s Running Magazine, Self Magazine Online, Outside Online, and Runner's World Magazine. In 2018 she was chosen as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and in early 2020 appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show and...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Banff, Black Lives Matter, Diversity, Environmental Justice, Film preview, Film Review, Ice Age Trail, Madison, Nelson Institute, Wisconsin / 10.12.2021

As Midwesterners huddled safely in their homes to avoid the frigid chill of a Wisconsin winter and the devastating trauma of a world-wide pandemic, Emily Ford set out on a long walk with a borrowed sled dog named Diggins. Well acquainted with the hazardous weather of the upper Midwest, this professional gardener from Duluth, Minnesota aimed to traverse the length of the Ice Age National Scenic Hiking Trail (IAT), a distance of more than 1,200 miles through some of the coldest temperatures in recorded history. The new film,...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Black Lives Matter, Book Review, Books, Diversity, National Parks, Nelson Institute, The Joy Trip Reading Project, Yosemite / 22.02.2021

Like much of the viewing public it was through the documentary film, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, that I was first introduced to Yosemite National Park Ranger Shelton Johnson. As a principal character in the film he shares much of his own love and passion for the outdoors as well as the history of these wild places. It is these compelling narratives that help to ground modern people in the present to the land that they love. This connection to the past through the power of storytelling...

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Black In National Parks Week, Diversity, Greening Youth Foundation, National Parks, Nelson Institute, Outdoor Recreation, ReThinkOutside, Sierra Club, Uncategorized / 28.08.2020

On August 25th, 2020 The Joy Trip Project had the great honor and privilege to host a distinguished panel of experts. To mark the 104th Anniversary of the National Park Service those who gathered brought their thoughts and lived experiences to explore the long history and future of Black people as stewards of our public land. Our panelists included: independent scholar Dr. Carolyn Finney, Dr. Nina Roberts Professor of recreation, parks and tourism at San Francisco State University, Yosemite National Park Ranger Shelton Johnson, former National Park Director Robert...

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Commentary, Diversity, Environmental Justice, Essays, Nelson Institute, Outdoors For All, ReThinkOutside, The Adventure Gap / 24.04.2020

Through the  hive-mind of social media I was reminded this morning on LinkedIn that yesterday was my third work anniversary at the University of Wisconsin, Madison Nelson Institute For Environmental Studies. It just so happened at that moment I was deep in thought on a series of 12 sessions I am preparing for my summer class called Outdoors For All. Over the course of four weeks my students and I take a long look back in time at the racial disparities that separate those who spend time in...

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Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Breaking News, Diversity, Environmental Protection, Environmental Studies, Madison, Nelson Institute, Wisconsin / 02.09.2019

As a journalist I believe my primary function is community engagement. It has been my intention from the beginning of my career to encourage and inspire those within my sphere of influence to become thoroughly engaged in both outdoor recreation and environmental conservation. That’s why I’m pleased to announce that I have accepted a position at the University of Wisconsin, Madison Nelson Institute For Environmental Studies as Community Partners Liaison. This title and a small salary are meant to formalize my place on the UW Madison Campus. Though I...

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