Uncategorized

Diversity, National Monuments, National Parks, Podcast, Public Land, Uncategorized / 05.02.2024

Hosted by James Edward Mills, this series delivers each day in the month of February a compelling audio story via podcast in about 60 seconds. Each narrative offers a brief glimpse into the life and times of Black men and women who have shaped our cultural identity. The series is called Unhidden Minute. I hope you’ll join us. ...

Alaska, Climate Change, Commentary, Denali, Destinations, Essays, National Geographic, National Parks, Public Land, The Arctic, Uncategorized, We are the Arctic / 24.07.2023

Just over 10 years since my first trip to Alaska’s Denali National Park, I stood near the Mountain Vista Trailhead searching through the clouds. I knew that somewhere in the distance stood a snow-covered peak whose summit stands as the highest point in North America. The horizon line loomed as a field of pale grey light behind a vast expanse of a deep green alpine tundra. The landscape was dotted with a few tall spruce trees scattered sporadically in a low-elevation taiga forest. Beautiful, but not what I...

Black History, Commentary, Juneteenth, Outdoors For All, Uncategorized, Unhidden / 19.06.2023

On the new federal holiday of Juneteenth, we celebrate the end of slavery in the United States and the emancipation of every citizen. This marks the third week of my month-long summer course, Outdoors For All at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. We’re half-way through. As I remind my students, this is not a “Black” holiday. Today we acknowledge that everyone has the inalienable rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Taught at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies this class explores the disparities of access to...

Uncategorized / 15.05.2023

I believe that I am most myself when I am hiking. It is in the act of walking along a wooded trail or a well-worn path that I feel grounded in my own body. I am connected to the Earth with the passage of each step. As I move my arms and legs, I draw in clear clean air with every breath through my lungs. With a heavy sigh I exhale and release the tension of life and find an overwhelming sense of calm. Outdoors among the trees...

Appalachian Trail, Climbing, Color The Crag, Covid-19, Diversity, Film preview, Uncategorized / 17.11.2020

Taking a break from his daily training session Aden Conrad stopped to chat with his friend Malik Martin. A talented athlete, this aspiring sport climber needed just a few minutes to rest and allow the lactic acid to ease its way out of his powerful forearms. As they casually spoke, Malik took a quick succession of pictures of Aden with his Nikon camera. Just a few clicks of his shutter and the photojournalist captured a moment in the life of a young man transformed by the power of...

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...