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The Joy Trip Project

Adventure Activism, Kids in Nature, Photography, ReThinkOutside / 11.02.2020

The Joy Trip Project is excited to announce two new recipients of used camera equipment! Aspiring young photographers Malia Schoonyoung and Jordan Jennings will receive respectively a Canon 20D and a Canon Rebel T4i digital SLR camera. These gifts were provided by kind Madison area donors who want to encourage their interest and talent as visual storytellers.
Books, Diversity, Greening Youth Foundation, Interview, National Forests, National Parks, Podcast, ReThinkOutside / 13.01.2020

Hey everybody it’s January 2020 Happy New Year! In fact happy new decade for the 21st century. It’s kind of cool to be living in the future, a time I tried to imagine as a kid growing up in the 80s. But here we are. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come. And still what a long way yet to go. If you’ve been following my work on this podcast or in a few magazine articles I’ve written over last few years you know that I put a lot of effort into the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion or DEI in the world outdoor recreation and environmental conservation. Throughout the last decade I’ve reported a lot about the progress that the outdoor industry has made in creating positive cultural and professional environments for people of color, the differently abled, those who identify as LGBTQ and other socially marginalized communities. But there is still so much that outdoor retailers, manufactures and non profit organizations can do to create spaces where everyone can not only be made to feel welcome, but encouraged to thrive, succeed and excel. I spent a bit of time throughout 2019 exploring how various institutions in the outdoor industry are rethinking the various pathways they can take to get a wide variety of different people outside.
Adventure Activism, Photography / 07.01.2020

There are few things in life more powerful than the creation of inspiring stories. I believe that with the proper tools, training and mentoring we can encourage the next generation of young people to become effective storytellers and advocates for the protection of the natural world. We need a few more cameras. The Joy Trip Project is pleased to announce that Eden Perry-Benton is the recipient of a lovingly used Canon 40D SLR digital camera kit along with an assortment of accessories from my friends at Peak Design. After more than a decade of reliable service I am handing down one of my favorite creative tools in the hopes of inspiring her interest in photography and storytelling. Chosen from among 8 finalists who were nominated and wrote a short essay describing what they would do with a professional grade camera, this 15-year-old high school sophomore from Charlotte, North Carolina presented a compelling narrative and an original photograph that pushed her submission to the very top.

National Forests, The Pathways Project, U.S. Forest Service, Video / 01.01.2020

What’s your pathway into the outdoors? Through much of 2019 The Joy Trip Project asked this question. Michela Williams is a young employee of the U.S. Forest Service with a newly discovered passion for the natural world near where she lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. In this video she shares the path she took to begin a career in environmental conservation and become a role model for others to follow. In the coming year together we will continue to explore the many pathways that connect people and the...

Capitol Christmas Tree, Charitable Giving, Choose Outdoors, National Forests, Photography, Public Land / 16.12.2019

After more than a decade of reliable service I am finally retiring my trusty Canon EOS 40D SLR Digital Camera. Even though it’s still in good condition and ready to use on a new project I’ve decided to give it away to an aspiring young photographer. ABSOLUTELY FREE! If you know someone between the ages of 12 and 17 with a passion for taking pictures I want to make a gift of this well-loved piece of equipment and a few accessories to encourage their development as an artist....

Banff, Diversity, Film Festival / 01.12.2019

Right up to the moment we were about to start I was convinced no one was going to show up. A chilly wet snow had begun to fall at the Banff Centre and I was certain that few would welcome the opportunity to gather outside for a fireside chat, even if there was free hot chocolate. When the folks at Mountain Equipment Co-Op asked me to moderate a panel discussion on diversity, equity and inclusion in the outdoors on the final day of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, of course I immediately said yes. But when the moment arrived I sincerely doubted that we would draw crowd willing to discuss these complicated issues while standing out in the cold. Turns out I was wrong.