At Outdoor Afro, our volunteer leaders play a vital role in shaping their local communities. We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Angel Chung Cutno, one of our dedicated Volunteer Leaders, to hear more about her journey with Outdoor Afro. In this Q&A, Angel shares her personal experiences with Outdoor Afro’s Volunteer Leadership Program, the impact volunteering has had on her, and why she encourages others to get involved. Here’s what she had to say:

 

Q: Why did you join the program? What motivated you to become a volunteer leader, and what made you excited about the opportunity?

I ended up joining Outdoor Afro because I had just enrolled in another program in the city, to become a certified master naturalist, and I saw in someone’s bio in the cohort that she was involved in outdoor Afro. And I looked it up immediately and realized that this was something I wanted to be a part of because I already love being outdoors and doing a lot of outdoor activities, camping, climbing, hiking, all of that, biking. And to be able to do this and hold space with other black folks is exactly up my alley. So I became an outdoor Afro so that I could share outdoors experiences with other black people.

 

Q: What was your favorite moment or experience during your time as a volunteer leader? Can you share a specific story or moment that stood out to you and made your experience memorable?

Last summer, we went camping, and we really didn’t have to leave that far from New Orleans to be able to do it. But it was about an hour drive, and just going that far makes it feel like a completely different setting that you’re in. And we were able to be in a place where we had a beach and we had a hiking trail, and we also just had a really beautiful food setup. And I wouldn’t call it glamping, but we had a great time being outdoors. And we were also able to teach other people skills of how to be outdoors and how to set up a tent and how to forage and identify plants.

And so having that memory of knowing that we are sharing knowledge and going back to the proverb of each-one-teach-one is really exciting. And that’s why I love Outdoor Afro is to be able to see that spark in people when they learn something new about the outdoors, and it gives them a greater sense of confidence and willingness to even participate in outdoor activities.

 

Q: What would you say to someone thinking about applying for the program? How would you encourage others to join and take part in this opportunity?

To anyone else that’s thinking about applying, just do it. I mean, if you already love the outdoors, if you’re already doing activities, why not just have a platform so that you can invite other people to join activities with you? And that’s basically how I do it. I mean, all the activities that I host, I would end up doing on my own anyway, but I get to invite other black people into the space. And as soon as I tell them, I host outdoor meetups for black people, they get really excited.

And so it’s a really easy sell because people are excited about trying new things. And if they are nervous about it, knowing that there’s gonna be a community of other people that look like them makes them more eager and willing to be able to try new things in a space that they know will be safe.

 

Q: What did you gain as a volunteer leader?

Since I’ve been a leader of Outdoor Afro, I have gained new friendships and ways to connect with people that I might not have otherwise met. And so I go to other events and I talk about outdoor Afro there, and I invite people to meet ups. And so it just creates a way for me to be able to, create a community and have company on some of these activities that I would always do. So I love being able to expand the network of people, the community of people, and the horizons of the people that come out to the events.

 

Are you ready to lead, inspire, and make a difference in your community? The Outdoor Afro Volunteer Leader Program is more than just an opportunity to explore the outdoors—it’s a chance to grow, connect, and create lasting impact.

If you’re passionate about strengthening connections to nature and leading inclusive outdoor experiences, we want you on this journey with us. Learn more about our Volunteer Leadership program and how you can apply, or share this with someone who you believe would make an amazing Outdoor Afro Volunteer Leader!