Unnatural State of Mind
Contributed by Roger Porter, who discovers something amiss during his recent trip to the beach with his daughter. He shares a thought provoking perspective. Please leave a comment below with your reactions.
Today I found myself at Natural Bridges State Park near Santa Cruz, CA. Natural Bridges is the perfect place to go on a warm spring day because of its magnificent beach and the breathtaking views. The people are beautiful too, and they seemed to represent every corner of the world…every corner except mine. I realized as I was showing my daughter the amazing tide pools at the park that outside of us there were no other black people there.
The beach was really crowded as a matter of fact. There were Pakistanis, Indians, Filipinos, French people, Mexicans, Whites, Asians, but no black folk to be seen. I thought to myself maybe it’s because Santa Cruz has a very small African-American population, but as we walked through the park I heard several different languages being spoken and I smelled a very diverse array of ethnic foods being cooked on the grill. It became pretty clear that everyone there was not from Santa Cruz proper or even the surrounding area.
The lack of blackness at the beach puzzled me a bit. I can’t understand how a group of people who lived on the coast of Africa for thousands and thousands of years, unlearned loving the beach so quickly. And it isn’t just the beach either. It’s also understood that hiking, and camping are extremely uncool things for black people to do (incidentally I enjoy doing all of these activities regularly). How did this happen? How did appreciating the beauty of the Earth become strictly forbidden for the Earths original people?
I can’t give a very thorough answer to that question; however, I know it has a lot to do with the legacy of slavery and segregation. I know a large part of institutionalized racism is confining an oppressed group to a certain space and disallowing them to ever come out. That’s what ghettos, barrios, shantytowns, and favelas are all about and today was proof as to how effective those constructs have become. After a while people don’t even try to leave their boundaries. Not even on a gorgeous Saturday in the liberal state of California.
It was a very nice day at the beach though. We saw starfish, crabs, and jellyfish, built a sand castle and played in the water until close to sunset. I made it a point that we were among the last people to leave just to represent because after all, you know how we do— LOL.
Roger Porter is a writer and educator from Oakland, CA USA whose first book, "The Souls of Hood Folk," is available at lulu.com. He has a degree in English from UC Berkeley and an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. He describes himself as "An average everyday man from East Oakland who writes about average everyday hood life."
Barbados Bound: An Outdoor Afro Adventure in the Caribbean
I'm excited about visiting Barbados. I've never been before, but I have experienced other Caribbean countries, and know first hand how amazing the Caribbean is. For the novice outdoor recreationist and the seasoned outdoor lover, the Caribbean is equally compelling. Something about the weather, the scenery, the sounds and people that make me feel at home. The weather is simultaneously hot, sunny, humid, and rainy. The scenery is green, gold, orange,red, violet and blue – encompassing the beauty of the horizon, the water, the trees, the sand, and the sky. The sounds are beyond description: birds chirping, monkeys frolicking, frogs chorusing, wind blowing, waves of water lapping, and your heart beating to the rhythm of the local music. And the people, aaah! Visiting the Caribbean was the first time, I had truly felt completely sucked into a place and was culturally reborn. Finally, with people with ancestors hailing from the Old and New Worlds - it's an island nation shaped by colonialism, servitude, displacement, and renewal, all at the same time.
Today, I go to Barbados to revel in its re-birth as a vacation destination of lovers and nature lovers. Among many African-Americans, it is a rather well-known and visited romance destination. I know several couples who have honeymooned, become engaged, or just enjoyed the private company of one another in this beautiful place. And beautiful, it is. For the nature lovers, Barbados offers a host of ways to fall in love: Amazing sunrises, breath taking sunsets, miles of public beaches, water sports, snorkeling and marine life watching, bird watching, enjoying the fragrances of the wild flowers or falling asleep to the chorus if Whistling Frogs. You'll fall in love, no doubt.
And thanks to the The Barbados Tourism Authority for sponsoring an Experiential Group Trip for USA Journalists, so Outdoor Afro can share this experience with you.
Outdoor Afro will be staying the Tamarind Hotel (apart of the Elegante Hotel Group). It is a newly renovated hotel will amazing beach front views, three swimming pools, and maximum outdoor living space.
The itinerary includes up-close wildlife encounters – swimming with the turtles, a nature photography hike, learning to play dominoes the Bajan way, experiencing a polo exhibition, and plus the best of Barbados hospitality -- food and drink.
Oh, yes! Of course, I've packed all of the essential gear for outdoor adventure and enjoyment: swim suit, flip flops, sneakers, sun hat, sun block, Polo clothes, shades, light rain jacket, and my camera and computer to share it all with you.
Stay tuned and follow the tweets @OutdoorAfro on Twitter or follow the hashtag #OABarbados.
GirlTrek Founder Talks About Her Outdoor Awakening
Vanessa G. (33) is the co-founder of GirlTrek, a non-profit that organizes walking campaigns for African - American women around the country for health, wellness, and outdoor engagement. I was simply thrilled to find her and her inspiring site, and I think Outdoor Afros will dig it too!
Vanessa wrote, "I was hiking with my husband in Red Rocks outside of Las Vegas in this photo. I'm actually relatively new to the outdoors. I had grown up in Seattle, WA and never even been to Mt. Rainer! I now live in DC, but 15 years ago you couldn't pay me to go hiking, camping or anything that I thought would not involve makeup and room service. But alas, I married a (now retired) professional rock climber and my eyes were opened to so many new things. I am now officially hooked on being outside! Last August we rode our bicycles 400 miles through Montana and the Canadian Rockies. I also run 4-5 days a week, and I love to hike! This picture was taken on a moderate/strenuous hike of 7 miles."
Be sure to check out Vanessa, and her inspiring work and website: GirlTrek
Ecosphere Quiz: What Do You Know About Your Local Environment?
I attended the Goldman Prize for Excellence last week in San Francisco as a guest of friend Christy Rocca of the Chrissy Field Center. The awards honored extraordinary individuals who demonstrated a fierce and courageous protection of their local spaces. In common, the prize winners each found ways to significantly protect or restore the local environment for both human and non-human species.
The North American prize winner this year is Hilton Kelley, who is now leading the battle for environmental justice on the Texas Gulf Coast. Hilton Kelley fights for communities living in the shadow of polluting industries in Port Arthur, Texas. Click to learn more.
Since that inspiring ceremony, I have imagined the ways caring and understanding related to ones local environment begins, and how it might evolve into stewardship. Since the awards, my friend Phoenix Smith, an Ecotherapist, shared with me the following Ecosphere Quiz from her class that helped bring home some common gaps in knowledge about the places we call home, and our sources for fundamental natural resources.
What follows is a self-scoring test on basic environmental perception of place. Scoring is done on the honor system, so if you fudge, cheat, or elude, this provides information as well. I hope that for each question you do not know, or are unsure, you are inspired to learn more.
Post your answers to a question you know or don't know in the comments, and if you'd like, explain the significance of the question or answer to you or your community.
- Where does the water you drink originate?
- How many days until the moon is full (plus or minus a couple of days?)
- What kind of soil is under your home?
- What is the pH of the soil where you live?
- Name five edible plants that indigenous persons from your bioregion used.
- Where does your garbage go?
- How close to you is your food grown?
- What USDA zone do you live in?
- On what day of the year are the shadows the longest where you live?
- Name five trees in your area. Are any of them native? If you can't name names, describe them.
- Where does your sewage go?
- Name five resident and three migratory birds in your area.
- What percentage of your bioregion is covered with impervious surface?
- What primary geological event/process influenced the land where you live?
- What species have become extinct in your area within the past 200 years?
- What are the major plant-associations in your area?
- From where you are reading this, point west.
- What spring wildflower is consistently among the first to bloom where you live?
- What kind of rocks and minerals are found in your bioregion?
- Can you see the stars at night?
- Name some beings (nonhuman), which share your place.
- Do you celebrate the turning of the summer and winter solstice? If so, how do you celebrate?
- Do you have neighbors that grow food? Do you?
- What plans are there for the coming ecological changes your bioregion?
- What is the largest wilderness area in your bioregion?
This test was adapted from the version appearing in CoEvolution, no. 23 (Winter, 1981)
BBC Casting Call for Outdoor Afro Adventurers
Please describe your relative survival experience, and be sure to tell us why you are perfect for this show!
Show-Me Skiers of St. Louis
By Outdoor Afro Contributor Danielle N. Lee
My first time skiing was an experience. I'm from the south, so frolicking in the cold or snow wasn't a bog part of my childhood experience. However, I love the outdoors and I love trying new things, so I joined a group of friends who introduced me to the basics of the slopes.
It was an adventure! I was far from great at it. But I wasn't deterred. So when I was invited to a Beginners Ski Trip with the Show-Me Skiers of St. Louis, the verr first African-American Ski club of St. Louis, Missouri, I decided to go for it. Since 1983, this group of winter outdoor recreationists have been planning ski and snow boarding outings for adults and families.
It's a rather popular outing because there were two busloads of skiers of all ages headed to Sundown Mountain Resort of Dubuque, Iowa. One reason was the affordability. The group negotiated a package that cost less $200 person (on average) for the weekend. Related to skiing, the cost of lessons, equipment rental, lift and access to the slopes for two days of skiing or snowboarding was $60 for the whole weekend! I know, super affordable and a great incentive to attract anyone interested in skiing or snowboarding.
I decided to give snowboarding a try. I was no better at snowboarding than I was at skiing. Both require muscles that I obviously have no command over! LOL!
It was a fun time and I recommend Show-Me Skiers, skiing or the Sundown Ski Mountain to anyone, especially to a newbie. Here are more photos from the Ski Trip.
Visit Your National Parks for Free This Week!
National Park Week - April 16-24, 2011
Get out and discover something new about your 394 national parks! This year's focus, Healthy Parks, Healthy People,highlights the connection between human and environmental health and the vital role America's national parks play in both. You might be surprised by how close the national parks are to where you live, and there are many in urban areas: Find National Parks near you!
Whether your prefer a 20-mile backcountry hike in Yosemite or a leisurely stroll around Philadelphia's Independence Hall, moving outside is good for you and offers a chance to explore these places you own. Search the events calendar to find your National Park Week "must-dos," and share your national park experience on Facebook or Twitter.
Looking Forward to Camp
By Outdoor Afro contributor Kevin Gordon
Now that the grass is greening, the birds are returning, and the smells of spring are in the air, it gets more and more exciting to prepare for camp. It's really magic contemplating what will happen this summer. What child will experience the first-time joy of doing something she didn't think she otherwise could do...from the “I can't” to the “I did!”. And carrying that over to her life—whether it's 5 days, 5 months, or 5 years forward, when another “impossible” task arises, and she has the confidence to attack it, knowing that she's already accomplished the “impossible” before at camp. So, this year, whether it's dam jumping, rock climbing, celebrating her identity, meeting a friend from a background that she would never have interacted with if not for camp...I can't wait!
Kevin Gordon, is the Director of Camp Kupugani a multicultural summer camp for girls in a residential camp setting, located near Chicago.
Learn more about accredited camp options in your area by visiting the American Camp Association website.
April Bird of the Month
By Douglas “Birdman” Gray, Outdoor Afro Contributor
As I reflect on my birding experiences over the last month, I’m greatly challenged once again to select a “Bird of the Month”. I’ve had some wonderful experiences while birding over the last month. Not only have I bird-watched with some great friends, but I’ve also seen some birds that have a certain…“WOW!”…factor about them.
This month’s bird? I have to go with the American White Pelican. This is a compelling choice because, and I could be wrong, but I don’t think there have ever been so many American White Pelicans reported in Indiana in a single month. Indiana’s renowned birding expert, Dr. Lee Sterrenberg even said, “Indiana is currently awash with American White Pelicans.”
These pelicans were indeed reported in many locations, and in good numbers. There were at least 12 individual birds that showed up at Eagle Creek Park. There were also places like Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area in Linton, Indiana and other locales that had counts in the “hundreds”.
From a habitat perspective, pelicans are usually associated with seashores and coastal regions, so some may find it strange to have a “pelican” here in the Midwest. However, the American White Pelican will indeed hang out around large inland lakes and rivers, even here in the Midwest.
And what a great bird this truly is. The American White Pelican is indeed one of the largest birds in all of North America. It can weigh up to almost 30 pounds and has a wingspan that can exceed 9 feet (that’s actually a foot more than that of the great Bald Eagle).
American White Pelicans are very distinctive in their appearance. Even non-birders can easily recognize them because of their massive size, extremely large beaks, and bright white plumage (except for black on its wings that is usually only seen during flight, or whenever the bird spreads its wings).
I believe there are still some American White Pelicans hanging around. If you get the opportunity, head out and try to catch sight of this magnificent creature. I still haven’t met the person who after seeing one doesn’t say…“WOW!”
And thanks to Marty Jones for the great photographs!
Douglas “Birdman” Gray has been birding almost all of his life. He grew up on a family farm near Clarksville, Tennessee, where they grew crops ranging from apricots to wheat, and most things in between. They also raised chickens, guineas, pigs, horses, and a cow named…….Apples. Doug’s grandfather identified the birds they would see daily on the farm.
Doug now resides in Indianapolis and works in Parenteral Engineering with Eli Lilly and Company. Most of his current birding takes place in Indiana, with a concentration on Central Indiana, where he leads bird walks for “Backyard Birds”. Doug can be reached at 317-255-7333.
Why It's Important to Connect Youth AND Their Families to the Outdoors
I think a lot about the journey that led me to form a deep connection with the outdoors, and now see clearly how fortunate I was that my family had a strong connection to land and nature, and how my parents trusted institutions like the Girl Scouts, and our local recreation center to help me connect deeply with my environment. Had I not received this kind of support and encouragement from home throughout my childhood, my interactions with nature might have been less relevant to my daily life, and I would not have the lasting positive effects of nature I enjoy today.
Lately I have been having some lively discussions with colleagues about the trend to focus on youth in the outdoors. Most agree that connecting youth to nature is essential to creating a new generation of environmental champions, but too often programs do not consider the involvement of parents and caregivers of youth, who are essential to help sustain long term engagement with the outdoors, and who may have the need to connect meaningfully with the environment for their own enrichment.
Today, my own school-age children love nature and especially enjoy camping, but their relationship with nature evolved within the security of sharing outdoor experiences with me over time. At camp, under a canopy of a dark night and serenaded by the sounds of nature, I am near my children; sharing stories, soothing fears. With me in nature, my children always know they are safe and understood. And because of my own developed connection to the outdoors, I have the motivation and resources to lead them outside again and again.
Connecting youth with their families to nature can help address fears and perceptions and cultural relevancy, which are widely recognized in the field as important barriers to lower before a relationship to the outdoors can be built. From the perspective of some communities, sending children away alone for overnight outdoor experiences might be a no-go, but going together as a family might be a more inviting concept.
Family Camp has always been an important vehicle to help some communities feel more comfortable with the idea of sending their kids away by participating first together as a family. For instance, Y.E.S. Families is a program that enriches Richmond, California youth and their parents through camp. They believe that youth, and the adults around them need and deserve opportunities to develop deep connections and supportive relationships with one another; and experiences in nature, contribute to building developmental assets that enrich their relationships when families return home. They understand that nature provides families a space for reconnection and healing not typically found within hectic schedules in the urban environment.
Yes, it is important to get children and youth outside. But in order to move the needle toward increased and sustainable participation in the outdoors, especially among traditionally underrepresented communities, parents and caregivers must be central to the mix, and encouraged to create and define their own connections to nature that moves beyond permission slips to full participation.
Besides camp, what are some other ways might families participate in outdoor experiences together?
