All Things Fair
I grew up going to the Lake County fair held each year in that county’s largest city, Lakeport, California, but when back in Oakland, I attended the Alameda County Fair in the outlying sleepy suburb of Pleasanton. These fairs I attended during dusty summers have meant many different things to me over the years. When I was little, the fair meant going on flashy-honky rides with accompanying rock music, or trying to win an impossible game of plastic rings thrown over coke bottlenecks for ridiculously sized stuffed animals. It also meant sticky treats found nowhere else in the world like candy apples, funnel cakes, and crunchy sweet corn dogs.
Overall, fairs have always exuded a sense of outdoor wonderment and magic, with two vastly different lives; one at night and the other in the daytime.
In the daytime, fairs deliver its serious business as an exhibition site of the county’s finest. That covers everything like coddled 4-H livestock, homemade preserves, photography, chili cook-offs, table setting displays (yes, table setting) and much, much more. This show of local competition and talent can typically be found inside of the massive exhibition hall, where judges place items like prize winning snicker-doodles inside a glass case on a paper doily.
Basically, the aim of the exhibition is to showcase the best ideas, recipes, creativity, and problem solvers of the county. Think of it as a massive science fair where everyone from senior citizens to kindergarteners have a shot at demonstrating their knowledge across many categories, and winning a prize for it. To make it fair, the competition is leveled so only similarly aged individuals compete with one another within the different areas.
Night time at the fair brings out a different crowd. Flirty youth arrive en masse; the rides and games seem more bright and loud. Obviously, I enjoyed this time most when I was a teenager, when I was eager to part ways with my parents at the entrance gate and try out social independence under the fun-house mystery of the nighttime sky.
For some years in my 20’s I abandoned the fair, absorbed in more serious pursuits like starting a family. But once my first child was a toddler, to the fair I returned.
With a vengeance.
Not only did I return to the fair as a daytime visitor, I was also determined to enter my family famous cornbread-from-scratch recipe in the competition. And I was serious as a heart attack about this. I carefully filled out the Fair Competition form online then woke up on entry day at 5am to bake a fresh pan to deliver 40 miles away, while it was still warm. Of course, my friends (and some family) thought this was silly.
But I earned some bragging rights when the fair opened a few days later, and I saw my very own cornbread squares sitting in a glass case, on a paper doily - - with a winning ribbon!
My cornbread was judged on the basis of taste, texture, and get this: cell wall uniformity. In other words, it mattered that the gazillion holes inside the bread where all roughly about the same size. Wow.
So I won 2nd place in the Quick Breads Non-Yeast category. 1st place went to a Carrot “Bread” that to this day I think was mis-categorized since it had frosting and was entirely too sexy to be practical. But I digress. Winning that ribbon was totally worth the effort that embodied all the fair experiences of my youth, with the satisfaction of sharing my personal best with my community.
I think I’ll go for the Table-Setting competition next time.
Do you still go to the fair? What are some of your fair memories?
Alameda County Fair
Lake County Fair - Coming up!
Click to view your State Fair dates!
Women of Color Backpacking Trip!
By Chelsea Griffie, Outdoor Afro Contributor
This year’s Women of Color trip by the Balanced Rock Foundation was July 21st to 25th. Our group ventured to Ostrander Lake also in Yosemite (see below). The premise of these trips is to increase the representation of women of color in the back country, while also providing a safe and supportive environment to learn new skills and connect with the outdoors.
This year, there were a total of five participants, with two instructors, and an intern, which meant that participants were able to receive a lot of individualized attention.
Some Trip Highlights:
• It was a fantastic group of ladies. No one was competitive, or had anything to prove. Everyone seemed genuinely happy. I was psyched to hang out with everyone who was there.
• Even when one participant had to move very slowly, the rest of the group was very supportive and willing to move at whatever pace she needed.
• My co-Instructor, who was an avid fly fisherwoman, brought her rod and reel. While she did not personally catch anything, she coached a participant to land a trout! That night, we had steamy, succulent trout freshly caught in Ostrander Lake!
• We had some poetic moments -- literally…here are some trip haikus:
Pennyroyal Tea
Queens of the Bay Area
Women of Color
Better than 2-ply
Corn lily fields forever
Really leave no trace
Really, it was a magical group, and I can’t wait until the next trip!
Chelsea Griffie is the the only known African American woman to have climbed El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite. She was featured in Dudley Edmonson's book, Black and Brown Faces in America's Wild Places. When not climbing and leading trips, she lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.
Kites, Nights, and Cameras!
This week was event-filled for Outdoor Afro where we connected with friends, family, and the community to have fun, and expand the message of outdoor engagement.
The week began with some high-flying times with family and close friends for the Berkeley Kite Festival on what felt like the windiest day of the year. Even if you did not have a kite of your own, there were many beautiful and dynamic kites to see. Some highlights included the kite candy drop; pony rides provided by African American cowboys (more on this later), and bike parking provided by Richmond Spokes, since auto traffic was rough. Note to self for next year: do not bring cheap kites because they will get smacked down in the first 10-minutes of your arrival and you will be laughed at by strangers (trust me on this one). View more pictures
On Tuesday evening, Outdoor Afro joined up with Memorial Tabernacle Church in North Oakland, California for National Night Out to share resources, books, and local programs
for the church and community members to connect with the outdoors in new ways. As much as I enjoy the digital conversation, I recognize not everyone can be reached online, so it’s always enlightening to speak with people directly about their experiences and barriers to the outdoors. I was especially heartened to hear about how Memorial Tabernacle was already leading hikes to Muir Woods, one the most dazzling National Forest sites in the area. View more pictures
Finally, I was interviewed by ABC local affiliate for its Sunday morning show, “Behind the Headlines” that examined the
topic of Nature Deficit Disorder, a term coined by Richard Louv, who wrote the ground-breaking book, Last Child in the Woods. It was great to be on the show with friends from Bay Area Wilderness Training, and San Francisco’s Chrissy Field Center. For my first time doing a television interview on this topic, I think it went pretty well and I had a blast! I can’t wait to share the video embed and link with the community as soon as it becomes available.
This upcoming week I am looking forward to the Children and Nature Network's Grassroots Gathering in Princeton, New Jersey to be on a panel discussing diversity, and social media strategies to connect more people to the outdoors with some of my closest friends and pioneers of this movement from across the country.
No matter where you are, I hope you are finding ways to enjoy your summer. It’s still not too late to get out and make some warm weather memories for you and your loved ones. Check out the Outdoor Afro community site to get some ideas and find people in your area to connect with. There were also many fun ideas discussed on the Outdoor Afro Facebook page and I’ll publish some of these suggestions later this week to inspire you to get outdoors!
What did your community do for National Night Out?
What other Faith Based Organizations do you know that are connecting people to the outdoors?
Our Family Camp Vacation
We returned from our camping vacation a week ago, and in spite of a week of work and resuming the usual routine, it was not until today that I felt like I was finally back from the wilderness. I find that camping for extended periods lingers in the imagination like that. Even my friend Jessica, whose family joins mine each year at camp, called me the day after we returned home to confess that she, too, was missing camp.
I knew we were missing more than the guilt-free afternoon naps and camaraderie of reunited friends. We missed the peace found in the cool evening breeze that moved through the forest following the heat of the afternoon, the rushing streams that ran along the boundaries of camp that put us to sleep and opened our eyes in the morning. We also missed the harmony and honest connectedness spent in such a beautiful and natural space, and the deep laughter that hurt our sides during the Saturday night talent show.
Going to Feather River Family Camp has been a tradition in our family spanning many years. My first time going was at age 12 as a camper with a program facilitated by the local arts center. Later I would become a Counselor in Training (CIT), which gave me a greater sense of responsibility for others in the natural environment. In the years leading into my deep teens, I became way too cool and foxy to camp, but when I married and had children of my own a decade later, camp powerfully called me back. My kids can’t tell you when they camped for the first time because we took them when they were barely out of the womb. My youngest joined us at family camp when he was only 3 weeks old.
But this camp year was particularly unique as it marked the first time I could immerse myself into the experience of camping with children who were now old enough and skilled enough to enjoy all aspects of the experience with me. The babies and pre-schoolers I had, who used to require all kids of equipment and careful attention, finally grew up to become sturdy swimmers and hikers, and savvy enough to make their own plates for dinner!
It was the first time since back country camping in my early twenties that I was able to take in the wilderness at a more relaxed pace; and the first time that my children could each create their camping experience on their own terms. For example, my 13 year-old proudly announced on the drive back home that he met “all his goals” for the week (of course, none of which he shared with me). When asked about what she remembered most about camp, my 8 year-old daughter, who I only saw in passing for most of the week said, “feeling happy” -- I agree with her, and am already looking forward to camp next year, and for generations after that.
For more information about camps in your area, check out the American Camp Association.
Click to View More Camp Photos!
Bird of the Month
Douglas "Birdman" Gray is one of my favorite birders, and he has agreed to share his "Bird of the Month" each month with the Outdoor Afro community. Birding is a hobby almost anyone can do no matter the age, and it can open up a whole new world of recreation and environmental stewardship. Birds are everywhere -- from the tallest city skyscrapers to the remote backwoods! With Doug's help, you can perhaps come to recognize birds found right where you live!
Bird of the Month
Douglas Gray, Outdoor Afro Contributor
Seen from a distance or in poor light, this month’s Bird of the Month just seems like a small, dark bird. But seen at close range and in good light, this bird’s appearance can be almost breathtaking. This month’s featured bird is the Indigo Bunting.
With such a pretty name, you’d expect a pretty bird…and you’d not be disappointed. The deep velvet blue feathers of the Indigo Bunting sets this bird apart indeed. (The deep velvet blue of the male…that is! So void of distinguishing field marks, the female Indigo Bunting hardly seems to even be a member of the same species of bird. Which is actually a very good thing, as the female spends her time trying to stay concealed as she incubates eggs and cares for the young. And indeed, she is not often seen, but even when seen, she is easily overlooked. I've added a second picture to this BOTM so you can see the contrast between the male and female.)
With his astonishing beauty, the male Indigo Bunting seems to know his beauty, and glorify in it, by singing persistently. At a recent picnic at Fort Harrison State Park, I could hear an Indigo Bunting singing nearby as soon as I walked up. (The mnemonic often used for identifying their paired call is, “fire; fire; where? where? here; here; see it? see it?”) I arrived at the picnic at about 11:30AM and that bird sang almost without ceasing until I left at 3:00PM.
An interesting piece of information about the Indigo Bunting is the fact that its color is actually not blue at all, but black...(believe it or not). The blue color is generated by the diffraction of light through their feathers which makes them appear blue. Because of this, they can appear as shades from turquoise to shades of black, depending on how the light hits them. So this beautiful blue-feathered display can actually be seen as a trick of nature.
~*~*~
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.
Rooted in the Earth - A Testimony of Love for the Environment
Dianne Glave has been a friend of Outdoor Afro from the beginning, starting when I discovered her important work related to African American foodways to research for a blog I wrote last year. Dianne's newest book, Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage has just begun arriving in mailboxes this week. So we asked Dianne to share with us some of the journey leading her to write this terrific work, and we hope you will be inspired to purchase your own copy that covers a ground-breaking perspective of African-American historical engagement with the outdoors.
My parents took me camping in upstate New York when I was a child. We stayed in cabins for one week each summer from when I was a small child to my early teens. I was basically set free to roam around the property of the camp. I saw my parents at meals in the common dining hall. I sat on the dock with my fishing pole putting worms on the hook, catching fish, and then throwing them back in the water. I had so much freedom. I’d row from one side of the lake to the other by myself. I ran around the woods by myself jumping over logs and sitting in fallen leaves. My grandparents also had a farm in Jamaica in the Caribbean. I was down there visiting them often during the summer as a child. I saw a pig slain—his head and neck placed on a low swing. I looked into the well that provided our drinking water; it was filled with golden fish which I now understand cleaned the water.
It all came together when I went to Stony Brook University to work on my M.A. and Ph.D. in history emphasizing African Americans and the environment. Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage is more than a decade of effort from my time at Stony Brook. Actually, it goes back to my parents and grandparents. My audience, of course, is African Americans because that is the focus of the book. I do feel though that the book holds universal truths about the environment that anyone around the globe can relate to. For example, somehow someway we all go back to agriculture even if we trace back to the pre-history of the dawn of humankind in the cradle of civilization we call Africa.
I also owe so much to the internet community who have taken me in and embraced me through my blogging and the upcoming book. I have known Frank Peterman and Audrey Peterman, co-authors of Legacy on the Land: A Black Couple Discovers Our National Inheritance and Tells Why Every American Should Care for several years as part of the world of diversity and the environment. I met Evonne Blythers through Keeping it Wild about the same time I learned about the Petermans. I was able to reconnect with all of them. Rue Mapp and Jarid Manos, new friends, keep in touch online, share about my work, and call me regularly to check-in on me. I am also glad to have gotten to know Dudley Edmondson who wrote Black & Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places.
There are so many others to recognize, including Rona Fernandez who blogs at Brown Girl Going Green. I think Rona reads all my blog posts! Mayra McQuirter another one of the first people to find my blog and was quick to write about the book. And Danielle N. Lee invited me to do my first blog carnival; what an experience! I think that starting the blog back in January 2010 really helped me to view the environment in new ways. It keyed me into the many perspectives that make up the whole, and also connected me with the little, yet important things around me, like slugs and birds. Through my blog, I also get to tap into my love of popular culture and reflect on movies and books. I hope I have given people something to think about through the blog and later the book. For me the experience has given me more opportunities to connect to people and nature. For that, I am grateful.
Purchase Dianne's book at your local independent bookstore or on Amazon today!
Outdoor Afro Featured in High Country News
Outdoor Afro is so thrilled to be featured in the latest issue of the High Country News Green Justice edition!
Writer Stephanie Ogburn captured the fun spirit of a recent birdwatching event, situated in a stretch of shoreline that borders an industrial zone and a large community of color in Oakland, California. The event was a collaborative effort between Outdoor Afro and Golden Gate Audubon of the San Francisco Bay Area. Most participants were first-time birders, and left the trip inspired to learn more about the birds and other wildlife found right in their own backyard. The full article is available for paid subscribers online or in print via retail outlets, but here is a sneak peak!
Happy 4th of July and BBQ Sauce
Regardless of how patriotic you are, the 4th of July represents family gatherings, fireworks, and great food -- all to be experienced outdoors. Growing up, my family spent nearly every 4th of July at our place in Clearlake, California.
Cousins and close family friends would join us for non-stop swimming, hiking, talent shows, and driveway basketball games. Our fathers closely tended the 55-gallon drum that cooked "low and slow" meats seasoned at least two days before. And inside on the kitchen stove, the pressure cooker hissed the readiness of blackeyed peas and many other delicacies fussed over for hours by our mothers. Those were magical times that informed the love for the outdoors and family I hold today. In just a couple hours, I'll get on the road and drive back to that sacred place to meet my now-grown cousins to share with our own children what remains of our childhood revelry.
So happy 4th of July Outdoor Afros! And in the spirit of great eats and fun across generations, here is a great barbecue sauce to share, suitable for everything from beef ribs to Boca Burgers. Taken from Sylvia's Soul Food Cookbook:
Sylvia’s Soul Food Barbecue Sauce
Time 20 minutes
Serves 12
Ingredients
16 oz. Red Devil Hot Sauce
2 1/2 tsps. crushed red pepper flakes
1 small onion, sliced
1 small stalk celery, sliced
3 c. tomato puree
1 1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 lemon, slices
How to make it:
Combine all the ingredients in a heavy pot and cook over low heat just until hot. Don't bring to a boil or the sauce will turn dark and become thin.
Cool the sauce to room temperature, strain, and store in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator.
Makes about 5 cups.
Summer Fun in Tilden Park
Yesterday could hardly be considered warm in the Bay Area, with temperatures never jumping above 68 degrees where I live. But it is summer and a weekend, thus me and the kids in my care craved more than a park, we wanted to be near a body of water. So my kids, along with two nieces and a nephew decided to pile in the truck in the afternoon and head to the hills of Tilden Park to spend time at Lake Anza, which is considered the jewel of the East Bay Regional Parks system. 
As much as I get around to parks and trails, I remain amazed by the diverse options for outdoor engagement found mere minutes for my home. Tilden has a bit of something for everyone: a little farm, steam trains, merry-go-round, botanic and native plant gardens, a golf course, many trails, and stunning views from every angle.
The fair weather meant fewer people with plenty of parking and space to spread out in the sand. We were greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and we found a nice open area where the kids could remain in easy view, but a lifeguard on duty in the summer months is a big plus.
After about an hour or so of going in and out of the water, the sun faded behind the eucalyptus and the chill of the afternoon could no longer be ignored. Just before leaving the park, we stopped at a vista where other visitors were perched to appreciate the stunning views of the San Francisco Bay that reminded us why we loved this place.
If you are in or near the East Bay Area, definitely consider a visit to Tilden Park. Check out their website for a complete list of activities that are mostly free.
What is your favorite place to go swimming in the summertime?
Outdoor Nation!
June 19-20, 2010
New York City
Outdoor Afro had the wonderful experience this past weekend to be a part of Outdoor Nation, a youth summit designed to reconnect America’s youth to the great outdoors and inform organizations of what youth care about most. This was also the first official listening session as a part of Obama’s Great Outdoors Conference this past spring.
The event began with a mixer Friday night sponsored by Backpacker Magazine. Leadership from The North Face, VF Outdoors (TNF parent company), The Natural Leaders Network (Children and Nature Network), New York Restoration Project, Student Conservation Association, Bay Area Wilderness Training, New York Parks Recreation, 
Sierra Club, American Hiking Society, and many others gathered on the rooftop of the Arsenal Building in Central Park. Everyone seemed to enjoy the warm summer sunset, great libation, and engaging conversation that expanded networks, considered the barriers of outdoor engagement, and anticipated the hundreds of youth set to arrive the following day.
Saturday’s events began at noon in the park and the public turnout was amazing! Thanks to much local publicity, many hundreds of people, including several families with children, came and participated in rock climbing, kayaking, trampoline jumping, and hoola-hooping, as part of a treasure hunt to engage with the activity vendors and the various orgs. Each interaction earned stamps in the event’s passport booklet to win prizes. I had a blast working with Kyle McDonald, CEO and founder of Bay Area Wilderness Training at The North Face Planet Explore table to share with the public how to use the social network to connect with regional and local organizations’ events and activities.
Later that afternoon was the official start of the Youth Summit in an outdoor tented area of the park. Nearly 600 youth from all over the Unites States came to town representing several organizations to share what they cared about related to the outdoors. About 35% of those youth were youth of color, many visiting New York City for the first time. Outdoor Afro connected with Brother Yusuf and his stunning youth group from Albany's (NY) Green Tech High Charter School, Mickey Fearn, Deputy Director of the National Parks, and Bay Area friends Steve Hagler of the Stewardship Council, Zakiya Harris of Grind for the Green, Ernesto Pepito of the Crissy Field Center, and many others for an impromptu reunion.
After an introduction and welcome by event organizers and sponsors, such as North Face CEO Steve Rendle, the youth were divided into various organizational themes or “tracks” to help guide their brainstorming process. Themes such as Diversity, Health and Active Lifestyles, Media and Culture, Careers, Service, and Recreation/Education were matched with issue experts who helped guide conversations that revealed a depth of thought and sophistication these youth had when contemplating how they care to engage with the outdoors - or not. Importantly, ideas generated by these youth can help them to apply for the newly minted Explore Fund, a $2,500 grant to spark and sustain outdoor youth participation where these kids live. The evening concluded with a youth pizza mixer at the North Face offices hosted by the Sierra Club and Juan Martinez and the Natural Leaders Network contingent.
The following morning, White House officials from the Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Labor and the National Parks facilitated the listening session to brainstorm answers to core questions; identify opportunities, and there were more in-depth track discussions to review and prioritize the top ideas of these sessions. Check out the Outdoor Nation website for more details about the conference outcomes.
It was a tremendous opportunity to hear youth voices, such as the African American young lady from environmentally impacted Bay View Hunters Point (San Francisco, CA) who lamented that she grew up thinking that asthma was normal because "every child in the community had it," she said. With so much disheartening news related to the Gulf and its recovery, it was affirming to witness a return to the conversation of outdoor engagement among youth as one important step to help ensure a future of environmental recovery, sustainability, and justice.
A very special thanks to The North Face for making it possible for Outdoor Afro to take part in such an important and ground-breaking event.