Spotted on Sunday (SOS) Equestrian and Quartzite Edition
Just got a shout from Zetha Nobles who resides with her family in the hills of Oakland, California, where she and her children enjoyed some horse riding this afternoon. She writes, "It was so spur of the moment! I love us being outdoors and in the natural elements!"
Patina and her husband Nate were spotted at Devil's Lake State Park, Wisconsin, sitting on purple and pink quartzite rocks. Patina says, "We love hiking when it's nice out, and last winter we started skiing and snowboarding." Nice!
Where were you Spotted on Sunday?
Douglas "Birdman" Gray
"African Americans have a somewhat unknown heritage in the historical realm of birding"
Outdoor Afro interviews Douglas Gray, an avid birder, who shares in his own words the gratification he experiences birding, and why it is an important and relevant activity for anyone.
How did you develop an interest in birds?
My interest in birds started as a young child. I grew up on my grandfather’s farm outside Clarksville, Tennessee (actually Woodlawn, Tennessee, but “Woodlawn” is a lot harder to find on a map!). Naturally I would see many birds on the farm, and I’d ask my grandfather, “Granddaddy, what’s the name of that bird?” My grandfather, who only had a 6th grade education, somehow knew the names of all the birds we would encounter on the farm. I’m sure that’s what initiated my interest in birds. I’ve been told I don’t “look” like a bird watcher, so this question is probably the most frequent question I get asked.
Where is your favorite place to look for birds? And where in the world would you like to bird you have yet to visit?
Many times I’m looking for a particular species of bird, so many times my “favorite place to look for birds” is the particular habitat of the bird I’m searching for. However, if I “had” to pick a specific spot, it’s going to probably be in the southern United States. This past fall I went birding at a place called Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida…and had one of the best birding times of my life. I look forward to returning there soon and often. I like birding at National Wildlife Refuges across the US.
I would absolutely LOVE to bird throughout Central and South America, and also Africa. I’m also developing a good birding relationship with a friend who lives in Uganda, and will likely be going there next year.
Why should African Americans take an interest in birds and their habitat?
This is an interesting question. African Americans, like everyone else, should take an interest in birding, because it puts you “outdoors” and anytime one gets in the Great Outdoors, it is a natural stress reliever. Being out in nature is possibly, I believe, the most calming, relaxing, and unwinding thing one can do. It really helps put our sometimes fast paced and hectic lives into a better and more realistic prospective by slowing us down. And while out in nature, what better thing to do than bird? Yes, I’m using “bird” as a verb; I suggest the book, “The Verb To Bird".
And also, we African Americans have a somewhat unknown heritage in the historical realm of birding. John James Audubon is the “Godfather of American Birding”. Audubon’s mother was not well known. The reason for this is because she was a Creole slave. Audubon was born in Haiti in 1785.
Wow -- that's fascinating. So, if someone were to get started, what are the three most important things they need to have? Is it easy? What are some barriers (if any)?
I believe the three most important things to have in getting started birding are: 1) Binoculars, 2) Identification Guide, and 3) Desire. Binoculars are important because birds have no particular interest in folks approaching them and observing them. So the binoculars allow you to see birds up close, without actually having to be up close to them. I usually tell folks to get a decent pair of binoculars. You can get a decent pair of binoculars in the 60-100 dollar range. 
A bird identification guide is a very useful tool also. It will greatly assist in identifying the birds you do see…and just aren’t sure what they are. And having a desire to see birds will never be extinguished. Birding is a pursuit that will easily last a lifetime. A very close fourth item is to go birding with more experienced birders. Birders love passing along knowledge they’ve gained through experience. Find a free bird hike in your area by checking out the National Audubon Society’s web site.
Birding can be both easy and challenging. For example it can be easy identifying a bird as a “sparrow” that’s at your feeder, but it can be challenging differentiating the 3-5 different species of sparrows at your feeder, or the 20-30 different species of sparrows all within an hour's drive of the feeder in your backyard at different times of the year.
Anybody can birdwatch. There are no obstacles or barriers that cannot be overcome when the desire is there to see birds. (That includes obstacles like poison ivy and stinging nettle one may bump into off the beaten trail…lol.) I’ve even had folks on some of my bird hikes who have been constrained to wheel chairs…and some of those have been my favorite and most memorable hikes.
What was the first bird to make your ‘life’ list? What bird do you hope to see in the future?
I’ll answer this question by mentioning the bird that reignited my interest in birds. About 15 years ago I looked outside and saw a bird hopping around my yard and I had no idea what that bird was. It led me to buy my first Bird Identification Guide since my high school years. The bird was a juvenile robin. The very common American Robin was the bird that pulled me back into the world of birding.
Name a bird species you hope to see in the future:
Wow…I can’t even answer this question, because there are so many birds that I hope to see. I will say that it is my desire to see thousands of different bird species during my lifetime…and to enjoy and appreciate each and every one that I do see!
Douglas Gray 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.
President and First Lady Go Hiking This Weekend
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama took a hike yesterday as part of their romantic getaway in the Ashville, North Carolina, Blue Ridge Parkway area that included dining and golf. Read about one woman's chance encounter. They are setting a terrific example of outdoor engagement in America's natural spaces for everyone.
Thanks Outdoor Afro Dustin Weeks for sharing!
Love Yo' Mama
Outdoor Afro took a short trip over to East Oakland, California to participate in the community event: Love Yo’ Mama, hosted by the organization Communities for a Better Environment for Earth Day.
"Green is Good for the Hood" was this year’s theme, which was intended to create local awareness and a response to environmental concerns at a neighborhood level.
The event started with a rally to highlight environmental and health issues in Oakland at Tassafaronga Recreation Center, followed by a parade with Scraper Bikers, drummers, and youth dancing. In the afternoon, there was a health fair, vendors, youth performances, basketball tournament, and more at ACORN Woodland Elementary.
It was a privilege for Outdoor Afro to connect directly with its targeted demographic of adults and children. KIND generously donated bars and the local Berkeley REI pitched in a display tent we filled with the bars and Outdoor Afro stickers -- a real hit and ice breaker that got the kids talking about camping.
Most importantly, there were many breakthrough conversations at the table that helped parents, grandparents, and children imagine new ways to interact with their local outdoor spaces.
“I don’t like bugs!” was a frequent comment that opened up discussions about biking or bird watching as other recreational activities to engage with the outdoors with perhaps fewer crawling critters! And I was able to share information about some of my local program partners, such as Feather River Family Camp, and Golden Gate Audubon Society to plug families into affordable activities right in their own back yard.
Click to learn more about the fabulous work of Communities for a Better Environment.
Happy Earth Week!
Black Surfers!
By Paul Richardson
"The sport of kings”
I am pretty sure some of you have heard that phrase before, but did you know that in some circles, it also refers to the sport of surfing? Earliest reports say that the first recorded observation of people surfing was 1779 in Hawaii. While I am not trying to steal Hawaii’s thunder on this one, I think there’s a pretty good chance that somewhere else in the world around that time others were “surfing”. In any event, as far as the “written” history is concerned, Hawaii is the birthplace of modern surfing.
As far as we know the first black surfer in the U.S, or at least on the West Coast, was Nick Gabaldon who lived in Santa Monica. He was born in 1927, did a stint in the military, and then returned to California. In 1951, while surfing at Malibu and apparently trying to pull out of a wave, he ran into the pilings of the Malibu pier and was killed. The timeline from this point gets a wee bit hazy, but somewhere around 1961 or so, history seems to point to Frank Edwards as the next notable black surfer from the Torrance, Redondo Beach area of Los Angeles. Frank is still alive and lives in Northern California; though he no longer surfs (I am working on that).
At this point a few other brothers began coming onto the scene, such as Rick Blocker, and Stanley Washington and including one Tony Corley, who in 1973 (or was it 75?) wrote a shout-out letter to other black surfers which was published in Surfer magazine, the premier magazine on surfing at the time. Predictably, some of the responses were less than friendly, but he did manage to get some feedback from other black surfers. Were these the only ones? Probably not. 
As the 70’s roll through we begin to see more black surfers, and even a few in advertisements published in the surfing magazines. Buttons Kahluhilokalani, who is Black and Hawaiian, arrives on the scene in Hawaii, arguably one of the most influential surfers (for insiders) to come around in awhile. By the time we get to the early to mid 80’s the first black woman, Sharon Schaffer, competes on the women’s professional tour and from this point, the momentum has been established.
The Black Surfing Association was subsequently founded, and today is growing stronger with each passing season. There are a few brothers and sisters surfing up near where I live in Northern California, but black surfers are everywhere; on the islands, the east coast -- Jamaica has a pretty strong amateur team, and who knows what is going on in the motherland!
For more information, you can contact the Black Surfing Association or me, Paul Richardson.
Peace, share the stoke,
Paul Richardson
Paul by day is an engineer working in Silicon Valley. When not working, he is a father, husband, loves to surf, read, and in general, be outside as much as he can. He is also a contributing blogger at Oaklandseen.com
President Obama Signs America's Great Outdoors Memorandum
I just got back from Washington DC on Monday after participating on behalf of the Outdoor Afro community in the first ever America's Great Outdoors conference. This event was designed to bring leaders from around the country to discuss ways to re-connect Americans to the Great Outdoors and hosted the historic signing of the Presidential Memorandum on the topic.
Last Thursday night was the pre-conference mixer at the Department of Agriculture, where we heard from the Department of the Interior (Ken Salazar), Department of Agriculture (Tom Vilsack), Council on Environmental Quality (Nancy Sutley), and the Environmental Protection Agency (Lisa Jackson). Following a brief program, participants had the opportunity to pre-register for the conference and network among environmental, recreational, retail, and government related leadership from all over the United States.
A highlight of the trip was reconnecting with the historic Breaking the Color Barrier Conference alumni, a subset of a larger group of individuals who represent organizations that work year-round to connect the outdoors to underrepresented communities of color.
The following Friday morning conference program was held at the Department of the Interior and well orchestrated for both attendees and television audiences, with more networking opportunities.
President Obama, who stood mere feet from where I was seated, impressed upon us in his speech that reconnecting all Americans to the outdoors honors our collective national heritage. The President said "few pursuits are more satisfying to the spirit than discovering the greatness of America’s outdoors," which referenced his personal family value of outdoor recreation.
We heard from panelists ranging from the federal government to state leadership, such as New Mexico Governer Bill Richardson; key local influencers such as Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey, and Ernesto Pepito, Youth Program Director of Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
The single most poignant message to emerge from these talks was the imperative to connect urban, underrepresented communities and youth to the outdoors. Pepito, a young Latino male, remarked in his panel that youth need to be represented at the table in leadership talks such as these, and also be introduced to conservation career pathways versus one-time volunteer opportunities. And Gov. Bill Richardson underscored the need for more people of color to be reached, especially in light of America's changing demographics.
After the morning talks from the stage, participants met in smaller groups to discuss in greater detail the most pressing challenges and share solutions -- and senior White House staff was on hand to take notes.
This conference was just the beginning, and as it concluded, many of us felt a tremendous boost of hope and inspiration for the work we already do that is now supported and made visible in a new national agenda. And we learned that in the months ahead, members of this administration will host regional listening sessions across America. They will meet with everyone from tribal leaders to farmers, from young people to businesspeople, from elected officials to recreation and conservation groups.
"And the ideas from these meetings will help form a 21st century strategy for America’s great outdoors to better protect our natural landscape and our history for generations to come, " said President Obama.
Outdoor Afro was honored to be at the table for these inspired and ground-breaking conversations that will result in more Americans discovering a deeper connection to the outdoors, and ultimately to themselves.
SOS - Kayak Edition!
Just received this picture tonight from Brian Drayton of Richmond, California. His family was Spotted on Sunday (SOS) in the San Francisco Bay kayaking!
Thanks for sharing Brian!
The White House Conference on America's Great Outdoors
As many of you have noticed from my Facebook and Twitter posts, today has been filled with a whirlwind of activity!
I know I should be asleep now, but I just had to share some of what made today buzz. It starting with time spent with Hazel Wong who graciously opened her home to me so I could catch up on some missed rest after a red-eye. After a brief nap, Dudley Edmondson and I met up to grab a bite at the famous Ben's Chili Bowl. The two of us finally connected with Angelou Ezeilo, Executive Director of Greening Youth Foundation to sprint off to the pre-conference mixer at the Department of Agriculture where environmental leadership from all over the country and government officials met casually to network in preparation for our meeting time tomorrow. A highlight was meeting my Breaking the Color Barrier colleagues, like Audrey Peterman and Queen Quet. And I was delighted to see Dr. Cheryl Charles of the Children and Nature Network, and Akiima Price of the New York Restoration Project - and there were many, many others.
The evening concluded with the most delightful talk with my hotel roommate Angelou. I tell you, this woman is doing amazing things for youth all over this country.
Looking forward to sharing more about the conference tomorrow.
Note that the event will be streaming live. So check it out!
Happy Environmental Education Week!
By Marty Wiggins
Did you know it’s National Environmental Education Week? Since 2004, the National Environmental Education Foundation has coordinated the week before Earth Day as a time to foster greater awareness of environmental education and to encourage children and adults to enjoy the outdoors.
What is so great about environmental education? The obvious benefit is that it gets kids and adults outside. But research also shows that environmental education and outdoor and community-based learning improves student achievement across the curriculum and can have a positive effect on classroom and social behavior. Adults can benefit as well, as outdoor activities have been shown to improve mental focus and can be therapeutic for those suffering with stress-related problems and physical health issues.
Even though EE Week started on the 11th, there is still time to participate. Here are some ideas:
First, just get outside! In North Carolina, we use our Web site, press releases, blog and other social media outlets to let people know about the outdoor recreation and environmental education opportunities that are out there. Our Web site is also a partner with the Southeast Environmental Education Alliance (SEEA), which has a similar calendar of events for each member state. Wisconsin has also joined in on this partnership, and we hope more states will in the future. If your state is not covered by SEEA, check with your state, local and national parks and natural resource agencies. Also, most states have an affiliate environmental education association and/or a state office of environmental education that may be of assistance. And exploring your own backyard or neighborhood can work just as well. Here are some N.C. based activities for kids (and adults) that work anywhere: EE Parent; Take A Child Outside Activities; N.C. Junior Ranger Activity Book and Model Inquiries into Nature in the Schoolyard (available through a partnership with Virginia Tech). The Children and Nature Network also has tips on places to visit as well as strategies and research that promotes outdoor and nature activities (April is Children and Nature Awareness Month).
North Carolina has proclaimed it Environmental Education Week on the state level, and some cities across the U.S. have also declared it EE Week. The National EE Week site has sample proclamations and press releases. In addition, schools and organizations can still register as EE Week participants at www.eeweek.org. Our office uses EE Week as a kick-off for a whole informal “Environmental Education Month” and promotes Earth Day and Arbor Day events and workshops as well. We encourage schools, colleges, organizations, cities and counties and other government agencies to promote their events through our site. We also do an “EE Month” blog and feature reports and photos from around the state. This has been really popular and helps others plan events for next year.
So, there’s a variety of ways to celebrate Environmental Education Week right in your own neighborhood. EE Week is an opportunity to invest a little time in promoting environmental awareness that will pay off all year in your state and community!
Marty Wiggins is a Community Development Program Manager. He works with the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education within the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Adventures of Owning a B&B - Part 2
"if I have to work for a living, this is not a bad way to do it,"-- Rodney
Here is part two of the delightful interview with Rodney, co-owner of Strawberry Creek Inn, located in southern California, posted earlier this week. This interview wraps up a run of posts that contemplate the intersection of personal passion and the outdoors. I hope you'll enjoy reading this interview about the journey of owning a B&B as much as I did:
What would you describe as a memorable moment at the inn?
It's pretty hard to narrow in on a single memorable moment in this business, since what we are basically selling is a collection of memorable moments. The nervous boyfriend who finally finds the right moment during a stay to propose? The time two guests sat across from each other at breakfast with a gnawing feeling of familiarity, only to discover after talking for 30 minutes that one was the kindergarten teacher of the other in another state?
The first egg laid by one of our hens? The first snowfall of our first Winter here? We're actually having a 'memorable moment' as I write this: while transporting the new batch of chicks to the yard with the older hens a few days ago, the overhead netting caught onto Ian's very-expensive diamond earring (because why wouldn't you chicken-farm in diamond earrings?) and flung it into the hay. Unwilling to accept the loss, Ian is now painstakingly conducting an archeological dig in the chicken yard (which may have to be followed by a forensic examination of collected chicken 'fertilizer'). Memorable moment indeed.
What are some of the challenges of owning and operating a B&B?
I would say the difficulty of finding the time to nurture one's own needs in the midst of focusing on your guests is a pretty universal challenge for innkeepers. But it must be done! Having to wear so many different hats at the same time can also be quite the challenge at times. The hours are VERY long, and the days are filled with interruptions. It's not always easy to personally experience all the great activities and events that attract guests to our area. But if I HAVE to work for a living, this is not a bad way to do it.
If someone were to want to open a B&B, what is the most important piece of advice you would give them?
A lot of my advice your readers have probably already picked up from my previous answers:
- Walk towards your passion
- Don't let other people talk you into mediocrity and conformity ('they only want you to conform so they can then ignore you', as I once heard Seth Godin say)
- Think outside the box, the more outside the better. It will help you get your doors open, and you will need it to survive as an innkeeper
- Have at least one genuine (but honest!) supporter, and check in with them often
- Listen to (and talk about!) those mild stomach pains and uneasy feelings
- Crunch numbers relentlessly, without emotion, and with a healthy dose of conservatism
- Acknowledge and get comfortable with the not-so-subtle difference between a) entertaining carefully selected friends for free and b) asking the general public to pay you for it
- Accept that there will be 'haters
- Try to savor the memorable moments, no matter how fast they go flying by in rapid succession
- Build in ample time off (there are some good innsitters out there who do nothing but travel to different inns relieving over-worked innkeepers) and maintain focus on your own physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs; and finally...
Take your diamond earrings out before you go into the chicken coop!
We hope you will visit Rodney and Ian at the Strawberry Creek Inn sometime soon. Meanwhile, you may join their Facebook fan page or follow them on Twitter.