The Easter Egg Hunt
The blog below originally posted in April 2010 - We hope you will enjoy time in nature and with family today as we will!
Not only is this time of year sacred to people of faith, it also represents a deliberate interaction with the outdoors in the form of a game: the egg hunt. This game represents an ancient "salute to Spring," marking rebirth.
My own childhood was filled with such egg hunts, followed by church and a hearty soul food meal prepared by my mother and aunts. After getting the signal from the adults, my cousins and I would race and squeal after finding cooked and candy filled eggs on top of stones, under branches, or in tall grass. Now, it brings tremendous joy to continue this tradition with the children in my family.
Here is a picture of my favorite Outdoor Afro girl (my daughter) striking a pose with some pre-Easter candy after a hunt in our community courtyard.
How are you celebrating the Spring season?
Mr. One Thousand!
I joined Outdoor Afro because my mother told me about some of the stories and she is a member. Outdoor Afro has so many interesting people and stories - Brightzen, Age 15
If you are a part of the Outdoor Afro Facebook crew, you might have noticed that recently we hit the 1000 milestone of fans! To some, this number may either represent too few or too many people in the mix, but I can attest that the community has grown gradually and organically, at just the right pace that has cultivated a nice mix of people, interests, and participation. Overall, I think it's simply a cool place to stop during your daily Facebook travels!
So just last month, I put out the call to find out who was the lucky fan that took Outdoor Afro to the 1000th fan mark. And after a bit of sleuthing, we discovered it was Brightzen H.!
I invited him to share with us why he was a fan of Outdoor Afro, and some of his outdoor interests. So this blog is dedicated to you Brightzen, and all the individual Outdoor Afro fans on Facebook and elsewhere who keep the conversation going to increase diverse participation in the Great American Outdoors!
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Please tell us a little about yourself
My name is Brightzen, I'm 15 years old and I live in Colorado. I love the outdoors because I am free to do whatever I like, run, sit & read or run some more.
I enjoy hunting, I've only gone twice and I bagged three pheasants the last time. I found a great receipe for southwesten pheasant and even cooked it myself. I like skiing, hiking a little, I really love fishing on a boat in the lake. It's such a challenge to catch fish, although I do get a little impatient waiting for them to bite. The thrill is in the reeling them in. Oh, and I like camping too.
Why did you become a fan of Outdoor Afro?
I joined Outdoor Afro because my mother told me about some of the stories and she is a member. Outdoor Afro has so many interesting people and stories. Many of them are so funny. I learn a lot and can't wait to visit some of the places Outdoor Afros have shared.
Aside from your mom, what else influenced your love for the oudoors?
I was a member of Beckwourth Outdoor Education. We had great outdoor experiences and we learned so much about team work, skiing, hiking, camping, hunting, you name it! The Outdoor Education part of the progam ended January of last year. It was a great progam for youth.....I guess all good things come to an end. So sad. This is a picture of the Colorado State flower - The Columbine.
Yes, I took his picture :) -- Brightzen
Never Too Late to Ride a Bike
Outdoor Afro Bike Ride a Wild Success!
While I am still recovering from the planning and fun of the bike ride on Sunday, I could not let another day go by without sharing and thanking everyone involved with the event to make it a success in every possible way!
The Scoop:
A total of twenty-three bikers of a wide range of ages and abilities wheeled though the underrepresented parts of Richmond, California. East Bay Regional Parks Naturalist Bethany Facendini was an amazing resource, providing loaner bikes for those who did not have one, and gave talks during our breaks with demonstrations to educate the group about the local watershed.
Urban Tilth’s Doria Robinson was also on hand to share information about native plants and other fascinating lore about Richmond's expansive shoreline.
The ride was mainly a flat 12 miles that meandered along the Wildcat Creek line, through neighborhoods, and ended at the San Francisco Bay with sweeping views of Mount Tamalpias in the distance. This ride went further than many in the group had ever travelled by bicycle. Even more compelling is that several participants were either new bike riders or had not been on a bike in decades. More experienced riders, including two from the East Bay Bicycle Coalition seemed glad to slow their pace and support the newer riders.
Richmond Spokes, a community bicycle coalition and job training organization, was on hand adjusting many of the bikes that had not seen the light of day in years. Executive Director Brian Drayton assisted on the route, and coached less experienced bikers to make small changes in posture and pedaling to help them get more enjoyment out of the bicycling experience.
As we rode through neighborhoods, residents were more than a little curious to see so many people of color riding through on bicycles. But there were frequent cheers and other gestures of support. Participant Delane Sims said, “A black bike ride has more impact on our inner city neighborhoods than we might imagine. It made my heart smile to hear all the love and support via car horns and cheers from our brothers and sisters!”
Comments like Delane’s were echoed by other participants, and a reminder that the most powerful way to get more people involved with outdoor spaces is through role-modeling culturally relevant examples.
Thanks again to all who participated to create such a wonderful, life-changing experience. I assure you Outdoor Afro and its partners will do it again – and in a city near you!
So, what would it take for you to bike in your local urban area?
She's So Fly
that it almost makes me fly to be on the same blog page as her...
I'm talking about Ms. Bar B., fellow Cal student and mom extraordinaire. I credit her as a key instigator who opened a window into the world of "blogging while black", but most importantly she helped to re-awaken in me what was there all along: a genuine desire to connect people with resources that make a positive difference in their lives. Since starting Outdoor Afro almost a year ago, she has represented a steady stream of encouragement and support; from commenting on my posts (when nobody else would), to catching my embarrassing typos and telling me about them!
So, while she has given me an award on her own blog: A Place of Comfort, I have to say this is one we both share!
Here's back at YOU Ms. Barbara! Thanks for being so wonderful -- even when you don't think anyone is looking!
Outdoor Afro Bike Ride: Wheelin' in the Watershed this Sunday!
PRESS RELEASE
For those who live in the San Francisco Bay Area, join us for an innagural Outdoor Afro Bike Ride, designed for people who have not been on a bike in years!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Richmond BART (with plenty of FREE parking)
10:00 AM for bike inspection
11:00 AM depart
Registration Required: 1-888-EB-PARKS (1-888-327-2757, option 2,3)
This easy flat ride is FREE and co-sponsored by the East Bay Regional Parks and led by the Richmond Spokes crew. We will begin at the Richmond BART and pedal through communities of color along the watershed to the San Francisco Bay. This is a terrific opportunity for people of color to be visible in both urban and natural spaces to inspire others to get out and enjoy the simple pleasure of riding a bike, while learning about the watershed.
Click for Press Release!
Helmets Required. Also bring water, sunscreen, sack lunch, and sunglasses.
For day of event questions, phone: Rue Mapp 510-913-6100
See you then!
Family Fun in the Snow!
Just got a trip report from Outdoor Afro Christyna Serrano, who decided to head to the Tahoe region in California last week for some end-of-season fun in the snow with her family:
So why did you guys decide on a trip to Tahoe?
Well... Joseph, owed me one, so I cashed in my IOU! We went up Thursday night, and it took about 3 hours from the San Francisco Bay. We spent the night at a cheap hotel and in the morning, we went to Kmart, picked up a $15 plastic sled, and then found this place for sledding on Yelp: Adventure Mountain. And it was another $15 dollars to park the car.
A great deal! What was the set-up like?
There were about 10 different runs for sledding varying in size, e.g., S, M, L, and we were on a medium size slope. This was a great deal because sledding at one of the Ski Resorts, e.g., Heavenly, Sierra Ridge, etc., is super expensive!
We spent a couple of hours there sledding, playing with the snow by building a snowman, and throwing some snowballs at each other. Joseph had a great time even though he's never had a desire to head up to the snow. Caelan, obviously, had a blast.
Caelan Sledding in Tahoe 2010 from Christyna Serrano on Vimeo.
He loved it so much that he had put some snow in his sweat shirt pocket. While we were chillin a little later by the lake, I noticed that his sweats were wet. It almost looked like he had peed in his pants. We then noticed that he had tried to save some snow! It was so funny. We had to take it out of his pocket and explain to him that you can't save snow.
What do you recommend to others who might want to take a trek to the mountains?
Now is the perfect time of year to go to Tahoe and get your ski/sled on. It's the end of the season so the crowds were not there, thus making for cheaper lodging; the snow is still there, but the spring time warmth is in the air so that it actually feels hot when your on the slopes; and the area is just absolutely gorgeous at this time of year.
Christyna is a graduate student at UC Berkeley and lives with her son and fiancé Joseph in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Spotted on Sunday - SOS!
Spotted!
While riding my bike with my kids this morning on the San Francisco Bay Trail, I noticed lots of people of color on the trail with the same idea. Some were walking, others taking in the stunning weather and view. On our way back home, I ran into Robin and Kristen, from Oakland, California, who had Kristen's dog along for a stroll. You go girls!
This is the first in a post series entitled Spotted on Sunday or SOS. These posts are a fun way to help make visible people of color outdoors enjoying all types of recreational activities.
Anyone can submit a photo to Outdoor Afro via email, if you first obtain:
- consent to take and share the picture
- name(s) of the individuals -- last names not required
- location and brief description of the activity
I'll select one SOS photo to post each weekend, but all submissions are entered into a monthly drawing to win an Outdoor Afro ceramic travel mug, through July 30, 2010. Winners will be notified via email.
So...join the SOS effort to help make people of color be visible in America's natural spaces and get a chance to win some cool OA swag!
Walking in the Rhythm of Life
I only live a couple of flat miles away from my job at the local Audubon, so with the warm arrival of spring in the Bay Area, I have no good reason not to take the stroll to and from work. Besides, I can definitely use the exercise after enjoying a winter filled with delicious food!
Since walking, the experience has been both delightful and engaging as walking has a way of making contact with outdoor spaces both easy and intimate. I notice and interact with moments and matter I would otherwise miss if whizzing by in an automobile.
In the morning on my way in, I hear Mockingbirds rift on a nearby Sparrow’s song. I observe delivery and municipal trucks stop and start, causing traffic to sway side to side along the busy avenue. Parents tow, push, and prod kids past school yard gates. And each day along my path, I notice the fragrance of new buds blooming.
The return home tells more stories. The aroma of the local Afghan restaurant perfumes the air as its first diners arrive. Mechanics roll down metal doors on another day of repaired clutches. A popular pub kicks off happy hour, and car commuters drive by with a weary determined gaze as the sun aims down toward the horizon.
During these walks I think about how sometimes we make a really big fuss about the outdoors. As though time spent outdoors requires expertise, expensive equipment, or trekking to remote places. Or that the outdoors belongs to some people, but not to others. I have to agree with my friend Carolyn who once mentioned “the outdoors is everywhere,” meaning porch sitters, hikers, mountain climbers, bench warmers, birders, cyclists, neighborhood kids and pedestrians alike, can all equally lay claim to the rhythm of outdoor life. Anywhere there is fresh air.
What are some of the easy ways you interact with the outdoors?
2 Farms in 2 Days: Urban Tilth
My six-year-old son Billy and I recently had the privilege to lend a hand to "raise" a garden at Kennedy High School in Richmond, California. We arrived mid-morning at a southern exposed site nestled near the school’s track. The work area swarmed with students, school staff, parents, and Urban Tilth, the organizing non-profit who produced the day as part of its project, 2 Farms in 2 Days.
The intention behind this weekend event aims to produce real, productive farms that, according the organization's website, “grow food that directly changes the food landscape of the families in the schools of Richmond,” where there are too few options for local residents to find fresh produce -- a common challenge for many urban and underserved communities.
Doria Robinson, the Executive Director of Urban Tilth, and third-generation resident of Richmond, said that it was, “important that these farms be raised by those who represent the community,” and judging from the dozens of young brown faces present that day, her organization succeeded.
Our party wheel barrowed steaming compost, carefully laid railroad ties, edged raised beds of edible native plants with mulch, and planted several half-gallon pots of the venerable purple collard greens.
Adding to the mix of helpers was a goat trimming the nearby grass and some chickens adding value to the soil. For most of the morning and early afternoon it rained, but the entire group worked steadfast and in good humor, serenaded by the beats of the local hip-hop station. Most present knew this event was merely the beginning. These Kennedy High students will learn how to manage the farm and its produce, earning college credit along the way. And most importantly, lay a foundation for a healthier, sustainable community.
To learn more about Urban Tilth and how you can support their efforts to create sustainable foodways, check out their website!
Watch Video Footage
Outdoor Afro Blog Carnival!
Welcome to the Inaugural Edition of the Outdoor Afro Blog Carnival!
Wooo hooo....confetti falls...
It's about the youth...
Brown and Green
Dianne Glave presents Mother, Lumberjack, and Turpentine!? posted at Rooted in the Earth: a companion blog to her forthcoming book Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage coming out in August 2010. She talks about the ambivalent relationship between African Americans and trees, and weaves in her own family history that notes some generational shifts relating to trees and the outdoors:
Getting Outside
Jehan became a fan of the Outdoor Afro Facebook page and I found her blog, and fell in love! Here is her post: A Walk in the Woods posted at "She pulled in her horizon like a great fishnet..." that chronicles the stirrings of love for the outdoors she experienced as a child; feelings that guide her to this day.
Technorati tags: outdoor afro carnival, blog carnival.