Outdoor Afro counts down to 2024’s annual leadership training in this pivotal Civil War, small college town
That family reunion time of year is almost here: Outdoor Afro Leadership Training (affectionately nicknamed OALT) for national not-for-profit organization Outdoor Afro. “2024 is extra special because this training will mark 15 years in nature for us,” said Founder and CEO Rue Mapp. “We’re also returning to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center, which is where we’ve hosted past OALT events throughout our organizational history.” OALT will take place Friday, April 12, through Sunday, April 14, in Shepherdstown, West Virginia – the oldest town in the Appalachian Mountains state and a historic Civil War area. Shepherdstown also serves as home to the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC). The center leads the nation in education and training for natural resource managers to meet the goal of conserving fish, plants, wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of the American public. The quintessential venue for Outdoor Afro to provide nature-based learning and skill-building experiences to veteran volunteers and newest leadership cohort in its “Year of Innovation.”
Annually in April, OALT teaches all volunteer leaders how to guide their local communities in nature sustainably and safely during modern times. This year’s training will greet nearly 40 new volunteer leaders to Outdoor Afro’s 100-plus Volunteer Leader Program roster. Volunteers will travel from Northeast, South, Midwest, and West regions, bringing with them subject matter expertise in education, law, business, medicine, and agriculture. “This year’s cohort includes innovative rock climbers, foragers, skiers, roller skaters, paddlers, cyclists, and mountain bikers,” Mapp said. “They’re also parents, spouses/partners, students, and caretakers. What they all bring to OALT is a shared passion for our mission – to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature.” OALT will equip these outdoor trailblazers with strategies that authentically reconnect Black communities to nature through planned and guided year-round adventures across America.
With the support of staff, board members, and select partners, seasoned volunteers and the Class of 2024 will learn Outdoor Afro’s framework, values, and best practices to lead outdoor activities in their neighborhoods. OALT's outdoor scholarship also includes risk management, health impacts on nature, basics to trip planning, conservation ethics, and pro tips for effective social media storytelling. Last year, OALT gathered at IslandWood in Bainbridge Island, Washington. The year before in Granby, Colorado, at Sun Outdoors Rocky Mountains. Along with these charming nature backdrops are opportunities for volunteers to gain field insights and career encouragement from Outdoor Afro’s designated partners and expert guest speakers announced right before the training begins.
Volunteers follow up OALT with original network activities like fishing, camping, animal tracking, and backpacking once a month in their Outdoor Afro networks. Whatever their community genuinely wants to learn about to strengthen local relationships with land, water, and wildlife, networks offer it. These nationwide network events concentrate on joy and healing while also disrupting a false perception that Black people do not have a relationship to nature. A formula that has worked for the past 15 years now. Mapp founded Outdoor Afro in 2009 and developed OALT in 2012 with a dozen outdoor enthusiasts – each literally answering the call to learn directly from her how to create and lead nature activities with hospitality at the forefront of the experience. “OALT is one of those events that everyone involved always looks forward to attending every single year,” said Mapp. “The intergenerational fun and outdoor learning is life-changing.”
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide organization. Outdoor Afro’s U.S. networks include nearly 100-plus volunteer leaders who guide nature activities in up to 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people annually. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Connect with @outdoorafro on social and visit outdoorafro.org to follow our year-round nature narratives.
Outdoor Afro’s Georgia networks offer silver- and small-screen views to capture nature, Southern living
The future naturalist framed up the plant IDing scene with such fervor. Conviction. Even care. Every google-eyed expression and conductor hand gesture queued plant life. As if it was taking center stage. His soft smile pulled community participants into the Lionel Hampton Greenway Trail. The old-growth storyline voice-overed by Southern hospitality. “So, this is actually turkey tail mushrooms,” said Outdoor Afro volunteer leader Dajawn Williams, 27, “and guess what? It’s edible.” “Edible!” One hiker blurted in the background with an unsure side eye. Williams’ grin deepened with a few promising head nods. Oohs and ahhs then bounced around the forest floor. Promptly, he waved the group of 23 local explorers into a direction of more shocking nature sights along their 2-mile urban wander. This Feb. 10 Black History Month activity taught Atlanta attendees how to recognize special species within their Outdoor Afro network and neighborhood greenspace. The experience also unearthed Black contributions connected to the nature preserve.
To that point, the greenway trail is named after former landowner and famous Black jazz musician Lionel Hampton. Hampton donated much of the right-of-way for the trail during 1993. Designed today for cycling, hiking, agritouring, and picnicking. The historic Black district and site on Atlanta’s west side features the most archaeologically significant Civil War trenches in the region. “This area’s infrastructure included a mill, cemetery for enslaved Black people, and a rock quarry,” said guest speaker, naturalist, and local historian James Tyler. “After the Civil War, Black farmers who lived south of Atlanta moved up to become railroad and mill workers.” Over time, these stories evolved into backdrops to what’s now designated as the “Hollywood of the South.” It’s been more than a decade that metro Atlanta’s mushrooming film and TV industry generated blockbuster momentum. Primarily because of the Peach State’s benevolent tax break.
Major studios popped up and big-budget projects like “The Hunger Games,” “The Walking Dead,” and the Marvel franchise settled into their new Southern home. During 2022, Marvel’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” became the highest-grossing movie with a female superhero lead at the U.S. box office – the latest example of the high-earning films attracted to Georgia. In recent times, production opportunities have tapered off for some creatives, too. However, Gov. Brian P. Kemp reassured Georgians that the silver- and small-screen industry is forging ahead: “Georgia remains a global leader in film, TV, and streaming productions,” said Kemp in a Sept. 13, 2023, press release by the Georgia Film Office. “Those who benefit most from the significant growth we’ve seen in this industry over the past couple of decades are hardworking Georgians who fill the many behind-the-camera jobs that come with each project. That’s why we’ve worked hard to attract these and other opportunities for those who call the Peach State home.”
Last year, the state celebrated 50 years of the Georgia Film Office, a strategic post within the Georgia Department of Economic Development that helps mature Georgia's film, TV, and commercial production industries through marketing, scouting, and coordinating project needs. The office reported productions spent $4.1 billion in Georgia during fiscal year 2023. Between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, the state hosted 390 productions, represented by 31 feature films, 55 independent films, 40 commercials, 23 music videos, and 241 TV and episodic productions. Travel an hour and some change south into Middle Georgia where Outdoor Afro participants have the chance to explore newer rural trails, farm life, and film tours later this year. Williams’ next stop: Dauset Trails Nature Center in Jackson, Georgia – a 15-minute ride away from where Netflix's hit sci-fi drama series “Stranger Things” filmed. The nature center provides mountain and e-bike courses; backpacking and camping; and farmstead sightseeing.
Williams linked up with Outdoor Afro’s Founder and CEO Rue Mapp at the nature center. The two went on a site visit to reimagine what foraging, farming, and family-centric activities could look like for his network and others in the organization’s “Year of Innovation.” “I’m continually in awe of the natural resources found in our volunteer networks,” said Mapp. “To visit places like Dauset helps people discover opportunities to reconnect to nature close to home, and be inspired by the natural and human history you can always find in these places.” For 15 years now, Outdoor Afro has celebrated and inspired Black connections and leadership in nature across the United States. The national not-for-profit organization reconnects Black communities to outdoor conservation, recreation, and education through networks located in 60 cities and 32 states, including Washington, D.C. By way of more than 1,200 planned and hosted network activities, volunteer leaders like Williams reintroduce more than 60,000 people to the outdoors annually. “We’re on a journey to reach more rural and urban communities,” Mapp said. “Nature, travel, tourism, and the shows and movies we all grew up on are ways to imagine new connections.”
After Dauset Trails, a truck ride to downtown Jackson (the state’s outdoor capital) zapped Mapp into the make-believe town of Hawkins, Indiana, from the TV show “Stranger Things.” She toured real-life locations, replaying memorable scenes from the series’ Hawkins Library, back alley, and Radio Shack. The coolest Outdoor Afro clip of the day: Mapp propped with a pizza box and visor inside the iconic Surfer Boy Pizza vanagon, a.k.a. Pizzamobile. Headed back south on U.S. Hwy 23, a pitstop to Juliette, Georgia, revisited Cicely Tyson’s role in the 1991 comedy-drama “Fried Green Tomatoes.” Where the movie’s Whistle Stop Cafe is still open for business and serves Southern cuisine – most notably, of course, the menu’s crispy fried green tomatoes. Described in one word: De-lish! The final destination for Mapp’s agritourism and film-guided driving tour traveled 42 miles east along backcountry roads to Milledgeville, Georgia. The fourth capital of the state and where actress Julia Roberts’ character, Vivian, in “Pretty Woman” said she came from.
Mapp drove through camera-ready site Central State Hospital. Established in 1842, the campus became known as the “world’s largest mental institution” by the 1960s. It included more than 12,000 patients, 6,000 employees, and more than 8,000 acres of land. By 2010, the dilapidated complex closed. Four years later, “The Originals” (spin-off to The CW Network’s “The Vampire Diaries”) filmed episodes at the hospital. Interestingly, the eerie site still produces a pecan grove that attracts the community, schools, and families to year-round nature activities. “That’s the thing about nature,” said Reginal Black, 59, who joined the Feb. 10 Outdoor Afro plant IDing activity. Black relocated to Atlanta from California to live closer to family. “Nature ties us all back to our local histories and community stories,” he said. “Why I’ve been attending network events like this one with the organization and Rue since 2009.”
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ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide organization. Outdoor Afro’s U.S. networks include nearly 100-plus volunteer leaders who guide nature activities in up to 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people annually. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Connect with @outdoorafro on social and visit outdoorafro.org to follow our year-round nature narratives.
Black History Month 2024: Outdoor Afro uplifts ag contributions of George Washington Carver
Outdoor Afro opens its “Year of Innovation” celebrating internationally recognized inventor, educator, and botanist George Washington Carver during Black History Month 2024. “Our organization encourages U.S. communities to reflect on your own connections to Black history – the heroes and trailblazers like Carver who are in your lives now and whose legacies continue to inspire and shape our collective journey,” said Outdoor Afro Founder and CEO Rue Mapp. Carver developed more than 300 commercial, industrial, and food products between the late 19th and early 20th centuries using the peanut. Many of the items he created are still used in nature today – by Outdoor Afro’s staff, team of volunteer leaders, and community participants across the United States. Earning the nickname “The Peanut Man” (although he didn’t invent peanut butter), Carver originated cooking oils, beverages, paper, soaps, cosmetics, dyes, paints/stains, and even medicines. He also released 44 nature bulletins that reported cultivation findings for farmers, recipes for housewives, and science information for teachers.
Carver originated the modern term “regenerative agriculture.” His care for farmers and farmland in America’s Black Belt Region achieved sustainable agriculture practices like crop rotation to restore nutrients into soil. He hurled into history books by becoming the first Black person to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in 1894. Researching fungal infections of soybean plants, he advanced his knowledge by identifying and treating plant diseases. He advanced his education by earning a Master of Agriculture two years later. Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in Alabama offered him a faculty position, which he held for the rest of his life. The university established an agricultural school with Carver leading an all-Black faculty. His classroom lessons put emphasis on ag students and Southern farmers learning how to implement conservation techniques that replenished crops and community farmland.
Just as Carver introduced rural producers and young scholars to new ways of tending the land, Outdoor Afro competitively selects and trains volunteer leaders annually who guide more than 60,000 people in U.S. communities through contemporary network activities. Reimagining activities like gardening, foraging, fishing, u-pick farming, and bird watching. Designed to strengthen relationships and stewardship of local land, water, and wildlife. In its 15th year, Outdoor Afro’s flagship Volunteer Leader Program prepares roughly 100 volunteer leaders to connect and reconnect Black people to nature. Each volunteer plans and hosts year-round adventures across the organization’s four regions: Midwest, Northeast, South, and West. Volunteers hold at least 12 network outings a year within their neighborhoods. Outdoor Afro includes 32 networks located in nearly 60 U.S. cities.
“As we embrace Black History Month at Outdoor Afro, it's important to recognize that celebrating the achievements of the Black American community is not confined to a single month as our monthly nature activities, programs, and campaigns show,” said Mapp. “It's woven into the fabric of everything we do. Every day. Throughout the year." Mapp added: “However, this designated time allows us to reflect on the journey and accomplishments of Black individuals across time and space, serving as a poignant reminder of both our progress and the boundless potential that lies ahead.” Carver’s story marks the organization’s third annual Black History Month digital storytelling series. This educational and social campaign helps bring awareness about then-and-now Black nature pioneers. Created for readers and followers to remember, learn from, and become inspired to create community impact as Carver did.
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide organization. Outdoor Afro’s U.S. networks include nearly 100-plus volunteer leaders who guide nature activities in up to 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people annually. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Connect with @outdoorafro on social and visit outdoorafro.org to follow our year-round nature narratives.
What’s new at Outdoor Afro in 2024? Creating community impact starts with these 8 digital ports of call
Can you believe it? Outdoor Afro has nurtured transformative experiences and connections in nature for 15 years now. One thing is for sure: Our national not-for-profit organization reached 2024's "Year of Innovation" because of you. Longstanding and new social followers, loyal supporters, volunteer leaders, community participants, and outdoor partners have contributed to Outdoor Afro's wildest nature dreams to literally come true. Take for instance our participation network. Outdoor Afro's popular, year-round events across U.S. communities inspire approximately 60,000 people to join us annually for customized outdoor activities – family reunion-style.
Then, there’s our swim program, Making Waves. We rounded out 2023 funding more than 1,000 kids and caregivers to learn water safety and basic swimming techniques. Life-saving skills. All thanks to program believers like you. We’ve even certified up to 20 volunteer leaders to guide kayak and canoe trips safely and sustainably within the past two years. Newer community participants are ready for playdates to discover and travel neighborhood waterways for educational enjoyment. That said, a new year means new opportunities to create community impact together. If you don’t know where exactly to start, that’s A-OK. Below are 8 digital ports to join our journey. No matter where you plug in, you’re automatically contributing to our mission work to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature. Let’s get started:
1. SIGN UP FOR LOCAL NETWORK ACTIVITIES:
Outdoor Afro spans 32 states, including Washington, D.C. Networks are in roughly 60 U.S. cities. Our networks are your instant access to forming new friendships while exploring nature in your neighborhood or surrounding community. Through Outdoor Afro networks, you can participate in everything from group hiking, biking, boating, fishing, foraging, skiing, and paddling. Locate your Outdoor Afro region (Midwest, Northeast, South, or West) using the link below. From there, you can sign up for in-person Meetup events happening monthly. Our selected and trained team of volunteer leaders curate and guide these network adventures. Through Meetup, volunteer leaders keep you posted about event details and upcoming activities. Also, join your network’s designated Facebook page to build community, and continue to learn where exploration awaits with family and friends. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.
2. VISIT OUR DIGITAL HOME:
We love when online guests pay us a visit. Stopping by outdoorafro.org helps you know exactly who we are, what we do in nature, and where we’re heading each year. As mentioned earlier, 2024 rings in our “Year of Innovation.” By clicking through our online home place, you will learn Outdoor Afro’s love story with nature, more about our Founder and CEO Rue Mapp, and the ones who work behind the scenes to ensure we’re fulfilling our mission. Our site also shares current partnerships, community programs, social media campaigns, and real-life stories that support our Black joy experiences taking place across neighborhoods nationwide. Have specific questions about our “why” in nature? Our site is your primary source to connect with the right digital resources. CLICK HERE TO KNOW OUR MISSION.
3. CONNECT ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA:
Nearly 170,000 Outdoor Afro followers like, comment, share, and take action from our social media updates and footage. Our almost daily dose of digital news, announcements, and achievements stem from your support. Our top social platforms include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X (formerly known as Twitter). Continuing to celebrate Outdoor Afro’s nature narratives, our genuine content is an opportunity to participate in digital to in-person activities with us and stay on top of organizational developments. Our award-winning Marketing & Communications Department shares powerful visuals and videos that offer fun gateways into outdoor recreation, conservation, and education with ease. CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US.
4. SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS:
By signing up for Outdoor Afro’s monthly eNewsletters, you’re getting first dibs about our nature wins. Your free copy is delivered straight to your email inbox, recapping that month’s success stories because of your generous support. Our eNewsletter will also notify you when future professional opportunities within our organization are available. And give you the heads up about upcoming partnerships and programs. Our news and notifications are designed so you can easily digest and keep a timely pulse on our organizational progress. Stay in the know about our community and nature work helping to strengthen relationships with local land, water, and wildlife. In addition to opening new outdoor career and professional development doors for you. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE.
5. GIVE BACK TO NATURE:
Donating to Outdoor Afro helps us continue to reach our mission, which is to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature. No amount is too big or small. Every contribution counts. You’re supporting our year-round programming more than you will ever know. When you donate (better yet, become a recurring donor), Outdoor Afro is able to provide our growing team of volunteer leaders – and the thousands of nature lovers and new adventurers who leaders guide in nature – with wilderness, recreation, and life-saving skills; safe, appropriate gear and equipment; free or discounted access to private outdoor spaces; and access to historical and civic information you can use to take care of the public and community spaces you love. When you donate, our Making Waves program can provide more kids and caregivers new opportunities to learn how to swim, save a loved one’s life, and leverage local resources – public swimming pools, beaches, rivers, and lakes. When you donate, we’re able to help neighborhoods expand outdoor recreational activities that become instrumental in pursuing healthier, joyful lifestyles. CLICK HERE TO DONATE.
6. SHOP OUR SHIRT COLLECTION:
It’s warmth that welcomes nature conversations with family and friends. Our co-branded shirt collection with Oakland-based partner Oaklandish comes with comfort for any and all outdoor adventures. The collection includes our signature short-sleeve shirts (in black and white), long-sleeve shirts (in black only), and hoodies (in black only). The fun part: The style options range from business slay to backpacker play. The bonus: Every purchase you make goes toward our charitable, not-for-profit work. CLICK HERE TO SHOP.
7. PARTNER TO UPLIFT BLACK COMMUNITIES:
We’re always open to forming meaningful relationships with people, communities, initiatives, and brands that share the same values we have about reconnecting Black people and Black communities to nature. Our amazing new and deep-rooted partnerships have helped our organization elevate and innovate for the past 15 years in the outdoors. Brands like REI Co-op, KEEN, CLIF® Bar, ENO, and Smartwool have become influential collaborators to educate new audiences about the collective difference we make across the United States. Introduce our audiences and readers to new outdoor products and services that benefit our neighborhoods. To learn more about our current partnership tiers, email [email protected] today. CLICK HERE TO VIEW COLLABORATORS.
8. READ AND RESHARE IMPACT STORIES:
The truth is: We’re confronted by gloom-and-doom headlines daily. The good news is that Outdoor Afro produces happy clappy content monthly that will leave you feeling so fuzzy wuzzy about tapping into the outdoors and pursuing healthier lifestyles. We produce original narratives so you’re honestly informed about people, places, and things tied to our mission work. Outdoor Afro’s blog features cover personal essays; product and partner reviews; insider nature knowledge; and human interest stories that salute the pioneering paths Black people and Black communities have carved out within the outdoor industry. From big cities to small towns. Our community programs and content have traveled the globe. Piqued the interest of media mogul Oprah Winfrey to tennis icon Venus Williams – who both have participated in our network activities. Our stories reinforce the Black experience in nature from an asset-framing lens. National to international media outlets like CBS, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel Weekly, AFAR, and Essence Magazine are a few prominent publications that have highlighted our organization throughout the past decade. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS STORIES.
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide organization. Outdoor Afro's U.S. networks include nearly 100-plus volunteer leaders who guide nature activities in up to 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people annually. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro @outdoorafro and outdoorafro.org.