Vintage Spring Beauties
Simply outside
Lately, I have come upon many collections of photos online of black people, especially youth, connecting to nature in a variety of ways. Some images are sent to me by members of the OA community, and others I have found after researching image sources. There are just so many examples that share an historic visual narrative of organic connections to nature, now rarely seen in popular culture today.
Here is my new favorite above of children at play. Note the five kids to the right burying themselves in mud! These children are not a part of a program, and there is no adult in sight. They are simply outside.
What family images in nature do you have from long ago? What do these image mean to you?
Exploring Ruins and Playing in Waterfalls
Outdoor Afros in Los Angeles explored local African American history and nature over the weekend - read on!
Alisha Pye here, I'm the Outdoor Afro Leader for Los Angeles. This week we decided to celebrate Spring by hiking at Solstice Canyon in Malibu which is located in the Santa Monica Mountains. It's a beautiful hike with flowers in full bloom, waterfalls to enjoy, valleys and canyons to climb and picnic areas. We started on the stairs and continued on a steady incline until we came to an area of ruins that we felt compelled to explore.
If you look closely between the trees you'll see the ruins of a burned out house. It's now a historic park of the Santa Monica National Recreation Area. According to the story this house was built by a renowned African American Architect Paul R.Williams in 1952. The area is susceptible to many fires so Paul designed the home for his clients with a fire protection system that would protect the home against fire damage. The waterfall and pool were designed to pump water in case of fire as a protection to limit damage. Unfortunately after the owners death the pumping system wasn't maintained and the home was damaged by fire in 1982.
The backyard of the home was a beautiful waterfall that was breathtaking. We decided to stay and climb a little. We ended up staying for 45 minutes exploring, climbing and playing in the waterfall. At the very top was an outdoor fireplace the family used.
The view was so amazing we decided to take our group picture there along the rocks. If you look at the picture you'll notice we had a very diverse group ranging from an 11 year old to a grandfather with a cane who served as motivation for us to keep climbing.
Getting to the top we were able to see exactly how far we'd come. It was a great sense of accomplishment to get out explore and enjoy the ruins of the Santa Monica National Area. We plan on doing more exploring in the coming months so join us in our adventures.
Classic Images of African American 4H Youth Enjoying Nature
Our hearts melted when a member of the Outdoor Afro community on Facebook shared a link of photos, like the ones below that show images of black children enjoying and learning in nature in their 4-H camp in North Carolina in the 1940's.
"What is old is new again." one member commented. We could not agree more. Enjoy these timeless images that showcase examples of African American connections to nature over time.
Check out the rest of the images here, Courtesy of North Carolina State University
A Sunday Spring Surf
So glad to spend time once again with my former co-worker and dear friend Manav Thapar to help re-connect my 9 year old son Billy Hunter to the art and fun of surfing!
Read about the last time
I knew Billy Hunter (the deepest sleeper of my brood) was excited when he bounced out of bed early with, "Come one mommy, get up! Today I am surfing remember?"
We could not believe it had been over a year since our last visit to the town of Pacifica, which is only about 30 miles south west of Oakland, 
where we live. I always shake my head when I remember how close such natural beauty is all around us, but in the flow of daily routine, it can seem so far away.
I actually came to the beach with intentions to work. I brought my laptop and portable wi-fi with me along with the stress of looming deadlines, but as soon as I took in the expanse of the ocean; its sound and sights beyond the bobbing waves under the surfers, I had to stop and simply be present to the joy my son was feeling. I mused that I probably should have been out in the water myself.
The water was predictably cold for Northern California, but after almost two hours of the exhilaration from catching and loosing the wave, Billy Hunter decided with chattering teeth it was time to stop, but just for now.
Thank you Nor Cal surf shop for such great equipment support, and especially Manav Thapar, my friend, for your generosity of time, expertise, and resources that leave no doubt of the difference it will make in the life of my child, and his relationship to nature. Next time, I will join in the fun!
Jack and Jill of America Moms Connect with Outdoor Afro!
Recently Outdoor Afro has been delighted to connect with the Jack and Jill community, an historic African American mother’s group designed to promote social, cultural and educational opportunities for youth between the ages of 2 and 19 – and we are glad to add on connections to nature!
We were happy to have the chance to partner this season with a local group on a guided hike by Outdoor Afro leader Zoe Polk in Oakland’s Sibley regional park. Jack and Jill mom, Leslie Hardy Hood, said, “What a great activity, beautiful site and new exposure. Everyone felt good and I think it was a wonderful way to finish off the weekend. Many of the moms wanted to know about getting involved with Outdoor Afro.”
Headquartered in Washington, DC, Jack and Jill of America, Inc. has 230 chapters in 35 states and the District of Columbia, with a membership of over 10,000 mothers and associates and over 30,000 family members.
For more information about the organization, please check out their web page.
John Griffith Can Bust a Move - For Nature
A video of our friend John Griffith of the California Conservation Corp's has gone viral! Check it out!
Yep, John can pop and lock - yet importantly exude a genuine connection and close rapport with Outdoor Afro corps workers Antwon McCoy and Leonard Patton in his workforce development program.
Check out the salmon habitat restoration these amazing people have been up to, and how they are connecting with the mission of the Outdoor Afro community, thanks to John!
Beyond the video, I encourage you to explore John's other contributions that demonstrate his deep commitment to youth and the environment. As an author, he has written a children's book, Totem Magic: Going MAD that combines nature and fantasy told through a multicultural lens. John is also an insightful blogger, and his recent blog re-tells a heart tugging account of what happens when a young person sees a beach for the first time as a corps member.
We applaud and adore John, not only for breaking down a dance move, but for also breaking down barriers between people and our environment! Go John Go!
David Lindo: The Urban Birder
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes - Marcel Proust
David Lindo, also known as The Urban Birder came to the San Francisco Bay Area yesterday to do a talk about his experiences birding around the world in urban centers, most notably in his hometown of London, England, where he is a well-known featured bird expert on television and radio. Lindo spreads the gospel of practical nature. Meaning, you don’t have to travel to exotic locations to find rare and delightful bird species. Instead, birds are wherever you are, and “all you have to do is look up”, he says.
As I briefly stood before the audience to help introduce the program, and looked out into the diverse faces of attendees, it provided a deeply satisfying glimpse into a not-so-distant future Outdoor Afro envisions, where all people engage with the nature all around.
Generously sponsored by Golden Gate Audubon Society , an organization also committed to help more communities connect to conservation, the gathering proved to be a fun, fresh perspective on birding. David shared his personal story of growing up birdy as a youth, begging his working-class mother for his first pair of binoculars. A luxury his family could barely afford. He described the wonder of his special patch of woods, where he spent hours as a child getting to know his local bird species and making up intuitive names for each one. He went on to share through photos, examples of the variety of birds spotted in urban centers. He helped us imagine a skyscraper as a face of a mountain, where one might spot a Peregrine Falcon on its peak, and his humorous use of the Jedi-like “Force” to manifest rare bird species in some of the most improbable places.
Today, I was delighted to take David to see some more of our local birds. The previous day, Audubon staff treated David to a full-day of birding, where he found the male Varied Thrush pictured above, and our famous and rare Clapper Rail. Clay, an Outdoor Afro leader and ecologist joined us on the brief tour of Oakland's Lake Merritt and Middle Shoreline Harbor Park with panoramic views of the San Francisco skyline and bridge.
Hanging with two people who share deep experience observing birds was a kick for an intermediate like me. David and Clay debated the nuances of plumage to determine species. Is that a Golden Bellied Plover, or an American Plover? (they saw both). Yes, these are two black men from different parts of the world having this conversation, I mused.
While David has observed several hundreds of bird species with all types of people from many walks of life, remarkably, he admitted today was the first time he had ever birded with other black people outside of Africa!
It certainly won’t be his last.
Learn more about David Lindo The Urban Birder and Twitter @urbanbirder
We did it again, this time with a challenge...
By Alisha Pye, Los Angeles Outdoor Afro Leader
So we went hiking above the Mountain Gate Country Club again, but this time we decided to mix it up a bit. So we decided to go off the fire trail and hike the hills. This was a great hike although we had fewer people we had a very diverse group, ranging from a mom wearing her 6 month baby, to a 9 year old cross country runner.
This hike was particularly challenging for me because I'm very afraid of heights and cliffs, both of which we encountered. I would love to post pictures of the cliff but I was nearly paralyzed with fear. So here's to embracing fear and moving forward! Because of the challenge that I experienced, I think I enjoyed the hike more.
Overall, we hiked 11.3 miles, every time I even thought about complaining about the distance I looked up and saw this mom wearing her baby, a 9 year old and a grandmother or two chugging along. The diversity in this group was motivating to say the least. We didn't get a chance to stop and take a group picture, but we had a great time. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the weather amazing and the scenery was breathtaking.
