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.
2023 Holiday Gear Guide: 9 Outdoor Afro-recommended stocking stuffers for next year’s adventures
Outdoor Afro has tested and provided honest commentary to a great deal of gear and equipment. Throughout nearly 15 years of organizational existence, some have been a definite no. Others aight. Then, there are the keepers. As headquarter doors close to spend more time with family and friends this winter, Outdoor Afro's gift to you are a few nature goodies that top 2023's Holiday Gear Guide. Products staff, volunteer leaders, and community participants use and share frank feedback about across U.S. neighborhoods. Check out the brands highly endorsed for 2024 adventures connected to land, water, and wildlife. This list of both legacy and new brand partners goes beyond mere social collaborations. Outdoor Afro's here-and-now partnerships are true relationships – ones valued and cultivated to help communities make informed decisions about products and services that truly benefit a range of nature lifestyles.
CLIF BAR SNACKS
CLIF® Bar was born on a bike in 1990 and built with athletes in mind. The idea for a better-tasting bar was born. Today, CLIF® Bar continues to make organic, plant-based energy food. For nearly a decade, CLIF® Bar has been a proud partner of Outdoor Afro. CLIF® continues to grow its partnership with CLIF CORPS, an initiative where CLIF® Athletes donate their time and resources to support nonprofits that make the spaces where we live and play more accessible and inclusive. In 2022, professional tennis icon and CLIF® Athlete Venus Williams joined Outdoor Afro on a beach hike to experience our organizational mission: celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature. Williams and Outdoor Afro Founder and CEO Rue Mapp met for the first time and both participated in a local Outdoor Afro beach hike held in Miami. Sharing their love of the outdoors at Virginia Key Beach. CLIF® Bar and Outdoor Afro believe people should feel proud to be who they are, wherever they are — on the court, trail, field, or elsewhere.
ENO HAMMOCKS
Shop and get ready to swing away with Eagle Nest Outfitters (ENO) colorful selection of hammocks. Our organization truly believes in the quality leisure experiences this gift can also afford you, family, and friends. In fact, Outdoor Afro received the fun opportunity to co-brand a limited-edition print with ENO not once. But twice. Together, we rolled out the Kili Mapp Kili. First in 2021, which sold out. Then, in 2022 for a fall relaunched that made its way to newer backyards and road trips that year. “I wanted people to feel warmth and joy every time they’re in this hammock,” said Leandra Taylor, Outdoor Afro volunteer leader and artist behind the then in-demand design. Know that ENO designs hammocks that are portable, packable, and always adventure-ready with the latest design technology.
KEEN WATER SANDALS
KEEN inspires everyone to live with no ceiling. This family-owned, values-led maker of hybrid footwear – sandals, boots, and sneakers – produces more than products. The care KEEN puts behind each shoe is a true experience that positively impacts our planet. Better known as the KEEN Effect. KEEN responsibly creates original and versatile products designed to fit the diverse lifestyles of its fans at work and play. The shoe creator has been an Outdoor Afro legacy partner since 2012. The time-honored partnership segued into a water sandal collaboration in 2021 to help bring awareness about our Making Waves program. Launched in 2019, this life-saving, water-nurturing program helps every child and their caregiver within our sphere of influence learn how to swim. This year, Outdoor Afro set an ambitious goal to teach 1,000 children and guardians water safety and basic swim techniques. Our Programs Department is happy to report: Outdoor Afro hit the splash mark because of supporters like you.
KLEAN KANTEEN THERMOS
This gear has filled up Outdoor Afro volunteer leader adventure kits for years. Klean Kanteen offers colors that pop in nature, but it’s the durability for us. Especially for those longer hikes, bumpier bike rides, and multi-day camping trips across our regions. Ninety-five percent of Klean Kanteen’s products are made with recycled steel. The family- and employee-owned B Corp lives for big ideas and the boldest of moves to produce quality outdoor gear. Another legacy partner of Outdoor Afro, Klean Kanteen donates to our year-round programs. The brand also helps ensure our volunteer leaders and community participants know how to make healthy, eco-friendly choices before going outside. “We choose partners who believe in the work we’re doing and want to support that work,” said Mapp. “We prefer ‘trust partnerships’ like the one we have with Klean Kanteen, where they offer a combination of financial resources, in-kind support, and amplification of our message. This is so important to us. We truly believe that impact arises out of relationships, not just financial donations.”
OUTDOOR AFRO x OAKLANDISH SHIRT COLLECTION
It’s our not-for-profit organization’s coziest collection. Co-branded with longtime community partner Oaklandish, our signature shop of tees, hoodies, and long-sleeve tops are comfortable conversation pieces. A year ago this month, the collection relaunched with only Outdoor Afro's most popular shirts. These shirts are gifts that keep on giving, too. Know that each purchase continues to support core year-round programming. You can also become a repeat holiday helper here. “We recognized early that our community loves our logo, and wants to represent it loud and proud,” said Mapp. “Having a merch store is a fun and accessible way for our community to continue to support our charitable work. As a longstanding collaborator, we’re ever more excited to now embark on this new chapter of collaboration with Oaklandish.”
OUTDOOR AFRO INC. x REI-CO-OP HIKE COLLECTION
Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) believes a life outdoors is a life well-lived. That it’s in the wild, untamed, and natural places that people find their best selves, so its purpose is to awaken a lifelong love of the outdoors for all. Since 1938, REI has been the local outdoor co-op working to help people experience the transformational power of nature. Another legacy partner for Outdoor Afro, the co-op brings top-quality gear and apparel, expert advice, rental equipment, inspiring stories of life outside, and outdoor experiences to enjoy independently or share with loved ones. In 2021, for-profit enterprise Outdoor Afro, Inc. (corporate partner of not-for-profit Outdoor Afro), came online and co-created a hike collection with the co-op that debuted September 2022. The multi-year, universal collection offers electric hike fits for all body types and neighborhood experiences.
SMARTWOOL SOCKS
Restock your sock collection with comfy styling options co-created by our heritage partner, and global sock and apparel brand Smartwool. Its Merino wool socks feature a Virtually Seamless™ Toe to prevent chafing; 4 Degree™ Elite Fit System to stop bunching, blisters, or sock slippage; Indestructawool™ for unmatched durability; and mesh venting for maximum breathability and moisture management. Our organization had the chance to collaborate with Smartwool on two Outdoor Afro Hike Zero Cushion Print Crew Socks in previous years. “Slice of Nature” socks in 2020 and a “Black Joy” in nature collage socks in 2022 that launched on the heels of our then second annual Juneteenth commemoration.
STANLEY COOKWEAR
Stanley products have literally traveled on oodles of American outdoor adventures for more than 100 years now. The brand has powered daily coffee breaks. Assisted meal prep days in nature. Provided the right amount of storage gear for food and beverages (on and off the road). With each passing year, Stanley continues to innovate, bringing timeless and modern solutions for outdoor exploration to backyard chill sessions. Outdoor Afro champions brands like Stanley for helping to build more sustainable communities through modern, reusable products. Through Outdoor Afro camping events that take place throughout each year, volunteer leaders, network participants, the organization’s staff, use Stanley products to make outdoor cooking creations easier to manage.
YAKIMA RACKS
Outdoor Afro participants across our U.S. networks love a good neighborhood bike hike – whether it's in the form of leisure, mountain, or road cycling. For avid cyclists who join our bike rides, we highly recommend Yakima’s single to multiple rack options for regular riders. Why? Because we literally use them ourselves. Since 2012, our partnership with Yakima has traditionally included leadership education about how to use its gear and equipment easily and safely. Yakima affords durable designs for off-road, eBikes, and even RV travels. For “power” explorers, Yakima supplies snow, water, and basecamp equipment to prepare for 2024 Outdoor Afro trips with us as well. *Illustrations by Dajah Callen.
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.
Outdoor Afro fundraiser reunites for 'Homecoming'
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – National not-for-profit Outdoor Afro brings back its annual fundraising event in the physical. Glamp Out 2022 takes place Friday, Oct. 14, and is fittingly themed “Homecoming.” “After two-years of having to do virtual events because of the pandemic, we are coming home in community with one another for our first in-person event since 2019,” said Rue Mapp, Founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro. “This is not your dad’s conservation gala, either.”
The Academy Awards-inspired occasion is held at Scott’s Jack London Square this year from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with the goal of raising more than $300,000 to support the organization’s year-long programs. Hosted by former Oakland broadcaster Dana King and featuring Golden State Warriors "Hypeman Auctioneer" Franco Finn for 2022, the occasion welcomes the outdoor community into an elegant evening like no other, said Mapp. Outdoor industry leaders, elected officials, celebrities, and cultural champions join to support the network’s mission: celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature.
Glamp Out is also an opportunity for the national nature-based community as a whole to exercise philanthropy: “Too often, we think about Black people in philanthropic and not-for-profit organizations as just the recipients or beneficiaries of program efforts,” Mapp said, “but we also are the ones giving and empowering organizations like Outdoor Afro to be in service of our community.”
The fundraiser not only deliberately strengthens the community and celebrates Outdoor Afro’s wins in the outdoors. It shares hope and encouragement to continue to change the narrative of who leads in nature while nurturing Black philanthropic efforts. Gala highlights for 2022 will include: TURFinc dance culture entertainment; Youth Speaks artists and educators; Oakland High School jazz band trio; “Partner of the Year” CLIF BAR®; “Lifetime Achievement” award recipient the late Dr. Nina S. Roberts; and “Leader of the Year” Stephen Scott.
Funds raised throughout the night will go toward outdoor education for Outdoor Afro’s volunteer leaders like Stephen. The network selects and trains volunteer leaders annually through Outdoor Afro Leadership Training to guide local communities in outdoor activities safely and sustainably. What started as a dozen volunteer outdoor enthusiasts in 2012 is now more than 100 volunteer leaders who lead neighborhood adventures like biking, hiking, gardening, kayaking, and ice climbing across the United States.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES HERE
Glamp Out also supports Outdoor Afro’s Making Waves program. The swim program offers “Swimmerships™” or swim lesson scholarships during the summer months. Outdoor Afro launched Making Waves in 2019 to address the alarming number of Black children who drown today tied to the historic prohibition of Black access to beaches and public swimming pools.
“We know that if a child doesn’t know how to swim, they likely aren’t going to care about plastic in the ocean,” Mapp said. “The planet needs us to be in relationship with water. For Outdoor Afro, it’s all about relationships. Glamp Out is a fantastic way to celebrate those relationships while also helping to support the work that has a life-saving impact in our community.”
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 network with 100-plus volunteer leaders in 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people with the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro at outdoorafro.org and @outdoorafro today.
Nature Champs: CLIF® Athlete Venus Williams, Outdoor Afro
Consider Virginia Key Beach as the response to white-only swimming pools and water recreation. In the middle of the 20th century, this Miami vacation destination for Black people granted access to boating, fishing, surfing, swimming, and beachside lounging. A way of life for generations of Black nature enthusiasts and Black wealth to thrive – even while segregation tormented the country. Outdoor Afro revisited this historical landmark summer 2022 with partner CLIF BAR® and CLIF® Athlete Venus Williams to reflect on Black joy and healing in nature-rich places.
“What an honor to not only share the day with Venus but with our Founder and CEO Rue Mapp,” said Outdoor Afro volunteer leader Sierra Taliaferro with binoculars ready. “I wanted to do my best to provide a memorable experience in my backyard of Miami." Joined by fellow volunteer leader Michele Nedrick, Taliaferro led Outdoor Afro community participants, Mapp, and the tennis star through the beach’s nature trails and cultural history. Taliaferro helped the group identify native flora and fauna in between genuine conversations to learn more about each other.
A Miami transplant, Taliaferro spends most weekends exploring area routes. Like the Outdoor Afro activities she hosts monthly, this partnership experience allowed both Taliaferro and Nedrick to introduce new CLIF BAR® and Outdoor Afro staff to local stories and species of the beach. Decades of it. “Virginia Key Beach is not only historically Black,” Taliaferro said, “but it’s monumental to our sometimes forgotten history.” The recreational site became a cherished safe space in the 1940s onward for Black beachgoers of the states to Black immigrants of South America, Cuba, and various Caribbean islands.
It wasn’t until 1982 that the city of Miami closed the beach because of “rising maintenance costs.” After a decades-long fight by the Virginia Key Beach Civil Rights Task Force, the beach landed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. It reopened to the public in February 2008. An ideal spot for Nedrick and Taliaferro to host Outdoor Afro network activities yearlong that naturally strengthen the neighborhood’s connection to its land, water, and wildlife. In rhythm with typical network hikes, Nedrick and Taliaferro started the day with Outdoor Afro’s signature opening circle of introductions. Then, their educational and transformative tour meandered through sandy tracks and prickly-ash plants.
Occasionally, migrating birds and zebra longwing butterflies fluttered by the group as insect sounds amplified the ambience of the tropical wilderness experience. A fervent birder, Taliaferro often used her “field glasses” to identify native feathered friends for the day’s company. Since the beach is right on the coast, water birds were the easiest to pinpoint: white ibises, double-crested cormorants, and black-crowned night herons. “I often emphasize to beginner birders that birding is unconventional,” said Taliaferro. “You literally can do it anywhere. Even from your backyard.”
What led to this moment of Outdoor Afro volunteer leaders – sharing their expertise about this place of purpose for Black people – and CLIF BAR® goes back nearly a decade ago. CLIF BAR® and Outdoor Afro have been partners since the network became a national not-for-profit organization in 2015. Continuing to grow the partnership, CLIF BAR® created CLIF CORPS. This initiative is CLIF’s employee-led community service program where CLIF® Athletes donate time and resources to support nonprofits that make the spaces they live and play in more accessible and inclusive.
Williams serves as a CLIF® Athlete and has been a fan of Outdoor Afro for some time now. The perfect recipe to have a Black joy (and Black history) moment in nature: “I am honored to be part of this new chapter of CLIF CORPS and to support Outdoor Afro’s work to show greater representation in the outdoor community,” said Williams. “Together we will make a meaningful impact to reconnect Black communities with the outdoors and sports through education, recreation, and conservation.” The CLIF CORPS partnership features a series of ongoing giving and service amplifications with community groups like the Women’s Sports Foundation and National Parks Service. The goal is to provide opportunities for people across the United States to participate in activities otherwise deemed inaccessible or unwelcoming for social, emotional, or economic reasons.
Throughout this year, Outdoor Afro volunteer leaders will guide CLIF-supported outdoor experiences across its four regions: Midwest, Northeast, South, and West. Activities range from biking, kayaking, and hiking. "A recent study led by Penn State found that 1 in 5 Americans have taken on a new outdoor hobby since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many Americans are unable to experience these benefits due to inequities in access to the outdoors and sports,” said Jodi Olson, Vice President of Brands at CLIF BAR®. “That’s why we are collaborating with Venus Williams and Outdoor Afro, two of our long-time partners, to enact change and break down systemic barriers, creating more diverse and inclusive activities for our communities.”
Williams and Outdoor Afro took a beach walk. A few community participants showed off their driftwood tightroping abilities. When everyone made their way back to the initial opening circle location, the space created a new appreciation for Black contributions that developed the beach. The seaside stroll reinforced the everyday work Outdoor Afro does to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature. Taliaferro wrapped up the evening by sharing that “nature allows us to see not only the surrounding beauty, but also the beauty in ourselves. Nature is truly a reflection of us.”
