Wanderers Welcome: Tracking winter wildlife at Upper Saco Valley Land Trust with Outdoor Afro’s ‘Frozen Chosen’
Crunch. Crack. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crack. Crunch. Crunch. The traction-spiked hiking boots shuffled at a potato chip chewing cadence. Oddly melodic as the animal tracking morning picked up pace. A warning from Outdoor Afro volunteer leader Mardi Fuller, 44, as she guided the March 2 New Hampshire winter experience: “Don’t consider moving to New England if you’re not a fan of winter,” the four-year leader said. “We have plenty of it throughout the year.” Winter sports to coincide as well: ice climbing, downhill skiing, snowshoeing, and mountaineering. All offered through Fuller’s Outdoor Afro Boston network. Community participants who sign up with Fuller are guaranteed innovative nature adventures with the diehard hiker. Sustainably and safely. During January 2021, Fuller became the first-known Black person to scale all 48 New Hampshire peaks – 4,000-footers – in the winter. See. In good hiking hands.
Annually, Outdoor Afro’s Northeast Region arranges area opportunities for cold-weather outings that help beat the “winter blues.” Recasting shorter days into celebrated, snowy moments with brand-new friends. “I’m a multitasker,” said Fuller. “The simple action of walking in the snow allows me to settle down and get into this meditative mind frame.” That Saturday, she exercised this form of nature medicine with three network frequenters – Xander Bennett, Keenan Augustus, and Thai Koenig (left to right in the above image with Fuller flanking the far right side). Better known as “The Frozen Chosen.” Together, the four toured the Chain of Ponds Community Forest Conservation Project. This soon-to-acquire property of Conway, New Hampshire’s Upper Saco Valley Land Trust blankets 625 acres. The land trust’s goal is to raise $1.3 million from local foundations, state grant makers, and individual contributions by November 2024 to purchase and permanently conserve the landscape.
Chain of Ponds covers an ecologically significant glacial trough valley in neighboring Madison, New Hampshire. Connected to its forestland and inland waters, the project features headwaters of Pequawket Brook and Silver Lake’s North Inlet. The valley itself includes roughly 110 acres of wetlands; 25 acres of cliff and talus slopes; glacial eskers; surface waters and wetlands; 300 acres of mapped aquifers; and approximately 4 miles of surface water frontage along several streams and ponds. A peerless outdoor playground. Once the purchase completes, the public can access newer sites for biking, paddling, hunting (white tail deer, ruffed grouse, and small game like rabbits), fishing (Eastern brook trout and pickerel), and winter hiking. And only 3 minutes away from Madison Elementary School, experiential learning abounds. Mike Morin, 43, served as the land trust’s conservation director and assured that Chain of Ponds would become a nature backyard to a lot of local families.
The 20-year land conservationist added: “This site will provide interpretative education, allow us to implement better forest health management practices back into the community, and continue to expand our mission that already includes conserving other forestlands, popular recreation areas, and working farmland." The land trust developed in 2000 as a grassroots initiative to preserve land for community enjoyment and education. Specifically in the watershed of the upper Saco River in both Maine and New Hampshire. The following year it gained 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Within a decade, the land trust preserved 38 land projects, doubling that number by 2019. To date, the trust has conserved more than 12,000 acres in its 11-town service area. Steadily advocating for local agriculture and water quality concerns as part of its mission work. Back at the Chain of Ponds site, the Frozen Chosen breathed in the 40-degree air (unseasonably warm for Northern New Hampshire in early March when 20 degrees is more likely) and trudged along an abandoned rail corridor.
The track once carried traveling skiers from Boston to North Conway, said Morin. Part of the early 20th-century history of Gilded Age hotels like the Omni Mount Washington Resort and the beginning of the ski industry. A train stop to the left of the track brought the Outdoor Afro group to a beaver lodge on Cranberry Bog. Each whipped out their animal track pocket guides provided by the land trust’s Community Steward Carissa Milliman, 39. The former educator equipped the day’s guests with New Hampshire Fish and Game Department wildlife literature. “With this piece of land being so accessible, Chain of Ponds is a great place to connect with nature and find stillness,” said Milliman. Nothing matched the track patterns listed. The group tactfully circled and observed the conical-shaped beaver home. Then moved on. Two more ponds ahead: Blue Ponds and Mack Pond.
Chemical engineer Keenan Augustus, 31, advanced with excitement in his eyes. “You know,” he said with every microspiked step, “these types of activities with Outdoor Afro help me get back to our roots. Black people have always been travelers, explorers, and navigators.” Cold-weather comrade Xander Bennett nodded in agreement. Augustus has participated in Northeast network activities for almost two years now while Bennett entered his first year in 2024. Bennett’s introduction to Outdoor Afro started with an ice climbing event with Fuller earlier this year. Then, uphill skiing. “I previously approached the outdoors from individual activities,” said Bennett. “Mardi and Outdoor Afro have helped me gain the courage to get in this space through group experiences.” The win-win: learning new skills with folks who feel like family.
The Chain of Ponds camp took a break bankside for hot tea, snack bars, and more fellowshipping. Sharing favorable reactions to the property. Flashbacking to previous network fun. Already making new Outdoor Afro activity plans. The youngest of the Frozen Chosen, Thai Koenig, 24, dusted snow off her hiking pants, gathered her belongings, and started to lead the band back to the site entrance. But, wait! A scat IDing moment presented itself mid-trip. Was it a red fox? Bobcat? Coyote that traveled their route? The four couldn’t really figure it out from their wildlife scat cards. The majority leaned toward the red fox. Good guesses. “It’s so important to build community like Outdoor Afro does,” said Koenig, all smiles. “Our network is always happy. Mardi makes me feel comfortable and safe while trying something new.”
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 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.
Nature gateways to GivingTuesday 2023 with Outdoor Afro
Symbolizing a season of replenishing and re-establishing oneself before the new year, November equally sets giving into motion. Right after Thanksgiving is GivingTuesday. Known as a global generosity moment, the Nov. 28, 2023, day launches Outdoor Afro’s end-of-year giving to wrap up the organization’s annual accomplishments in nature and neighborhoods nationwide. “This time of year always brings us a sense of warmth and gratitude,” said Outdoor Afro Founder and CEO Rue Mapp. “Because of our supporters’ belief and investment in our organization, Outdoor Afro is able to continue to serve as both nature stewards and neighborhood lifesavers as we care for each other and our planet.” As Outdoor Afro looks back on the past 11 months, here are all the ways supporters have continued to help achieve its mission work to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature:
OUTDOOR AFRO LEADERSHIP TRAINING: This annual training held in April each year guides the newest class of volunteer leaders through best practices for creating activities and leading in nature safely and sustainably. The weekend training is designed to equip a select group of volunteers and innovators from across the United States with the essential outdoor skills needed to return to their hometowns and guide their local communities outside in outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Outdoor Afro professionally develops more than 100 volunteer leaders who represent the organization's four regions: Northeast, Midwest, South, and West.
LOCAL ACTIVITIES: After Outdoor Afro Leadership Training completes, volunteer leaders originate, host, and guide events in their local to regional communities. These authentic activities range from neighborhood historical walks and cultural art experiences to gardening, biking, hiking, fishing, swimming, skiing, geocaching, nature journaling, and kayaking. Volunteers provide more than 1,200 in-person to online events for multigenerational participants to join.
MAKING WAVES: The life-saving program formed in response to the alarming number of Black children who drown today tied to the historic prohibition of Black access to public swimming pools and beaches. Since 2019, Outdoor Afro’s goal has been to teach every Black child and their caregiver in its sphere of influence learn how to swim. Currently, Outdoor Afro provides Swimmerships™ (swim lesson scholarships) through Making Waves. With 1,200 Swimmerships™ completed before the end of 2023, the program continues to gain support from brands like KEEN and CLIF Bar to help bring awareness and stronger connections to water.
JUNETEENTH: Media created a flawed narrative about Juneteenth. Labeling it as a “celebration” to the end of slavery in the United States. For the past two years, Outdoor Afro has educated the public about the reality of the situation. June 19, 1865, is the date when 250,000 enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free – 2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation (signed Jan. 1, 1863) went into effect. Outdoor Afro corrects this oftentimes “celebratory” story by rephrasing the day as a “commemoration.” To honor those who were denied 2.5 years of freedom, the organization encourages its networks, partners, and communities to spend 2.5 hours in nature to reflect on what freedom means to them.
Created in 2012, GivingTuesday unleashes the power of radical generosity – the concept that the suffering of others should be as intolerable as one’s own suffering. The New York City-founded nonprofit includes a global network of collaborators that encourage goodness around the world. Its mission is to build a world where generosity is part of everyday life. As simple as making someone smile. Assisting a stranger. Addressing a community issue. Every act counts. “Our work would not have had the chance to grow and flourish for nearly 15 years now without consistent and enthusiastic support,” Mapp said. “We're only able to fulfill our mission to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature because of our supporters' trust and participation in our mission, which fuels our passion and gratitude each day.”
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 @outdoorafro and outdoorafro.org.
Outdoor Afro names Dr. Mamie A. Parker 'Lifetime Achievement' recipient
She ascended to the stage, glimmering in the night’s joy. Her maroon and silver gown sashayed with each quaint step. Bringing the memory of her late mother, Cora Parker – an Arkansas maid and tenant farmer – front stage to celebrate in the moment. Overjoyed, Dr. Mamie A. Parker squeezed Outdoor Afro friend, Founder, and CEO Rue Mapp before the award exchange. It’s the national not-for-profit’s ninth annual fundraiser, Glamp Out, held Oct. 20, 2023. Mamie, 66, recently received Outdoor Afro’s distinguished “Lifetime Achievement” award at Bloc15 in Oakland for her decades of innovative conservation work.
Mamie pledged her outdoor career to fish and wildlife biology, as a success coach, and to later serve as a principal consultant for countless state and federal agencies. Because Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” played as her Glamp Out walk-on song, it was only customary for the wildlife conservationist to give the crowd a quick two-step and a few shimmies as she approached the podium. “Good evening,” she said with a well-grounded tone and delicately sliding her readers onto her smiling face. “I know you can do better than that. In my culture, when we call, we ask you to respond.” The crowd gladly did with louder claps, whistles, and good evenings in reply to the Wilmot, Arkansas, hometowner.
Mamie emphasized her roots to help explain her call-and-response request. It’s due to her purpose-driven travels from a sharecropping South to serving as a key presidential appointees’ house adviser with several administrations that she often delivers messages of resilience across America. Hopeful words she’s shared in different formats across world stages. Against-all-odds stories that crowds either hear for the first time or need to hear again. “Dr. Parker is a history maker,” said Mapp to Glamp Out guests. “She served as the first African American U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regional director of the 13 Northeastern states.”
FWS is the oldest federal conservation agency, tracing its lineage to 1871. It’s the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is the management of fish and wildlife for the American public. Notably and repeatedly, Parker entered outdoor spaces as a “first” in similar conservation and wildlife environments. Appointed by the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Parker was also elected as the inaugural Black chair of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Commission. Mamie earned the American Fisheries Society’s highest honor – named after its first woman president – for her outstanding work promoting clean drinking water in nationwide streams.
This presidential rank awardee also became the first Black woman to serve as Head of Fisheries in the United States. The avid angler was appointed as the special assistant to the director and later became the assistant director in the FWS headquarters located in Washington, D.C. – the first Black person to hold this title. Among other pioneering roles, Parker also held the post of the board chair of the Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries Commission. While there, the board passed a resolution that became a model for other states, changed the board name from “game” to wildlife, and protected migratory birds threatened by major bridge construction. “I always say that if it weren’t for my mother, I probably would have been kissing instead of fishing,” said Parker, chuckling with the evening’s Glamp Out audience.
Cora raised Mamie and her ten other children in a four-room house. In an era where young women were expected to step into homemaking and caretaking roles. Cora, along with the hit song “Mercy, Mercy Me” by Motown sensation Marvin Gaye, inspired Mamie to look after Mother Nature instead. Mamie spent almost 30 years as a fish and wildlife biologist to tackle challenges like radiation and pollution because of Gaye’s lyrics. Just as Mamie looked up to her mother and the musical artist, Mapp admired Mamie’s pioneering outdoor trajectory for years. Mamie served as the first Black judge of the 2013 Federal Duck Stamp Contest held in Ohio.
Ten years later, Mapp followed in this webbed footpath as an art judge as well. FWS produces the Federal Duck Stamp, which sells for $25 and raises approximately $40 million annually. Revenue from stamp sales is used to protect wetland habitats in the National Wildlife Refuge System, benefiting wildlife and contributing to people's enjoyment. Since its establishment in 1934, sales of the Federal Duck Stamp to bird watchers, outdoor enthusiasts, collectors, and hunters have helped raise more than $1.2 billion to conserve more than 6 million acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife.
This year’s contest of more than 200 submissions took place Sept. 15 and Sept. 16 in Des Moines, Iowa. For the first time in Federal Duck Stamp Contest history, the judging panel included all females: Gail Anderson, MJ Davis, Rebecca Humphries, Dr. Karen Waldrop, alternate judge Jennifer Scully, and Mapp. “Becoming a judge for the contest was an opportunity I had no idea existed for me,” said Mapp, “even though I have been purchasing the annual stamp in recent years.” Mapp did know Mamie pioneered this fun but nail-biting platform. A role that required weighing in thoughtfully to determine only one creative’s artwork on behalf of U.S. citizens. “Dr. Parker has blazed a path for people like me and organizations like Outdoor Afro,” Mapp said to nearly 140 fundraising attendees, “to step into positions of conservation policy, governance, advocacy, and influence that continue her legacy.”
Mamie’s lifetime in outdoor play and professional circles always left lasting impacts regardless of the waters trodden. She adds her Glamp Out recognition to a hefty list of avant-garde honors: The Governor of Arkansas enshrined Mamie into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame. During 2020, she became the recipient of the John L. Morris Lifetime Achievement Award, named for the founder of Bass Pro Shops. She earned The William P. Reilly (the first head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Environmental Leadership Award. Followed by the Presidential Rank Award – the highest honor bestowed upon federal employees. Above all these credits: “Dr. Parker is a connector, friend, homegirl, wife, and mother,” Mapp said to conclude her appreciation and love for Mamie, “who never ceases to light up every room she’s in.”
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 @outdoorafro and outdoorafro.org.
Tickets on sale for Outdoor Afro's ninth annual fundraiser
Registration is now open for the nature glitz and glam of Outdoor Afro’s signature fundraiser Glamp Out. The national not-for-profit’s annual event takes place Friday, Oct. 20, at Bloc15 in Oakland’s Jack London. The ninth annual fundraising fun begins at 6 p.m. and concludes 10:30 p.m. Pacific Time. “Glamp Out is our celebratory evening where outdoor enthusiasts and national network supporters from around the country come together each year,” said Outdoor Afro Founder and CEO Rue Mapp. “We appreciate the opportunity for our community to dust off their hiking boots and dress up with us in support of our impactful programs and honor stellar leadership.”
RSVP HERE
Since 2015, Glamp Out has been Outdoor Afro’s annually anticipated fundraiser that celebrates the organization's milestones and ambitions for the coming year. This year’s theme, “Elevation,” signifies Outdoor Afro’s impact and intention for the Black American community. Throughout 2023, Outdoor Afro has continued to amplify its signature programs, strategic partnerships, and influential people with a growing, national team. Glamp Out will roll out the red carpet to help reach its 2023 organizational goals, featuring the following Bay Area speakers and performances:
HOST: Dave Clark, KTVU’s award-winning news anchor
BEATS: DJ Red Corvette, multiformat musical announcer
AUCTIONEER: Michael Tate, seasoned fundraising strategist
PERFORMERS: BET Sunday Best's Ashling Cole and accomplished saxophonist Vincent Lars
The fundraising affair also will salute Outdoor Afro nature achievements. The organization’s aim is to raise more than $200,000 in support of its year-round programs:
MAKING WAVES: Outdoor Afro’s promise is to teach every child and caregiver within its sphere of influence how to swim. The program launched in 2019 by Mapp after learning through CDC research that Black children now drown at a rate 7.6 times that of white children because of historical barriers. To date, Making Waves has awarded hundreds of "Swimmerships" (or swim lesson scholarships) around the country. The program’s ambitious 2023 aim: supporting 1,000 new swimmers in receiving local lessons.
OUTDOOR AFRO LEADERSHIP TRAINING: Now in its 11th year, this training teaches more than 100 men and women from across the United States how to guide their local communities safely and sustainably – for greater health and healing of all people and our planet. Contributions help Outdoor Afro volunteer leaders expand their training to include wilderness first-aid, recreational water safety skills, and model aspirational nature opportunities.
SIGNATURE CAPSTONE EVENTS: These experiences introduce volunteer leaders and local neighborhoods to the exploratory possibilities in nature and change the face of who can become an expeditioner. In the past, Outdoor Afro has prepared more than a dozen climbers to scale Mt. Kilimanjaro and certified 26 leaders as canoe or kayak instructors. Your support of Glamp Out helps advance the skill-building, confidence, and growth opportunities through pioneering models of adventure for the Black community.
Each year, Glamp Out welcomes more than 250 nature leaders, community supporters, cultural champions, elected officials, and celebrities. All coming together on behalf of Outdoor Afro’s mission to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature. Glamp Out is a chance for Outdoor Afro’s national community to exercise generosity to support conservation through community-led engagement in nature.
RSVP HERE
Glamp Out purposefully recognizes individual and community contributions to Outdoor Afro – the organization’s way of upholding one of its key values of changing the narrative of who leads in outdoor spaces. The fundraiser helps continue to build lasting relationships while strengthening leadership opportunities in the outdoors. “Our programs are welcoming and multigenerational,” said Mapp, “leading to transformations both online and offline for people and the natural world.” More about Glamp Out here. Glamp Out sponsorship opportunities here.
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.
A Wonderful Week with the Maryland Coastal Bays
Just got back from a terrific stay in Maryland, specifically in the DelMarVa region, presenting at the second annual, Get Out! Get Green! Get Paid! Conference to encourage local youth to consider careers related to the Great Outdoors!
I had the good fortune to work with the dedicated Carrie Samis, who directs the program, and my esteemed co-panelists, Dr. Bert Davis, President, Zoological Society of Milwaukee; Frederick Tutman, Patuxent Riverkeeper; Academy Award winning filmmaker Errol Webber; and Brittany Smith of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Outdoor Afro is proud to partner with the amazing Coastal Steward youth to foster their outdoor leadership, so look out for forthcoming information that shares more of what we plan to accomplish together!
Thanks to everyone, especially the National Parks Service, Maryland Coastal Bays, and EPA for producing such an important event!
For now, here are just a few images that convey the spirit of camaraderie, dedication, and excitement about youth and their families connecting meaningfully to nature:
