Outdoor Afro Celebrates African Americans in the National Parks Day!
This Saturday, June 7th, in honor of the 2nd annual African American National Parks weekend, a number of Bay-Area residents will pay homage to the famed Buffalo Soldiers by retracing their historic journey from the Presidio of San Francisco to Yosemite National Park.
The event is a joint effort led by Outdoor Afro and the National Park Service (Golden Gate National Recreation Area) with support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, chapters of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, the city of Los Banos, the Presidio Trust, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and the Yosemite Conservancy. The group will honor the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers who served our country nationally and internationally. In particular, the 24th Infantry and the 9th Cavalry protected both Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks in 1899, 1903 and 1904.
“It’s amazing how little of this history is known,” says Teresa Baker, Outdoor Afro trip leader and co-organizer of the event. “I think it is important for us to recognize the role that our forbearers played in protecting some of our country’s most iconic national parks.”
Baker’s innate love for nature and the outdoors spurred her to create the first African American National Parks Weekend last year. Using social media, she encouraged people across the country to visit a national park one specific weekend. Thousands-- including many first-time visitors--responded to the call and sent in photos of their groups in national parks. Outdoor Afro, a social networking community focused on reconnecting African Americans with the outdoors, celebrated with a Buffalo Soldier interpretive walk hosted by the National Park Service in the Presidio. During the aftermath of that highly successful event, the idea of actually retracing the trail of the Buffalo Soldiers was conceived.
In 1903, units of the 9th United States Cavalry made the 280-mile trek from the Presidio to Yosemite over a period of 13 days. Leaving the Presidio post in the spring and returning in the fall, the troopers spent the summer in the park protecting it against poaching and grazing and blazing trails still used today. Along the route, the troopers camped near race tracks, at roadhouses and along rivers.
The Outdoor Afro group will follow the historical route as much as possible, passing through San Jose, Gilroy, Los Banos, Madera and Oakhurst before entering Yosemite through the southern Wawona gate. Along the way, the pilgrimage will stop at the City of Los Banos in the San Joaquin Valley, where the Buffalo Soldiers rested and refitted nearly one hundred years ago. The group will enjoy the hospitality of the city and eat lunch at the fairgrounds before resuming the trip to Yosemite, where they will camp overnight. The highlight of Sunday’s activities will be a presentation of park ranger Shelton Johnson’s award-winning living history program at the Pioneer Cemetery at noon. After the program concludes, the group will mount up for the bus trip back to the Presidio of San Francisco.
Although no spaces remain for additional passengers on the trip, interested people are encouraged to attend the sendoff ceremony. Following the departure of the group, there will be a ranger-led Buffalo Soldier history walk and an open house at the historic cavalry stables on McDowell Avenue from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Visitors may also visit the National Cemetery where more than 450 Buffalo Soldiers, including a Medal of Honor recipient, are interred.
A similar event retracing the Buffalo Soldier trail from the Presidio to Sequoia National Park is being discussed for next year, as well as a large celebration in honor of the National Park Service’s Centennial in 2016.
To learn more about the Buffalo Soldier history in your national parks, please visit http://go.nps.gov/buffalosoldiers.
Be sure to follow African Americans in the National Parks Day on Twitter: #AANPD
Read the original press release HERE
President Clinton and Rue Mapp Awarded Prestigious Conservation Award
President Bill Clinton is pictured with Rue Mapp, Founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro at National Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Awards and Gala Event on April 30, 2014 in Washington, DC.
Click to watch Rue Mapp's award acceptance speech HERE
Rue Mapp was the recipient of Communications Award alongside President Bill Clinton who was the recipient of the J.N. “Ding” Darling Conservation Award for lifetime achievement by the National Wildlife Federation. For more information about President Clinton’s conservation achievements, please go to: http://bit.ly/1f4h4zG.
A proud moment indeed for Outdoor Afro and the outdoor related fields!
Outdoor Afro Wins the National Wildlife Federation Communication Award
Outdoor Afro Founder Wins Prestigious Award at National Wildlife Federation’s
National Conservation Achievement Awards
Outdoor Afro founder, Rue Mapp of Oakland, California has been selected as the recipient of the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) 2014 Communications award. Mapp is receiving this prestigious award for her dedication to environmental education and passion for connecting African-Americans with nature. Mapp will receive the award on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, at NWF’s Conservation Achievement Awards in Washington D.C.
Rue Mapp has worked for more than two decades with digital media to reinvent African-American connections to nature, and in 2009, Outdoor Afro was born. As the founder and CEO of the social media and urban leadership network, Rue Mapp has motivated African-Americans across the nation to spend more time in nature.
“Rue Mapp is an innovative individual who has sought to create a greater connection between African-Americans and the environment through the use of online technologies,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “Through her passion for nature and Outdoor Afro, she has inspired many individuals and communities to appreciate nature and to venture into the great outdoors.”
Rue Mapp supplements this effort in a variety of ways including service on National Wildlife Federation’s California Advisory Council. She was also appointed program officer at the Stewardship Council’s Foundation for Youth Investment where she served for two years managing its grant making program.
Recognition for Rue Mapp’s innovative and effective ideas has been honored by the Obama administration. She was invited to the White House to participate in the kick-off of America’s Great Outdoors initiative and the launch of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign. Backpacker Magazine named her a Hero, she was placed on the Root 100 of the top African-American achievers and influencers for 2012, received the Outdoor Industry’s Inspiration Award and named a NewsOne for black America “Game Changer” in 2013. She has also received California’s Josephine and Frank Dunaneck award for her humanitarian efforts. Rue Mapp exemplifies the leadership needed in the world of environmental education to motivate our next generation to get outside and become the conservation leaders of tomorrow.
For more National Wildlife Federation news, please visit: www.nwf.org/news.
The National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future.
Introducing the Outdoor Afro Leadership Fellows of 2014!
What might a Los Angeles women's health practitioner, a DC public policy director, and a Seattle real estate appraiser have in common?
They are a part of the Outdoor Afro Leadership Fellows Team who are on a mission to reconnect African Americans in their community back to nature! A total of 15 individuals were hand-picked out of a competitive pool of applicants from around the United States to join the team. This 2014 class represents a variety of professional backgrounds, outdoor expertise, and key urban centers around the country.
Continuing the success of the previous two years of leadership development, each leader is tasked to help expand the national Outdoor Afro social and nature network by leading trips, sharing experiences via social media, and forging partnerships with relevant outdoor organizations and groups.
Think: nature ambassadors
Next month, the new and returning leaders are gathering in person to kick off a year of innovative partnership and training on the coast of Northern California. Leaders will receive a crash course in trip planning, conservation ethics, risk management, social media, and policy supported by leaders from non-profits, leading outdoor industry brands, such as REI, KEEN Footwear, Klean Kanteen, Sierra Club, and National Wildlife Federation - California, and more. 
As you know, Outdoor Afro began as a social media site in 2009 to celebrate and inspire African American connections to nature. Now more than ever all people of all ages need a stronger connection to nature for both our health and to support a sustainable environment. The strength of the team lies in their ability to help families feel welcome and supported in active nature activities close to home. We are so proud of this team!
The 2014 Leaders:
Autumn Saxton-Ross, Washington DC – Program Director for the Joint Center's Health Policy Institute and green space advocate
Beky Branagan, Cary, NC – Girl Scout leader and environmental educator
Clay Anderson, Bay Area, CA – Naturalist, ecologist, and artist
Clifton Sorrell, Richmond, CA – Father of five; landscape architect and Boy Scout Leader
Deidre Bryant, Richmond, VA – Community health professional and mom
Josh Garubanda, St. Paul, MN – Outdoor educator, kayak instructor and avid biker
Mashawn Butler, Austin, TX – Graduate student and Team Lead for Texas Parks and Wildlife
Matthew Reese, Seattle, WA – Real estate appraiser, husband, dad, and snowboarder
Nicole Jackson, Columbus, OH – Nature educator, animal lover, and former rock climbing instructor
Nkem Ndefo, Los Angeles, CA – Women's health professional and Tension Release Exercise coach
Stefan Moss, Atlanta, GA -- Professor of Environmental Science; researches ecotoxicology and environmental education
SteVon Edwards, Louisville, KY – Community health specialist
Teresa Baker, Bay Area, CA – Housing coordinator and National Park champion
Vi Yeboah, Chicago, IL – Accountant, auditor, beach lover, and conservationist
Zoe Polk, San Francisco, CA – Outdoor enthusiast and human rights attorney
We would like to thank our sponsors, staff, and volunteers for their generous time, creativity, and resources to make this work come to life! REI, KEEN Footwear, Clif Bar, The Sierra Club, Swarovski Optik, Klean Kanteen, The National Parks, National Wildlife Federation – California, and the Kapor Center for Social Impact – THANK YOU!
Check out what leaders are already doing in the Bay Area!
Do check our Twitter page and Facebook in the coming weeks for dispatches on our training weekend #OALT
Apply to Join the 2014 Outdoor Afro Leadership Team Today!
Do you have a passion for the outdoors and want to share it with others?
Consider applying to join the 2014 Outdoor Afro Leadership Team today!
Just two years ago, we successfully launched the volunteer Outdoor Afro Leadership Team--the OALT, of 13 folks who formed a team of “experience ambassadors” for Outdoor Afros all around the country. Since then, this team has grown and flourished. Last year the team led 95 events and 1800 people into the outdoors! Many people have had the opportunity to explore and discover the outdoors right in their own backyards, thanks to these inspiring outdoor role models and our generous sponsors!
As you know, Outdoor Afro supports a vision of outdoor recreation and conservation engagement for everyone, especially for the African American community. At Outdoor Afro, we can provide leaders a platform and the support to help others reconnect to natural spaces right where they live. Leaders can learn to be a role model for camping, hiking, kayaking, birding, fishing — or any other recreational activity to share with others.
We are specifically interested in leaders who can represent the New York, Mid-West, Washington DC, Atlanta, and Pacific Northwest regions, but members from all US metropolitan regions are welcome to apply!
Here is what we require:
- Facilitate a minimum 1-2 OA sponsored events every two months
- Participate in a monthly conference call with other OA Leaders
- Develop two new OALT ambassadors in your region
- Develop an environmental organization/agency partnership for your local support and sponsorship
- Live within 50 miles of an REI store
Leader perks include:
- An $800 stipend upon satisfactory completion of the 2014 outdoor year requirements
- Select FREE premium gear and supplies from sponsors KEEN Shoes, REI, Klean Kanteen, Clif Bar, and more!
- Professional support, coaching, and outdoor skills development training
- The ability to make a tangible and positive difference for your local community and the natural world
Apply now to join our diverse team from around the nation to bring the outdoors to more people in your community!
Next Steps to be Eligible for Consideration:
- Complete the application -- submit via email by Monday, February 17th and participate fully in the interview process via phone and video conference calls.
- Be available for a mandatory in–person training from April 17-19 in Northern California.
The 2014 Class of Outdoor Afro Leaders will be confirmed and announced in March, 2014.
For any questions please contact Administrative Leader Coordinator Sela Steiger: [email protected]
The Outdoor Afro Leadership Team is possible because of the generous support of:
REI, KEEN Shoes, The Sierra Club, Clif Bar, and The Kapor Center for Social Impact
Hiking Basics Class at REI NYC SOHO Store!
By Melissa Danielle
Several new Outdoor Afros braved the snow last week to drop in for a special day hiking basics class at REI’s NYC SOHO store.
The class was hosted by Scott, an avid hiker who worked as an NYC Park Ranger in Van Cortlandt Park (an 1100+ acre park in The Bronx) prior to becoming an REI Outdoor School instructor. His comprehensive and practical advice made it easy for newbie hikers to feel comfortable hopping on the trail.
Here’s what a couple of members shared after the class:
“Scott, our instructor, took time to answer our questions and was quite thorough with the material he covered. We were also able to check out his equipment hands-on, which really helped me get an understanding of what I'm looking for in my hiking gear.”
“It was a great little crash course in hiking that makes me really excited to get out soon.”
So What Makes For a Successful Day Hiking Trip in NYC?
Having your logistics in place before your day hiking trip is the best way to have a fun and invigorating experience. Make sure you and your group chooses a well marked trail and have enough food, water, sufficient layers, and proper footwear to minimize stress and risk of emergencies.
Be Prepared
During the class, Scott covered The Ten Essentials, a list of must-haves you and everyone in your group should carry on their person for their safety and well-being. This includes food/snacks, proper hydration, maps, and a first aid kit. Members with special health concerns such as any physical limitations, asthma, and diabetes should also take steps to make sure they will be comfortable during the hike.
Plan Your Trip / Know Your Trail
There are times when I’ve traveled up to the Hudson Valley via Metro-North without an itinerary or return train schedule. I would let an adventure find me and then make my way back to the train station when I was sufficiently worn out.
When you’re out hiking with a group, an itinerary is absolutely necessary to ensure the safety, well-being, and management of your group members. If you’ve never been out on the trail you’ve selected, make plans to scope it out before you take the group with you. This way, you’ll have an idea of the trail’s intensity and can set a reasonable expectation for the length of the hike. As a bonus, look for sights that you can share with your group, such as interesting formations, plant and tree identification, and wildlife.
Keep an eye on the weather prior to your trip and be mindful of changes to the trail in the case of inclement weather.
Native NYC residents are notorious for rarely leaving their borough or going beyond Manhattan, especially on the weekends, so grab a train schedule and have good directions to and from the stations.
Have Fun!
Day hikes offer a great opportunity to experience nature, engage in physical activity, and deepen your connection with your fellow hikers. NYC residents don’t have to travel very far for an enriching experience, so be sure to check out your options, right in your own borough!
Here are some resources to help you plan a fun, engaging, and safe day hiking experience in NYC:
We are so excited to celebrate our continued partnership/collaboration with REI!
Where are some of your favorite places to hike in and around NYC?
Adventures in Hiking and Snow Dancing in Oakland
By Outdoor Afro Leader Zoë Polk
With the Sierra winter snowpack at historic lows, we at Outdoor Afro Northern California have been hoping for a “dump.” A heavy snowstorm last weekend would have enabled us to join our REI family for their annual Winter Trails Day event but also protect all of us in California from drought, water restrictions, wildfires and farmland fallowing. Thus, while the rest of the country continues to dig out from record snowfall, we Northern California Outdoor Afros have been busy “snow dancing.” And of course we grooved together in fellowship, in community and in the outdoors.
Convening in Oakland’s Redwood Regional Park, we quickly “got down-” that is we descended the park’s Fern Trail. Along the way, we beheld the fog cover of the eucalyptus trees and appreciated the mystical beauty it gave the forest.
We also delighted in getting up close to ladybug colonies. 
Even for frequent visitors, these experiences made the hiking familiar trails a new and exciting adventure.
As we’ve been known to do in the past, we also added a celebratory soundtrack to our hike. In honor of the day being Mary J. Blige’s birthday, we sang, bonded over and (snow) danced to our favorite Mary songs. From “Be Happy” to “Real Love” to “Just Fine,” we had plenty of choices to hum and hike to.
Keeping in mind that we had to get up to get down, we climbed the Madrone Trail and finished our hike back at the Redwood Bowl Staging Area. While we’re still awaiting snowfall in the Sierras, we also are looking forward to all of the adventures 2014 will bring- whether we’re wearing our snowshoes, skis, Keen hiking boots or dancing shoes.
REI and Outdoor Afro: Continued Partnership in 2014!
We are so grateful to announce a new year of partnership between REI and Outdoor Afro to help inform and strengthen our work to get more people outside! Significantly, REI and its staff will provide direct support for our Outdoor Afro staff and Leadership Team through training, gear, access to local store meeting spaces for special events - and more!
As the official outdoor retailer of Outdoor Afro, you can count on the REI co-op for superior outdoor products, staff expertise, and fun outdoor events that will help strengthen your connection to nature.
Many Outdoor Afros already know that REI lifetime membership has several benefits, including annual dividends paid directly to you based on your purchases, and a very flexible exchange/return policy.
We are especially enthusiastic about this partnership because of REI’s internal, and genuine commitment to relevant and accessible outdoor engagement for everyone -- and we consider headquarter staff members as trusted friends and advisers.
This year, you can look forward to more visible collaboration between REI and Outdoor Afro to promote events that suit a wide-range of outdoor interests, and gear that helps you stay comfortable while looking fly!
Please join us in celebrating this partnership by becoming an REI member today, and getting out in nature wherever you are!
We want to acknowledge Laura Swapp, Myrian Solis Coronel from headquarters, along with Amber Miksza and Brad Bostrom from the REI Berkeley store, who altogether helped to vision and pioneer such an awesome partnership! – Thank you!
We are looking forward to a terrific year ahead together helping more people connect with nature!
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Making Friends With Mother Nature? It's Possible
Is it possible to make friends with nature? After visiting Hawaii's Lake Wai’au a few years ago I have to believe it is. I've never connected so strongly with a place, making me even sadder to learn that this treasure is almost gone.
In 2012 my husband and I went to Hawaii and visited Mauna Kea on the Big Island,
something thousands of tourists do every year. We went up to the summit, another fairly common activity. But we also had a rare experience almost none of those other visitors did because we took the extra step of hiking at the summit to a sacred spot in Hawaiian culture. At the top is an alpine lake just below the summit called Lake Wai’au. The path to it is unmarked, getting there requires a hike over craggy snow-covered volcanic red rocks, but the reward is an incredible experience in an otherworldly landscape that I wrote about for Outdoor Afro in 2012. Sadly, scientists don't know exactly why yet, but the lake has shrunk to its lowest level EVER.
I was as shocked to hear this news as I would be to learn a close friend was sick. I am all too familiar with losing people, but to consider losing a place I connected with so strongly is a foreign concept. I just knew I would be going back to the lake again and again, taking my daughter there when she is old enough, and showing it to our friends. Perhaps it will recover and I'll have the opportunity to do that, but for now I am grateful we took the time to just go.
Even though I was only there for an hour, Lake Wai’au became my friend, a part of my 'ohana (extended family in Hawaiian). It challenged me, it was fun, and it taught me things--all components of a great friendship. The hike to the lake and the time we spent there are experiences I reflect on more than most other vacation memories-the crisp air, the debate over whether we should turn back when it took MUCH longer than the guidebook said it would to get there, the encounter with a French couple that hiked from the bottom who arrived at the lake at the same time we did. I can instantly recall how quiet the lake was--the area was the most silent place I have ever been.
Thinking of how easy it would have been for us to skip this stop is almost comical, because we're always talking ourselves out of things. It would have been easy for us to allow some commitment or practicality to keep us on the road toward our next stop. The rental was almost out of gas (NOT advisable on a volcano in the middle of nowhere), we had just a few granola bars between us, and it was much colder than we anticipated. If we'd skipped hiking to the lake in 2012, we could have missed its presence on earth entirely. Instead we are left with a memory we'll always treasure. So in 2014 I'm vowing to talk myself into more things, particularly where nature is concerned. The natural world is a constant source of ebb and flow, and the thing I don't see today may not be here tomorrow. I don't want to miss out on making any more awesome new friends!
Lesly Simmons is a San Francisco-based writer and founder of Mamas Guide: Discover Stroller-Friendly San Francisco. She is FINALLY going back to Hawaii in March 2014.
Conservation - Consciousness Runs Deep
This is our friend Chad Brown, and we adore all he does.
Conservation - Consciousness Runs Deep from Soul River on Vimeo.
Soul River challenges traditional media by embracing the unconventional with their production of Conservation - Consciousness Runs Deep. Created and written by creative director Chad Brown, Conservation captures modern urban mythology with the message of consciousness and awareness of responsibility we have as urban dwellers and environmental protectors.
This short film mixes art, mythology, music, and poetry to provide a fresh perspective through the personal lens of environmental justice and the outdoors inspired by the sport fly fishing. In this film, a young man goes through his life in the city and morphs with his consciousness by the guidance of a Naiad. Conservation provides a breath of fresh air from a young, urban, and hip approach and inspires our consciousness to run deep and become ambassadors of the outdoors.
Sponsored by: Oakley, SIMMS, The Freshwater Trust, Northwestern Exposure, Hatch Outdoors, Korkers, Sierra Club, Groundwork Portland, Airflo