Volunteer Leader Program
Outdoor Afro’s Volunteer Leader Program (VLP) prepares and supports volunteer leaders to connect and reconnect Black people to nature through planned and guided year-round adventures across the United States. Our competitively selected and trained volunteer leaders share their outdoor expertise, knowledge of civics and history, and love of nature with more than 60,000 people in U.S. communities. Volunteer leaders organize adventures in foraging, fishing, kayaking, gardening, skiing, and other nature activities for our 32 networks located in nearly 60 cities.
Outdoor Afro Leadership Training (OALT) is VLP’s signature experience. This annual training and knowledge-exchange event equips volunteer leaders with risk management and leadership skills so they’re able to safely and sustainably host up to 12 outings a year within their networks and neighborhoods. Heading into its 13th year (2025), OALT provides workshops in risk management, trip planning basics, health impacts of nature, conservation ethics, and effective social media storytelling strategies so that community participants can strengthen relationships to outdoor recreation, education, and conservation.
“Outdoor Afro has opened the door for me to engage in nature conservation,” said Julettia Williams, a 62-year-old grandmother and first-time Outdoor Afro Atlanta participant. “I joined this trail activity to learn about invasive plants so I can help teach my grandchildren. I want to make sure they have a decent world to grow up in.”
Annual Capstones
Capstones offer Outdoor Afro volunteer leaders unique skill-building experiences focused on outdoor education, leadership development, and building partnerships for specialized activities. Through these capstone experiences, leaders gain the tools and knowledge necessary to create dynamic, safe outdoor events for their local communities, while also fostering collaboration with experts in the field.
The Big Fish is an annual fishing trip led by Outdoor Afro volunteer leaders across the country. The trip is a partnership between Outdoor Afro and the National Park Service and National Park Foundation to introduce Outdoor Afro participants in their local networks to fishing basics, and include other activities in local and national parks.
Leaders participated in specialized activities such as mountain biking, canyoneering, and pack rafting. This capstone provided diverse event ideas for local Outdoor Afro networks, while emphasizing risk management protocols and the importance of forming local partnerships with skilled professionals to support high-risk outdoor activities. Since the capstone, leaders have felt
Volunteer leaders received certification as canoeing and kayaking instructors through expert-led sessions, with an NRS ambassador and accredited paddling instructor. Between 2021 and 2022, up to 109 individuals learned paddling techniques and safety, with volunteers hosting follow-up paddling activities in their communities.