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Even though it was written five years ago, the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in outdoor recreation is still relevant to the interests of those most eager to protect and preserve our natural resources, particularly in our national parks. sponsored/rei-2018/five-ways-to-make-the-outdoors-more-inclusive/3019/. Created in cooperation with several different experts on the topic from around the country including Carolyn Finney, José Gonzalez, Len Necefer, Angelou Ezeilo, Brooklyn Bell and others, the comprehensive piece titled “Five Ways to Make the Outdoor More Inclusive The Outdoor Recreation Industry still has a lot of ground to make up in its ability to engage, recruit and retain a workforce that reflects the demographic reality of the American public. Though now nationally recognized as an annual contributor to the Gross Domestic Product or GDP in excess of 2 percent (https://www.marketwatch.com/story/outdoor-recreation-is-a-more-than-400-billion-industry-2018-09-21), the Outdoor Industry remains reliant upon both customers and employees that skew toward a constituency that this mostly male, white, college-educated, socially mobile and middle to upper class.

Most weekends you can find me exploring the Ice Age National Scenic Trail at a variety of different access points, some less than a 20 minute drive from my house in Madison, Wisconsin. In addition to the work I do sharing stories about the preservation of public land from one end of North America to the other I think it’s important to foster an appreciation for nature that is nearby. As a board member of the Ice Age Trail Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to the protection and preservation of the IAT, I volunteer my time in an effort to raise awareness for its relative ease of access. Specifically when it comes to those who are least likely to spend time outdoors, I think the best thing we can do to help is to share our love of nature with those who, for whatever reason, don’t believe they have a place in nature.

From a very young age she regularly visited the ALNC with her family and became involved in our learning community through several programs that included both environmental science and outdoor camping skills. In the hopes of educating a new generation of environmental stewards that reflect the cultural and socio-economic diversity of the Madison Metropolitan School District, the ALNC Preschool will offer scholarships for 25 percent of the student population. By eliminating the ability to pay as a barrier to access this new facility can help to reduce the disparities of wealth and social status that so often prevent the most vulnerable members of our community from having a positive relationship with the natural world. With a seat on the ALNC Board of Directors I encouraged our administers to create and adopt into our mission a statement of diversity, equity and inclusion, so that now environmental protection means creating a space where everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate.

More Than Just An Ad~ This Means Everything This morning I woke up feeling a bit depleted. With a lengthy reporting project turned in yesterday for first round editing and a presentation last night at our local climbing gym I couldn’t seem to shed the weight of heavy thoughts