Outdoor Afro had the wonderful experience this past weekend to be a part of Outdoor Nation, a youth summit designed to reconnect America’s youth to the great outdoors and inform organizations of what youth care about most. This was also the first official listening session as a part of Obama’s Great Outdoors Conference this past spring.

The event began with a mixer Friday night sponsored by Backpacker Magazine. Leadership from The North Face, VF Outdoors (TNF parent company), The Natural Leaders Network (Children and Nature Network), New York Restoration Project, Student Conservation Association, Bay Area Wilderness Training, New York Parks Recreation, Sierra Club, American Hiking Society, and many others gathered on the rooftop of the Arsenal Building in Central Park. Everyone seemed to enjoy the warm summer sunset, great libation, and engaging conversation that expanded networks, considered the barriers of outdoor engagement, and anticipated the hundreds of youth set to arrive the following day.

Saturday’s events began at noon in the park and the public turnout was amazing! Thanks to much local publicity, many hundreds of people, including several families with children, came and participated in rock climbing, kayaking, trampoline jumping, and hoola-hooping, as part of a treasure hunt to engage with the activity vendors and the various orgs. Each interaction earned stamps in the event’s passport booklet to win prizes. I had a blast working with Kyle McDonald, CEO and founder of Bay Area Wilderness Training at The North Face Planet Explore table to share with the public how to use the social network to connect with regional and local organizations’ events and activities.

Later that afternoon was the official start of the Youth Summit in an outdoor tented area of the park. Nearly 600 youth from all over the Unites States came to town representing several organizations to share what they cared about related to the outdoors. About 35% of those youth were youth of color, many visiting New York City for the first time. Outdoor Afro connected with Brother Yusuf and his stunning youth group from Albany’s (NY) Green Tech High Charter School, Mickey Fearn, Deputy Director of the National Parks, and Bay Area friends Steve Hagler of the Stewardship Council, Zakiya Harris of Grind for the Green, Ernesto Pepito of the Crissy Field Center, and many others for an impromptu reunion.

After an introduction and welcome by event organizers and sponsors, such as North Face CEO Steve Rendle, the youth were divided into various organizational themes or “tracks” to help guide their brainstorming process. Themes such as Diversity, Health and Active Lifestyles, Media and Culture, Careers, Service, and Recreation/Education were matched with issue experts who helped guide conversations that revealed a depth of thought and sophistication these youth had when contemplating how they care to engage with the outdoors – or not. Importantly, ideas generated by these youth can help them to apply for the newly minted Explore Fund,  a $2,500 grant to spark and sustain outdoor youth participation where these kids live. The evening concluded with a youth pizza mixer at the North Face offices hosted by the Sierra Club and Juan Martinez and the Natural Leaders Network contingent.

The following morning, White House officials from the Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Labor and the National Parks facilitated the listening session to brainstorm answers to core questions; identify opportunities, and there were more in-depth track discussions to review and prioritize the top ideas of these sessions. Check out the Outdoor Nation website for more details about the conference outcomes.

It was a tremendous opportunity to hear youth voices, such as the African American young lady from environmentally impacted Bay View Hunters Point (San Francisco, CA) who lamented that she grew up thinking that asthma was normal because “every child in the community had it,” she said. With so much disheartening news related to the Gulf and its recovery, it was affirming to witness a return to the conversation of outdoor engagement among youth as one important step to help ensure a future of environmental recovery, sustainability, and justice.

A very special thanks to The North Face for making it possible for Outdoor Afro to take part in such an important and ground-breaking event.

Winston Walker just sent Outdoor Afro some fun photos from a recent rainy day urban ramble walk with fellow Beckwourth Outdoors members in the Lower Highland neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. This walk has been a tradition for the club since 1999.

Walker says, “the rain just added something special to our 4-mile walk to view eclectic architecture and beautiful residential and community gardens.”  The group poked their heads into the local shops and picked up snacks along the way, weaving in and out of art districts, business districts, former mining town areas, and historic districts that tell the story of early growth in the West.

We appreciate hearing stories of outings like this one as an example of outdoor enjoyment that doesn’t require trekking miles away from where one might live — that local, urban spaces are just as important to appreciate and explore as unchartered back country. Hike on Beckwourth!

For more information about this dynamic organization, visit their website!

Here is part two of the delightful interview with Rodney, co-owner of Strawberry Creek Inn, located in southern California, posted earlier this week. This interview wraps up a run of posts that contemplate the intersection of personal passion and the outdoors. I hope you’ll enjoy reading this interview about the journey of owning a B&B as much as I did:

Ian and Rodney riding a "Hybrid"

What would you describe as a memorable moment at the inn?

It’s pretty hard to narrow in on a single memorable moment in this business, since what we are basically selling is a collection of memorable moments. The nervous boyfriend who finally finds the right moment during a stay to propose? The time two guests sat across from each other at breakfast with a gnawing feeling of familiarity, only to discover after talking for 30 minutes that one was the kindergarten teacher of the other in another state?

Chocolate Pancakes

The first egg laid by one of our hens? The first snowfall of our first Winter here? We’re actually having a ‘memorable moment’ as I write this: while transporting the new batch of chicks to the yard with the older hens a few days ago, the overhead netting caught onto Ian’s very-expensive diamond earring (because why wouldn‘t you chicken-farm in diamond earrings?) and flung it into the hay. Unwilling to accept the loss, Ian is now painstakingly conducting an archeological dig in the chicken yard (which may have to be followed by a forensic examination of collected chicken ‘fertilizer’). Memorable moment indeed.

What are some of the challenges of owning and operating a B&B?

I would say the difficulty of finding the time to nurture one’s own needs in the midst of focusing on your guests is a pretty universal challenge for innkeepers. But it must be done! Having to wear so many different hats at the same time can also be quite the challenge at times. The hours are VERY long, and the days are filled with interruptions. It’s not always easy to personally experience all the great activities and events that attract guests to our area. But if I HAVE to work for a living, this is not a bad way to do it.

If someone were to want to open a B&B, what is the most important piece of advice you would give them?

A lot of my advice your readers have probably already picked up from my previous answers:

• Walk towards your passion
• Don’t let other people talk you into mediocrity and conformity (‘they only want you to conform so they can then ignore you’, as I once heard Seth Godin say)
• Think outside the box, the more outside the better. It will help you get your doors open, and you will need it to survive as an innkeeper
• Have at least one genuine (but honest!) supporter, and check in with them often
• Listen to (and talk about!) those mild stomach pains and uneasy feelings
• Crunch numbers relentlessly, without emotion, and with a healthy dose of conservatism
• Acknowledge and get comfortable with the not-so-subtle difference between a) entertaining carefully selected friends for free and b) asking the general public to pay you for it
• Accept that there will be ‘haters
• Try to savor the memorable moments, no matter how fast they go flying by in rapid succession
• Build in ample time off (there are some good innsitters out there who do nothing but travel to different inns relieving over-worked innkeepers) and maintain focus on your own physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs; and finally…

Take your diamond earrings out before you go into the chicken coop!

We hope you will visit Rodney and Ian at the Strawberry Creek Inn sometime soon. Meanwhile,  you may join their Facebook fan page or follow them on Twitter.

Why Highway to a Husband now?

Well, I have been single a LONG LONG LONG time, and granted, I spent most of my time working – giving 100% to the TV news industry, but during the time that I have been here in the South Florida area almost fourteen years, I can honestly say that I have not had a real, honest to goodness “date”, in which a man calls me up, asks me out, and executes something we are going to go do, in over four years!

I just felt like there must be some sort of disconnect between men and women, because there are all these great, single, attractive, smart, professional, successful, NORMAL women out there, who say they NEVER get dates (me included), and when we speak to guys, they say, “oh, we can’t find any good women.” Something is amiss. I feel like I am watching perhaps some of the best years of my life pass me by, with no dates, no partner, no companionship, and I thought, well, I can’t just sit here and wait for someone to find me, I need to do something to expand my pool of people, expand my chances, put myself where lightening may strike, in order to boost my chances of finding my “Mr. Right.”

Tell the Outdoor Afro community a little about yourself

I grew up in Northern California, graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Economics, got into the TV news biz in 1988 (wow, a lifetime ago!), and have called SFLA home since 1998. I love to travel, love the outdoors, bike, run, weight-lift, ski, snorkel, cook, and yes, I even know how to knit!

What are some of the responses to your site thus far?

Overwhelming positive response! The majority of women we tell about our journey say, “OH, TAKE ME WITH YOU!” The men just give us an odd look and the conversation ends. Online, we receive a number of e-mails, expressing appreciation in what we are doing, in that the women who have written say they are in the same boat: mid 40’s, professional, good quality women, and NO DATES IN YEARS. There is something CRAZY going on out there and we want to figure out why and what.

Julia in Beautiful Alaska

Several men have written and said they feel like women do not give them room to express their chivalry, therefore we (women) miss out on some of the good guys, because we are so independent. Other men have said I am trying to hard and just have to be patient and let it come. (my response to that: I’ve been waiting patiently for ten years – NOTHING – what am I supposed to do???) Other comments: women say men are no longer “HUNTERS” and wish men would take more of a lead. Men say, they appreciate strong, independent women, but once they start dating, want us to become “softer”, and let them take over. (somewhat of a contradiction, but we have heard that from many men). Other men have said, “good looking AND smart women are just too intimidating.” My response: where does that leave those who fall into that category? Do we dumb ourselves down???? (it’s crazy!)

What are some of the goals you have for your site?

By blogging, we are able to share our journey with those who are in the same boat. Not only can they find validation that they are not crazy in their frustrations about their dating situation, at the same time they can enjoy the trip across the country with us – through our blog and photos. Here is one of many videos we will share on our site:

Our ultimate goal: to engage more women and men in dialogue to get to the bottom of this, and help me find a HUSBAND!

Share your dating tales and ideas with Julia, who may be coming to a city near you soon!

After some recent Outdoor Afro Facebook fan chatter about Strawberry Creek, I decided to dig a little deeper and reach out to Rodney Williams, one of the property owners. Rodney was happy to shed light on how the B&B was created in the scenic San Jacinto mountains of Southern California. This thought provoking interview is not only about the inn, but also an opening discussion regarding what is possible to achieve in life in spite of odds or perceptions. Here is part one of our two-part interview:

What inspired you to become an inn keeper?

I was doing actuarial work for a large health insurance company, and just did not feel fulfilled or like I was contributing anything directly positive to the life of the average person. My first attempts at resolving this inner conflict involved looking for an art form outside of work that would hopefully fill in what was missing. That led me to a stint in culinary school in the evenings and on weekends (the art form I always gravitated towards, even before I considered it an art form). It was a blast, the most fun and passion I had experienced in my life so far, but the contrast between my daytime misery and night-time elation only highlighted the underlying issue.

On a last-minute soul-searching trip alone, I stayed in a B&B for the first time. The minute I walked in the skies opened, there was lightning, angels singing, light bulbs–all the ‘epiphany metaphors’ that come to mind. Without knowing anything about what it took, how profitable it might be, or what it was really like running a B&B, I knew it would bring me joy. Besides, I was already spending a good portion of my salary decorating my house, gardening, cooking, and throwing parties. ‘I might as well get paid for it’ was my thinking, I guess.

I spent the next six or so years trying to talk myself out of the idea, and having other people try even harder to talk me out of it. As luck would have it, I met Ian at a time when he was starting to re-evaluate his relationship with his pediatric nursing career. After years of caring for and getting close to kids with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, the straw that broke the camel’s back was his niece’s cancer diagnosis. The already thin wall of separation between professional and personal, perhaps necessary for this kind of work, came crashing down. Now there were two people open to doing the unthinkable. And the rest, as they say, is history.

What is your connection to the Idyllwild area?

Originally, there was no connection to speak of. It seems funny to say that now because we feel so deeply connected to this community, and we very much think of it as home. At first, all we knew was that we wanted to purchase an existing inn with 8 to 12 rooms, close to pristine wilderness. Our preference was to stay in Southern California (for the weather), but we were quickly convinced by ‘knowledgeable experts’ that we needed to drop that from our list of requirements.

There simply weren’t enough B&Bs in Southern California to produce an inventory of properties available for purchase at any given time, and there were really no pockets of affordable real estate left in the region, much less affordable real estate near nature. We must have looked at 20 properties in Washington State and throughout Northern California, with none of them feeling exactly right. Actually, a few felt pretty close to right, but were either over-priced for the revenue they generated, saddled with legal or zoning issues, or in one case, snatched up by another buyer while we were deciding to make an offer on the plane ride home.

Owners take a break in Costa Rica

Finally our agent advised us that we had seen everything on the market that fit within our parameters (that must be an old realtor’s trick to pull out when you think you’ve got a commitment-phobic client, but he was probably close enough to being right). We chose and made an offer on what we thought was the best choice of what we had seen (in Sonoma County, on the Russian River), and pretty soon we had come to terms on a price, notice had been given at our respective jobs, and our houses were on the market and in escrow (this was 2004, so the Southern California housing market was close to the peak of its frenzy).

Although we both got mild stomach pains every time we drove up to what was about to be our new inn, neither of us brought it up, brushing it off as nerves related to the impending big change. On one level we were relieved when the inspection reports started coming in with details about past floods, termite issues, and badly needed roof work. The sellers were unwilling to re-negotiate the price or to fix anything, so we had no choice but to cancel the deal. The only small problem was that we would both very soon be jobless and homeless! I decided at that point to stop listening to ‘the experts’ and follow my own instincts more.

As part of our early research, I had acquired a book called ‘Great Towns of Southern California‘, by David Vokac (there’s a Northern California version too, as well as a ‘Great Towns of America’ version for your readers who like discovering great under-the-radar small towns). Idyllwild was the only one of the eighteen towns featured that we hadn’t been to or at least heard of. A little online research revealed that several inns had very recently been listed for sale. What did we have to lose? We hopped in the car, and after driving through majestic mountain scenery we thought you couldn’t find in Southern California, we reached the most charming village filled with artists, galleries, quaint shops, and nice people! To top it all off, there had been a light dusting of snow the night before. We were hooked. The rest is…well, you know…

What do you think people are most surprised by when they visit the property?

We try to make sure there are as few surprises as possible when people arrive, through our website and our reservations process, but there aren’t a lot of pictures of us on our website (something we will definitely re-consider for the next website update). So some of our guests are surprised to be greeted by two young-ish (or so we like to think) African-American males. Most are pleasantly surprised, or at worst indifferent, but there is a small minority who are stricken with the compelling urge to write nasty reviews, letters to the editor, their congressmen, or whoever will listen about our obvious illegitimacy as a B&B and as innkeepers. Of course their complaints never specifically mention ethnicity or age or sexual orientation, and to be fair they probably really believe that what they say is bothering them is truly the underlying issue. They’re our version of ‘the birthers’. We deal with them the way our President does: overlook the ranting, address the issue about which they are explicitly complaining if it has any legitimacy at all, and then get back to work making sure we are helping to create memorable experiences for our guests.

Check back for the second part of our interview with Rodney. Meanwhile, take a peek at the Strawberry Creek website!

If you are a part of the Outdoor Afro Facebook crew, you might have noticed that recently we hit the 1000 milestone of fans! To some, this number may either represent too few or too many people in the mix, but I can attest that the community has grown gradually and organically, at just the right pace that has cultivated a nice mix of people, interests, and participation. Overall, I think it’s simply a cool place to stop during your daily Facebook travels!

So just last month, I put out the call to find out who was the lucky fan that took Outdoor Afro to the 1000th fan mark. And after a bit of sleuthing, we discovered it was Brightzen H.!

I invited him to share with us why he was a fan of Outdoor Afro, and some of his outdoor interests. So this blog is dedicated to you Brightzen, and all the individual Outdoor Afro fans on Facebook and elsewhere who keep the conversation going to increase diverse participation in the Great American Outdoors!

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Please tell us a little about yourself

My name is Brightzen, I’m 15 years old and I live in Colorado. I love the outdoors because I am free to do whatever I like, run, sit & read or run some more.

I enjoy hunting, I’ve only gone twice and I bagged three pheasants the last time. I found a great receipe for southwesten pheasant and even cooked it myself. I like skiing, hiking a little, I really love fishing on a boat in the lake. It’s such a challenge to catch fish, although I do get a little impatient waiting for them to bite. The thrill is in the reeling them in. Oh, and I like camping too.

Arapaho Pass in Colorado

Why did you become a fan of Outdoor Afro?

I joined Outdoor Afro because my mother told me about some of the stories and she is a member. Outdoor Afro has so many interesting people and stories. Many of them are so funny. I learn a lot and can’t wait to visit some of the places Outdoor Afros have shared.

Aside from your mom, what else influenced your love for the oudoors?

I was a member of Beckwourth Outdoor Education. We had great outdoor experiences and we learned so much about team work, skiing, hiking, camping, hunting, you name it! The Outdoor Education part of the progam ended January of last year. It was a great progam for youth…..I guess all good things come to an end. So sad. This is a picture of the Colorado State flower – The Columbine.

Yes, I took his picture — Brightzen

Welcome to the Inaugural Edition of the Outdoor Afro Blog Carnival!

Wooo hooo….confetti falls…

NOT a Ferris Wheel!

It’s about the youth…

Speaking of fans…DNLee is someone I have followed for the last several months, and I was thrilled to share her blog during my presentation at the Breaking the Color Barrier Conference in Atlanta last fall to a crowd who was wowed by her efforts to expose more people to the practical wonders of STEM. Today, she presents Urban Science Adventures! ©: Adventures from Summer Camp posted at Urban Science Adventures! ©, described as, “a recap (full of pictures of little OutdoorAfros) of my experiences as a day camp urban nature camp counselor. I think I had as much fun as the kiddies”

Photo: Olena Zhadko

She was so excited about this carnival, DNLee decided to share more of her wealth of knowledge from her blog:  Urban Science Adventures! ©: 100 + Things You Can Do Outside! saying, “Okay, this is really old, but the things I recommend for kids, families, and individuals to do outside never gets old. How many of these things have you done?” And she is right! See for yourself!

Brown and Green

Dianne Glave presents Mother, Lumberjack, and Turpentine!? posted at Rooted in the Earth: a companion blog to her forthcoming book Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage coming out in August 2010. She talks about the ambivalent relationship between African Americans and trees, and weaves in her own family history that notes some generational shifts relating to trees and the outdoors:

Trees as a means to earn a living

Getting Outside

axel presents Traveling And Personal Growth posted at axel g., a journal of travels all over Africa, that provides vivid detail of his personal experiences in each region.

Appalachian Trail

Scott Amundson gives us a turn-by-turn evocative tour of the Appalachian Trail with his post: AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM: THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL from the HIKING ADVENTURE blog. The Appalachian Trail is now definitely on my list of go-to places!

Jehan taking youth outdoors

Jehan became a fan of the Outdoor Afro Facebook page and I found her blog, and fell in love! Here is her post: A Walk in the Woods posted at “She pulled in her horizon like a great fishnet…” that chronicles the stirrings of love for the outdoors she experienced as a child; feelings that guide her to this day.

Gloria Ware’s Blog is another blog-crush of mine. She adds to the mix: Leading The Way Into The Wilderness: Re-Engaging Black Folks With Nature posted at Black and Into Green, saying, “Let’s get out there!”

Gloria

Her other wonderful posts related to gardening, spirituality, and healthy food will keep you (like me!) coming back for more.

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Look for future editions of the Outdoor Blog Carnival that push the envelope regarding what it means to get outdoors.

You can submit a blog article to the next edition of Outdoor Afro Carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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I have to disclose up front that I am pretty biased about these three book recommendations because I am privileged to know each of the authors as partners through the development of Outdoor Afro and our shared passion for people of color and the outdoors. But aside from my excitement and gratitude for these folks, they have each produced some pretty extraordinary work well worth buying for your loved ones this holiday season.

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As many of you know, Frank and Audrey Peterman have been at the forefront of outdoor conservation and advocates for greater diversity in our National Parks. Their recent ground breaking conference energized and organized a constituency that supports more people of color to get out and enjoy our natural resources. The work of this couple, and their enlightening book, Legacy on the Land, will inspire you.

$19.95 USD – Click to Purchase!

Shelton Johnson has been with the National Parks as a ranger for decades, but his recent appearance in the Ken Burns Documentary and recent meeting with President Obama, brought his role as a conduit of historical Yosemite’s Buffalo Soldier to new audiences. His book, Glory Land, is a beautifully written historical narrative that’s fun to read aloud.

I blogged about Dudley Edmondson some months back, and since then we became good friends. But every now and then someone will come up to me with a copy of his book The Black & Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places and ask, “have you seen this before?” Well, indeed I have! And it enjoys a prominent spot on my coffee table so my guests and kids can look at amazing photos of people of color in wild spaces whenever they want.

Three different books about similar passions to engage everyone in your family. Can’t decide? Go to your local, independent book store and buy them all!

Enjoy!