Wife and mother of two, Lisa Hardy-Reems of Oakland, California shares in words, photos, and video her recent drive with her family to Yosemite over Memorial Day weekend.
Had you ever been to Yosemite before?

I’ve been, but only as a child or as a young adult, so I never really had the chance to take it all in as an adult and truly appreciate the park.

What are some of your other experiences with outdoor spaces?

I have always preferred to be outside rather than indoors. Enjoying whatever weather we are having, …

I had an amazing childhood, but did not know about a lot of opportunities that were available to me.

 
I met Karen last week at a local college event, and discovered we had some wonderful things in common, such as motherhood, blogging, and a passion for the outdoors. Karen shares with us how she discovered outdoor recreation, and what it means to her family today.
 
What experiences did you have as a youth that influence how you interact with natural spaces today?
As a kid, other than going to a local park to …

I met Angelou last year at the Breaking the Color Barrier Conference, although I got to know her better recently during our time in Washington DC last month.

Angelou’s work as Executive Director of Greening Youth Foundation is changing the world. I hope you will enjoy getting to know her as much as I did!
What experiences did you have as a youth that influenced how you view and protect natural spaces today?
Although I grew up in the densely populated concrete streets of Jersey City, New Jersey; I spent every summer of …

Remi (10) and Sade (8)
Just got a shout from Zetha Nobles who resides with her family in the hills of Oakland, California, where she and her children enjoyed some horse riding this afternoon. She writes, “It was so spur of the moment! I love us being outdoors and in the natural elements!”

Folarin (14)

Patina and Nate
Patina and her husband Nate were spotted at Devil’s Lake State Park, Wisconsin, sitting on purple and pink quartzite rocks. Patina says, “We love hiking when it’s nice out, and last winter we started skiing and snowboarding.” …

Outdoor Afro took a short trip over to East Oakland, California to participate in the community event: Love Yo’ Mama, hosted by the organization Communities for a Better Environment for Earth Day.

“Green is Good for the Hood” was this year’s theme, which was intended to create local awareness and a response to environmental concerns at a neighborhood level.
The event started with a rally to highlight environmental and health issues in Oakland at Tassafaronga Recreation Center, followed by a parade with Scraper Bikers, drummers, and youth dancing. In the afternoon, there …

By Suz Lipman,
Social Media Director for the Children & Nature Network

The Obama Administration is recognizing the importance of the outdoors to people’s health and well-being, with two important new programs: The White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign to eradicate childhood obesity.
The White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors will be held Friday, April 16. C&NN President Cheryl Charles, C&NN Associate Rue Mapp (Outdoor Afro) and other movement leadership will be in attendance. President Obama is scheduled to deliver remarks to the …

By Marty Wiggins
Did you know it’s National Environmental Education Week? Since 2004, the National Environmental Education Foundation has coordinated the week before Earth Day as a time to foster greater awareness of environmental education and to encourage children and adults to enjoy the outdoors.
What is so great about environmental education? The obvious benefit is that it gets kids and adults outside. But research also shows that environmental education and outdoor and community-based learning improves student achievement across the curriculum and can have a positive effect on classroom and social behavior. …

Not only is this time of year sacred to people of faith, it also represents a deliberate interaction with the outdoors in the form of a game: the egg hunt. This game represents an ancient “salute to Spring,” marking rebirth.
My own childhood was filled with such egg hunts, followed by church and a hearty soul food meal prepared by my mother and aunts. After getting the signal from the adults, my cousins and I would race and squeal after finding cooked and candy filled eggs on top of stones, …

Just got a trip report from Outdoor Afro Christyna Serrano, who decided to head to the Tahoe region in California last week for some end-of-season fun in the snow with her family:

So why did you guys decide on a trip to Tahoe?
Well… Joseph, owed me one, so I cashed in my IOU! We went up Thursday night,  and it took about 3 hours from the San Francisco Bay. We spent the night at a cheap hotel and in the morning, we went to Kmart, picked up a $15 plastic sled, …

Welcome to the Inaugural Edition of the Outdoor Afro Blog Carnival!
Wooo hooo….confetti falls…
So what is a Blog Carnival anyway? Well, I learned it is a terrific way to spread your blog wings into new topics, while connecting with more people. And that’s all I needed to know before signing up!  But I also recognized the term ‘carnival’ has a cultural meaning for some that is different than the experience of a spin on the ol’ ferris wheel. So I decided to honor the festive connotation of another kind of Carnival …