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.

Outdoor Afro is so thrilled to be featured in the latest issue of the High Country News Green Justice edition!
Writer Stephanie Ogburn captured the fun spirit of a recent birdwatching event, situated in a stretch of shoreline that borders an industrial zone and a large community of color in Oakland, California. The event was a collaborative effort between Outdoor Afro and Golden Gate Audubon of the San Francisco Bay Area. Most participants were first-time birders, and left the trip inspired to learn more about the birds and other wildlife found right in their own backyard. The full article is available for paid subscribers online or in print via retail outlets, but here is a sneak peak!