Diversifying the Outdoors
The Saturday sun rises and lights up endless scenes of outdoor joy. From kids running wild with unabated laughter along sand dunes, to folks doing bhangra dancing in the arctic, to elderly ladies weaving cedar under the gaze of the rainforest, to black bird watchers in New York City. When we consider how the natural world presents itself, a kaleidoscope is a good analogy to describe the multiplicity of the colours, shapes, and the rest of this planet’s evolutionary mixology that we see and stumble upon. Of course, we are born from this; we are not cut from a homogenous cloth. We are as wild and as varied as the earth itself, and one of our purposes as people is to find what we love in the open air and let it move us. However, who regulates and designs human interaction with outdoor spaces as well as who gets to soak up the sweet outside is caught up in the same power dynamics that influence all other aspects of our society: race, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, and all other aspects of identity. Historically, the people who have been able to enjoy outdoor recreation have been middle to upper class and/or caucasian people, and those who lead conservation measures mostly come from this same demographic. This intentional omission has been both detrimental to the people who are marginalized from participating in outdoor recreation and to the environmental movement at large.
The world as we know it provides sustenance, supplies oxygen, shelters us, creates room for recreation, and as Robin Wall Kimmerer states “gives us moments of wonder and joy.” All of this is entirely dependent on nature conservation. However, nature conservation didn’t used to be its own external pursuit, it used to be inherent to the way we lived. It became a global movement and strategy in response to the destruction, exploitation and pollution of earth’s systems following the industrial revolutions. However, conservation as a strategy to address environmental destruction and to preserve exceptional and iconic ecosystems did not occur along an equitable trajectory involving diverse demographics. This movement is entrenched in colonialism, according to West Coast Environmental Law:
“although parks and protected areas have been a core part of conservation strategies to secure long-term protection, the experience of Indigenous peoples with parks designated under Crown law has often been challenging. Land-use designations, including park designations, can infringe Aboriginal rights and title by purporting to limit what a nation may do in their territory. The history of park creation in Canada has involved significant rights violations including loss of access to traditional territories and restrictions on important cultural, social, economic and spiritual uses of designated parkland. In the worst cases, Indigenous communities were forcibly relocated from parklands: for example, the Mowachaht and Muchalaht First Nations of the Nuu-chah-nulth Peoples were removed from their homes in order to establish Strathcona Provincial Park, BC’s first park, in 1911.”
This same “protection” approach has also played out south of the border and around the world, which has not upheld ecological and cultural diversity, but led to greater degeneration under a colonial and capitalist system. Additionally, the construction of outdoor spaces has not only excluded marginalized people, but has a history of endangering them. The Confronting Racial and Economic Disparities in the Destruction and Protection of Nature in America states “The stories of Christian Cooper, threatened with violence and arrest while bird-watching in Central Park, and Ahmaud Arbery, murdered while jogging down a tree-lined street in coastal Georgia, are among the countless stories of Black, brown, and Indigenous people who, while seeking to enjoy the outdoors, have been threatened, killed, or made to feel unsafe or unwelcome.” This situation is exacerbated by environmental racism; folks who have depreciated outdoor recreation opportunities and access to nature are more likely to have poor drinking water quality, greater exposure to air pollution, increased vulnerability to the impacts of climate change like storms and droughts, and are more likely to live near landfills, pipelines, and other hazardous industrial sites like plastic refineries.
In order to fully establish justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) in outdoor spaces and conservation efforts, we need to continue to dismantle societal paradigms that keep racism, ableism, classism, xenophobia, sexism, ageism, heterosexism - all “isms” locked in place.
We can address the “offshoot” effects of systemic oppression in outdoor recreation and protection, which is necessary. However, to truly untangle this pervasive prejudice, we need to directly focus on the root of the cause. This includes becoming actively anti-racist as individuals and addressing institutionalized racism in the systems that govern us.
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson says it best: “How can we expect black Americans to focus on climate when we are so at risk on our streets, in our communities, and even within our own homes? How can people of color effectively lead their communities on climate solutions when faced with pervasive and life-shortening racism?..If we want to successfully address climate change, we need people of color. Not just because pursuing diversity is a good thing to do, and not even because diversity leads to better decision-making and more effective strategies, but because, black people are significantly more concerned about climate change than white people (57 percent vs. 49 percent), and Latinx people are even more concerned (70 percent).”
The amount of energy that people could be putting into environmental restoration, into addressing pollution, into tackling the climate crisis is thwarted by racism and other forms of subjugation. In regards to addressing structural oppression, we need to continue to lobby our governments for stronger justice and equity policies, which, in Canada, we’ve seen progress on this in Canada with Motion-43 which is working to put into place a fair tax system that curbs tax havens, reduces inequality and better distributes wealth among canadians. Secondly, Bill C-232 is working to implement a climate emergency action framework that recognizes the right of all people in Canada to a safe, clean and health environment. Thirdly, Bill C-230, the National Strategy to Redress Environmental Racism Act, if passed, will be the first legislation in Canada to require the federal government to collect statistical information on the location of environmental hazards across Canada, as well as the links between race, socioeconomic status and health outcomes, and address environmental racism in amendments to federal laws, policies and programs as well as access to clean water and air among affected communities, along with many other strategies.
Create free transport to parks and other outdoor public spaces to break down economic and mobility barriers.
Many folks are unable to visit parks and other natural spaces like forests and beaches due to the simple fact that they might not be able to get there. Lack of transportation is an issue for marginalized groups, and in Canada, this includes older generations who are living on limited pensions and don’t possess vehicles. For this reason, they may live half an hour away from the beach, but won’t ever be able to leave their neighborhood to get there. According to The Atlantic, “Park administrators should take the initiative and approach ride-share companies, city transit authorities, and charter bus companies to explore low-cost transport options to help low-income families get to green spaces.” How can we bring this to fruition? The Atlantic shares that transit agencies could offer discounted fares; car-rental companies could offer special weekend or summer discounts; and parks could seek corporate underwriters to help subsidize free or discounted ride-shares or charter buses, among other possibilities.
Design spaces to be accessible for people with varying abilities and disabilities.
This includes ensuring trails are wheelchair and walker accessible, which includes ramps down to beaches. With camping, providing sufficient space for mobility and accessible sites that can be reserved by people who need them is also a necessity. If you notice the area you live in doesn’t have this, check in with your municipality to see how they plan to address this, or the business or park service responsible for the access point. Governments and nonprofit organizations are also procuring adaptive equipment to make it possible for people with varying abilities to get involved in activities that would otherwise be too difficult. An awe invoking example of this is in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, with Shuswap TrailRider Adaptive Adventure Society, which has acquired TrailRider chairs for hiking mountains, Sand Rider chairs for exploring the beach and taking a dip in the lake, as well as adaptive stand up paddleboards, making it possible for folks to revel in adventure with less restrictions. Again, support and share these nonprofits and celebrate the advancements made in this movement!
Diversify the outdoors industry workforce and the nonprofits seeking to protect the outdoors.
Environmental nonprofits, parks services, and outdoor recreation companies are comprised mainly of white staff: a study report done at the University of Michigan in 2014 showed that 88% of ENGO staff in the United States are white. What this has caused in the environmental conservation space is an elimination of voices, and, sadly, unintended mistakes and consequences that are made as a result of not considering diverse perspectives or how certain environmental actions may influence different demographics. Additionally, this underrepresentation is also common in parks services and outdoor retail companies, which also influences how welcoming a space is. As Carol Hart, a former director of Sonoma County Regional Parks in California states: “People want to go to a place where they see people like them, especially if you’re going to a place that seems unfamiliar. When all the rangers are white, when all the signs are in English, how can you ever expect that you’re going to attract a diverse group of people?”
To address this, nonprofits, parks and other workforces in the outdoor and conservation sector need to implement strategies to diversify their board, staff, and volunteer network. This includes having paid internships, so that more young folks have a chance at entering this sector, as unpaid internships can only be attained by privileged youth. This also encompasses ensuring justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion is woven into strategic planning and goals, and, as according to Green2.0, this includes using unconscious bias training, establishing a diversity committee, and fostering an inclusive workspace for a diversity of staff members.
Lift up, support and celebrate diverse outdoor based organizations and have this be reflected in outdoor storytelling, media, and marketing.
There are TONS of rad outdoor folks and groups who are leading the way for people of all identities to jump into the wonder of nature’s architecture, as well as changing the systems to make outdoor protection and enjoyment more inclusive. This includes Brown People Camping, Outdoor Afro, GirlTrek, Unlikely Hikers, Outdoor Asian, Brown People Camping, Unlikely Hikers, GayOutdoors.org, Camber Outdoors, Diversify Outdoors Coalition, among many others. Find these groups in your local area, join them, support them - as many are nonprofits, share these groups on your social media, tell your networks about them. With this, we need big outdoor retailers, parks, and environmental nonprofits to have diverse folks represented in their media - sending the message far and wide that our bucolic surroundings are for everyone. Outdoor Afro is one of numerous groups who are acting as consultants for outdoor recreation brands in establishing their JEDI plans, practices, and partnerships as well as providing BIPOC models. Outdoor Afro holds these companies rigorously to account, not only for the diversity within their marketing imagery, but also in their practices and partnerships. Beyond these groups, we also need people who are in privileged positions to put efforts into this, to advocate for this, and not lean on marginalized people to do the work of dismantling the systems they suffer directly from.
In regards to scaling diverse and inclusive storytelling, this looks like installing signage that is designed by folks from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, featuring other local languages other than English. This is not only more welcoming for a wider array of people who don’t speak English, it also normalizes and supports the linguistic, and cultural diversity of destinations, which is key for cultural revitalization, and, consequently, environmental regeneration. According to The Atlantic, this also includes lobbying different levels of government for story-telling driven memorials, “Under the Antiquities Act of 1906, President Barack Obama, along with Salazar, created memorials to people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community. They include the site of the Stonewall Uprising, the first monument dedicated to the LGBTQ rights movement, and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park in Maryland”, who, according to the National Park Service, “was the Underground Railroad’s best known conductor and before the Civil War repeatedly risked her life to guide nearly 70 enslaved people north to new lives of freedom.”
Final solution and conclusion: Invest in and depend on used gear and let this be an icon for establishing greater diversity in the outdoors.
Creating a circular economy for outdoor gear and equipment means scaling platforms for redistributing quality used gear. Being able to purchase used gear means that more individuals will be able to afford gear that might otherwise be too expensive. Used gear is a necessary step towards bringing down the barriers marginalized people face in accessing the outdoors, but it won’t remedy this systemic issue on its own. We need all people who are able to, including those reading this article, to address the inequities of our society that prevent a greater diversity of people in engaging, recreating in, protecting and regenerating the natural outdoors. At Outmost, it’s our intent for our used gear to become one of the emblems of the movement towards inclusive access for people out and under the study of the sun. Every-time we look at our used sneakers when we’re out on a run, pull our pre-loved backpack off ourselves for a snack, or set up a seasoned tent in the alpine that’s been passed on from another person - we want this to be a reminder to our interconnection with one another; that the materials we hold have also facilitated another person’s experience and story in the untamed air. With this interconnection lies a responsibility: for people who love adventure and the environment to make it possible for others to follow in this same path. Not only will this create a fairer planet for all people - leading to greater joy on those sunny Saturday mornings, as we’ve learned, it’s also necessary for the survival of our species and the future of our collective home.
