Is it easy to go hiking, camping, swimming, biking or boating where you live? Is being in the great outdoors part of the culture of your community? If not, do you wish it were?
On the surface, hiking can seem as if it has a low barrier to entry. How hard is it to get up and go outside?
Dig deeper and you will find that you need proper footwear and plenty of water. Depending on the weather, moisture-wicking apparel and warm socks will come in handy. Transportation to remote areas can be complicated, and having a guide, or at least a member of your group with knowledge of the terrain, can’t hurt. And more gear will probably be needed the more hours hikers spend outside.
The barriers can be even higher for Black people and other people of color, given the lack of access to the outdoors for certain communities. There’s also a pervasive stereotype that Black people do not enjoy activities like hiking, which discourages some people from trying it in the first place.
At Outlandish, a hiking-gear store in Brooklyn founded by Benje Williams and Ken Bernard, the staff works to end such stereotypes by educating Black people and other marginalized groups on hiking and other outdoor activities. Last weekend, in celebration of Black History Month, the shop hosted a guided hike so participants could have a chance to reconnect with nature at a time of upheaval.
“That’s the hope for this hike, especially after a couple of rough weeks, just going out and breathing and remembering that things might be falling apart but there’s still a lot of beauty as well,” Mr. Williams said, referring to crackdowns on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives by President Trump.
Do you like the outdoors? How important is it for you to spend time outside?
How do you connect to nature, in ways big or small? For example, do you like to hike or camp? Garden or take walks in local parks? Look up at the stars or watch the sunset?
Does this article encourage you to try to do more of these things?
Do you face any of the barriers to spending time in nature described in the article? For example, is nature difficult to access where you live? Are you nervous to try something new? Do you experience stereotypes that might keep you from participating in outdoor activities? What would you like to change about your experience outdoors?
Benje Williams, a founder of Outlandish, said that being in nature can help people remember “that things might be falling apart but there’s still a lot of beauty as well.” What does connecting to nature do you for you? How do you feel when you spend time outside?
Are there any activities you’ve always wanted to try but, because you haven’t seen people who look like you doing them, believed were not “for you”? Can you take any advice or inspiration from this article?
