Earth Day Reflections

I used to be invited by my colleague, Quena Batres, Volunteer and Neighborhood Engagement Supervisor to affix three outside teams on a journey to Yellow Island, an 11-acre island in Washington’s San Juan Islands. Members of Out of doors Asian (OA), Out of doors Afro (OA), and Latino Outdoor (LO) made up a bunch of 27 gathered on Earth Day 2023. Individuals arrived in Anacortes, Washington, carrying brightly coloured backpacks, binoculars, cameras, wading boots, lunch sacks with additional meals to share, hats for heat, and sleepy smiles on a crisp and cloudy morning. Earlier than our journey, Quena oriented the group and requested every individual to share their identify and a one-word check-in describing how they felt.  

Joyful. Sleepy. Espresso. Curious. Dope. Excited. My phrase was first as a result of this was my first journey in Washington since shifting from Oklahoma Metropolis to Seattle three days earlier than. For the remainder of the outing, I used to be playfully often known as the woman who simply moved.  

Why are poc much less more likely to discover public lands?

These Black, Indigenous, and Individuals of Coloration (BIPOC) explorers have been honored to be current—maybe as a result of individuals of coloration are largely underrepresented in nationwide parks, forests, and wildlife preserves. In keeping with The Nationwide Well being Basis, white individuals make up 70 % of all guests to public lands. Some consider it is because BIPOC don’t benefit from the outside, which is an unlucky stereotype. Customer, Quaniqua Williams mentioned, “I held the idea that Black of us don’t spend a lot time outdoors. That assumption was debunked. Volunteering on Yellow Island started to shift my perspective about being outdoors.”