Anthony Floyd, Seattle Audubon board member, enjoys a rainy viewing of an osprey nest in Rainier Beach.

(This article is reposted from https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2603479698293/sundaes-outside-celebrates-black-folks-inclusion-in-the-outdoors .)

The rain would not stay away, but spirits were not dampened at the series-opening Sundaes Outside event at Be’er Sheva Park on Sunday, May 15.

The “celebration of Black Folks and the Outdoors,” across from Rainier Beach High School in south Seattle, featured live performances, a marketplace, and outdoor recreation workshops — as well as ice cream, of course.

Rainier Beach residents see and touch urban examples from Seattle Audubon’s specimen collection.

Seattle Audubon partnered for the free series with Golden Bricks Events, the producer of the popular Refuge Outdoor Festival, a three-day outdoor recreation experience geared to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and their allies.

Chevon Powell, founder of Golden Brick Events.

Seattle Audubon, with assistance from the Seward Park Audubon Center, led walks to an osprey nest located in the heart of the Rainier Beach neighborhood, showed off bird skins and organizational programs, and conducted a raffle for a gently used pair of binoculars in the marketplace.

Smiles amidst the rain at the Rainier Beach Osprey nest site.

Seattle Audubon will next support Golden Bricks’ summer edition of Refuge Day, at the Seward Park amphitheater on Saturday, June 4, 1–5 p.m. Seattle Audubon has been a sponsor of the Refuge Outdoor Festival since its inception.

Grace Rajendran’s artistic chalkboard sign for the raffle.

Grace Rajendran, Seattle Audubon board member, and Wendy Walker, Seattle Audubon’s community engagement manager, show off an Osprey in the Sundaes Outside marketplace.