{"id":3747,"date":"2023-11-01T05:30:51","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T05:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/2023\/11\/01\/broadening-perspectives-on-the-outdoors\/"},"modified":"2025-07-04T21:13:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T21:13:16","slug":"broadening-perspectives-on-the-outdoors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/2023\/11\/01\/broadening-perspectives-on-the-outdoors\/","title":{"rendered":"Broadening perspectives on the outdoors"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"Conservation Northwest \/ Oct 04, 2018 \/ Events<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Restorative and centering. Challenging and rewarding. Healing and peaceful. Human experience and self-discovery.<\/h2>\n

By Heather Hutchison, Membership and events associate<\/h6>\n

(This article is reposted from https:\/\/www.conservationnw.org\/broadening-perspectives-on-outdoors\/ .)<\/strong><\/p>\n

These were words and feelings shared last weekend during some reflection on outdoor experiences. Conservation Northwest was fortunate to be a sponsor of the first-ever Refuge Outdoor Festival<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>in Carnation, Washington, geared towards people of color (POC) and allies. Along with our staffer Laurel Baum, I had the opportunity to participate as myself and as a representative of Conservation Northwest.<\/p>\n

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Conservation Northwest asked attendees of the festival why conservation was important to them. Photo: Heather Hutchison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While the Festival was complete with art, music, sleeping bags and tents, it was also a safe space for important conversations about what it means to be a person of color in the outdoors, and a sincere reflection on what barriers prevent POC from getting outside.<\/strong> It was an emotional journey for many, a long-awaited respite for some and an enlightening experience for others.<\/p>\n

Acknowledging Conservation Northwest\u2019s historically white composition, it was my goal to share with the Festival attendees\u2014who included POC as well as white allies\u2014our organization\u2019s efforts to be more diverse and inclusive.<\/p>\n

Over the weekend, Conservation Northwest was there to listen and learn. Unsurprisingly, everyone we spoke with had some form of connection to the outdoors and to the environment, accompanied by a desire to protect and conserve our planet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it was really great to be able to support an event lead and organized by people of color, focused on their experiences in the outdoors,\u201d said Laurel Baum, our Central Cascades Conservation Associate and Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project Coordinator. \u201cWe have a lot of work to do in the conservation movement to make all communities feel welcomed and that their voices are being heard as part of the discussion in the broader environmental movement.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Conservation Northwest asked attendees of the Festival how their experience outdoors has been. Photo: Heather Hutchison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Barriers to accessing and enjoying the outdoors are much higher for POC, whether they be the high cost of gear, limited transportation options, lack of people to do it with or a historical fear and trauma of outdoor spaces.<\/p>\n

Here are my biggest takeaways from participation in Refuge Outdoor Festival:<\/strong><\/h4>\n