Explore Nature Calls, our community-driven directory of organizations championing inclusivity outdoors.
Backyard Basecamp was founded by Atiya Wells, a pediatric nurse with a passion to introduce, educate, and connect families in Baltimore, especially People of Color, to local outdoor spaces.
While learning...
Backyard Basecamp was founded by Atiya Wells, a pediatric nurse with a passion to introduce, educate, and connect families in Baltimore, especially People of Color, to local outdoor spaces.
While learning more about our natural world, she often noticed that she could count the number of BIPOC folks in the room on one hand. Diving into research and history, she learned that ancestral wounding and historical trauma are key players in the lack of diversity in nature-based programming.
She has dedicated her time to (re)introducing BIPOC folks to nature by starting with nature walks in their own neighborhoods, eventually embarking on a journey into the many wild spaces across Baltimore.
Founder Monica Garrison re-discovered her love for cycling in the summer of 2013. She noticed the incredible mental and physical benefits of riding her bike regularly. She also noticed very...
Founder Monica Garrison re-discovered her love for cycling in the summer of 2013. She noticed the incredible mental and physical benefits of riding her bike regularly. She also noticed very few women of color riding bikes. Black Girls Do Bike was created to grow and support a community of women of color who share a passion for cycling. The goal was to demystify cycling to give women a tool to help them live richer lives. We rejoice when women choose cycling as a tool for alternative transportation, self-care, and ultimately empowerment. The overarching themes that tie our community together are shared cultural experiences, and our desire to help heal women through physical activity. What started as an online meeting place has grown into a network of 100+ riding groups around the world. We boast chapters nationwide and globally from Anchorage, Alaska to London, England.
Black Girls Hike was founded due to the lack of representation of people of color in nature. We showcase the adventures of black women hiking throughout all areas of the...
Black Girls Hike was founded due to the lack of representation of people of color in nature. We showcase the adventures of black women hiking throughout all areas of the world. Through storytelling content and curated hiking experiences, Black Girls Hike creates a community of black and brown hikers while diversifying the outdoors.
Black Girls Surf is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit performance training camp for girls 7 - 17 years of age. BGS was created out of the lack of representation in professional...
Black Girls Surf is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit performance training camp for girls 7 - 17 years of age. BGS was created out of the lack of representation in professional surfing.
→ Black Girls Surf
→ @Black Girls Surf
Brown Girl Surf works to build a more diverse, environmentally reverent, and joyful surf culture by increasing access to surfing, cultivating community, amplifying the voices of girls, women, and gender...
Brown Girl Surf works to build a more diverse, environmentally reverent, and joyful surf culture by increasing access to surfing, cultivating community, amplifying the voices of girls, women, and gender expansive surfers of color, and taking care of the earth. We were born through the desire to create a surf culture in our own image - one that is inspiring, accessible, and full of JOY!
→ Brown Girl Surf
→ @BrownGirlSurf
Fueled by our values of collective liberation, regeneration, continued curiosity, and honoring our Black history, Black Outside, Inc seeks to radically transform outdoor spaces to be a beacon of joy...
Fueled by our values of collective liberation, regeneration, continued curiosity, and honoring our Black history, Black Outside, Inc seeks to radically transform outdoor spaces to be a beacon of joy and liberation for Black youth.
From bonnet nights at summer camp, night hikes that reflect on the experience and strength of our ancestors, to reflective gardening activities that ask our youth "what soil do you come from," our programs are providing our youth space to explore their self-identity, culture, and the outdoors while fostering belonging.
Camp Yoshi is an adventure guide company aimed at creating space for Black folks and our Allies to unplug, in order to reconnect with the wilderness. Our experiences include routing,...
Camp Yoshi is an adventure guide company aimed at creating space for Black folks and our Allies to unplug, in order to reconnect with the wilderness. Our experiences include routing, gourmet menus, supplies and visual documentation for each expedition. We like to say our goal is to take you places you never knew you needed to see.
Camping to Connect is an experiential learning and mentorship outdoors program offered by the Young Masterminds Initiative, Inc ("YMI") a New York based nonprofit organization. Our transformative outdoor journeys instill...
Camping to Connect is an experiential learning and mentorship outdoors program offered by the Young Masterminds Initiative, Inc ("YMI") a New York based nonprofit organization. Our transformative outdoor journeys instill values of leadership, cooperation, and brotherhood. Our program is offered at no cost to participants, and is geared specifically towards young men of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities in the New York City metro area
YMI was founded by the leaders of Mastermind Connect, a collective of progressive Black and Brown men who believe in inspiring change in ourselves and in the world by nurturing camaraderie, fostering accountability, and cultivating trust, leadership, and support.
We believe that with leadership that reflects the backgrounds of our youth participants, we can create an important paradigm shift in how these young men see themselves and their place in the world. Having adult leaders of color also helps change the narrative of who “belongs” in outdoor spaces.
→ Camping to Connect
→ @Camping to Connect
We advocate for inclusive representation in outdoor spaces, working with brand partners, businesses, and organizations to break barriers and create accessibility. We subsidize outdoor adventures, create diverse content, and are...
We advocate for inclusive representation in outdoor spaces, working with brand partners, businesses, and organizations to break barriers and create accessibility. We subsidize outdoor adventures, create diverse content, and are actively working with our allies to create the change we want to see in the world.
Flash Foxy originated to empower women climbers and offer a virtual space to connect over climbing, being outside together and building community. The inaugural Women’s Climbing Festival in 2016 helped...
Flash Foxy originated to empower women climbers and offer a virtual space to connect over climbing, being outside together and building community. The inaugural Women’s Climbing Festival in 2016 helped establish an alternate climbing space in real life that did not center cisgender men. The climbing community is not static and Flash Foxy has adapted over the years to meet the needs of its membership as they grow, change and continue to self-actualize.
Presently, Flash Foxy stands with the genderqueer community, women and trans men, and gender non-conforming folks who needs a space to pursue their love of the sport without having to deal with historic barriers to access.
The Greening Youth Foundation’s (GYF) mission is to engage under-represented youth and young adults, while connecting them to the outdoors and careers in conservation. GYF’s cultural based environmental education programing...
The Greening Youth Foundation’s (GYF) mission is to engage under-represented youth and young adults, while connecting them to the outdoors and careers in conservation. GYF’s cultural based environmental education programing engages children from local communities and exposes them to healthy lifestyle choices in order to create an overall healthy community. GYF believes that youth and young adults from diverse backgrounds can greatly benefit from the career opportunities presented within the state and federal land management sectors. Accordingly, GYF continues to develop and strengthen partnerships with land management agencies to provide service and internship opportunities for youth and young adults thereby creating pathways to conservation careers.
GYF employs a professional staff of historians, sociologists, psychologists, educators, marine biologists, environmental scientists, anthropologists and wilderness experts. GYF’s team is highly specialized and focuses on land acquisition, design and development, greenway and green space project management, community mobilization and outreach. We are dedicated to the preservation of nature’s finite and historical resources. Collectively we have more than 400 years of experience facilitating youth programs that emphasize personal growth through hands-on experience and challenges.
Hike Clerb is an LA based intersectional women’s hike club and 501c(3) founded in 2017 by changemaker, Evelynn Escobar.
Inspired to take action by the lack of representation of people of...
Hike Clerb is an LA based intersectional women’s hike club and 501c(3) founded in 2017 by changemaker, Evelynn Escobar.
Inspired to take action by the lack of representation of people of color in the outdoors, Hike Clerb was born as a radical solution to this issue and more. We are equipping Black, Indigenous, women of color with the tools, resources and experiences they need to collectively heal in nature from Los Angeles and beyond.
We are an outdoor adventure company founded by Jasmine Guadalupe that centers the NYC Black and Brown experience through creating a safe space in the outdoors for us to enjoy...
We are an outdoor adventure company founded by Jasmine Guadalupe that centers the NYC Black and Brown experience through creating a safe space in the outdoors for us to enjoy on our terms.
MeWater Foundation works to address adjustments of trauma and stress in young people from backgrounds of poverty and violence by providing a different way of relating to the world and...
MeWater Foundation works to address adjustments of trauma and stress in young people from backgrounds of poverty and violence by providing a different way of relating to the world and communities they live in, all through the power of nature and the ocean. MeWater connects vulnerable young people to positive community members and creates opportunities for youth to develop new skills, practice new coping mechanisms and form positive, reciprocal relationships with trusted peers.
→ @Mewater Foundation
A place for outdoor businesses and nonprofits to indicate their commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work in the outdoors. To date nearly 180 companies from around the country...
A place for outdoor businesses and nonprofits to indicate their commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work in the outdoors. To date nearly 180 companies from around the country have signed on to the work.
→ Outdoorpledge
With every opportunity to surf, bike, kayak, or climb, our programs provide thousands of youth each year with two things that greatly increase their chances of success...
First, we provide opportunities...
With every opportunity to surf, bike, kayak, or climb, our programs provide thousands of youth each year with two things that greatly increase their chances of success...
First, we provide opportunities for youth to share new experiences, cultivate belonging, and discover their strengths. And second, the opportunity to create meaningful connections with supportive peers and mentors who believe in their potential.
Through partnerships with 40+ schools and social service agencies, Outdoor Outreach programs provide outdoor recreational education for youth ages 9-24 whose communities have been historically impacted by social inequities.
People of Color Outdoors, (POCO) was founded because the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community is small in Oregon, we often feel unwelcome in the outdoors and we...
People of Color Outdoors, (POCO) was founded because the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community is small in Oregon, we often feel unwelcome in the outdoors and we don't have a physical community.
POCO coordinates about 30 outings a year, mostly free of charge. We paddle, fish, hike, camp, and bike. We break bread, have vision board parties and great conversations. We are a welcoming, supportive, caring BIPOC community.
QPOC Hikers is here to build a hiking community for queer people of color who have an interest in the outdoors. We're here to break the stereotype of a "typical"...
QPOC Hikers is here to build a hiking community for queer people of color who have an interest in the outdoors. We're here to break the stereotype of a "typical" hiker and foster diversity outdoors
Sending in Color (SIC) is a Chicago based climbing organization that strives to create a diverse and inclusive community and industry within the sport by implementing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and...
Sending in Color (SIC) is a Chicago based climbing organization that strives to create a diverse and inclusive community and industry within the sport by implementing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles to break down barriers of accessibility for all Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and create educational spaces to introduce new climbers to the sport and the outdoors.
Sending in Color was founded in November 2018 out of the need our co-founders saw in increasing and connecting the BIPOC community within the local climbing scene. We kicked off our well-known monthly meetups for all BIPOC in January 2019, and since then have had hosted an outdoor intro bouldering clinic and several co-branded events.
→ Sending in Color
→ @Sending in Color
Soul Trak Outdoors is a D.C. based nonprofit organization that connects communities of color to outdoor spaces while also building a coalition of diverse outdoor leaders. We run a variety...
Soul Trak Outdoors is a D.C. based nonprofit organization that connects communities of color to outdoor spaces while also building a coalition of diverse outdoor leaders. We run a variety of programming to serve hands-on, experiential programming.
Our mission is threefold: Connecting communities of color to one another using natural spaces and recreational outlets as unifying mechanisms. Engage minorities to develop a representative community in the outdoors that reflects our nation. Facilitate educational and skill based instruction to expand understanding and interest for public lands.
→ Soul Trak Outdoors
Wild Diversity is increasing the number of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Portland area youth and adults who see the outdoors as a place where they belong and can thrive. We build...
Wild Diversity is increasing the number of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Portland area youth and adults who see the outdoors as a place where they belong and can thrive. We build community through outdoor adventures, day and weekend trips, and workshops. We provide resources through outdoor skills workshops, our gear library and community partnerships. Join us!
The Outdoor Journal Tour and #wehiketoheal are designed for women who want to dive deeper into their personal development but are bored with traditional self-help methods. Participants will have the...
The Outdoor Journal Tour and #wehiketoheal are designed for women who want to dive deeper into their personal development but are bored with traditional self-help methods. Participants will have the opportunity to explore scenic landscapes and hiking trails while being guided through an empowering (and customized) personal discovery process that uses physical activity, journaling and meditation as healing tools.