Oct 30, 2024 - Together Outdoors hosted a webinar with industry leaders and philanthropists discussing best practices around equitable and impactful grant-making in outdoor recreation. These efforts were made possible by the generous support of Winnebago Industries and will be followed by the release of a new business learning guide next week outlining the essential role that grant funding can play in breaking down barriers and supporting those working hard to increase access to the Great Outdoors for underrepresented communities. Learn more.

The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) released a groundbreaking report, "Recreation Funding in America: Current Results and Future Insights.” This comprehensive study, conducted by Southwick Associates, Inc. on behalf of ORR, aggregated and analyzed current federal funding streams for outdoor recreation and identified potential future threats to these funding sources. These threats include changing energy demands, evolving participation, inflation, weather events and climate change, and stagnant appropriation trends.

Today, Alison had the pleasure of meeting Geordan Newbill, president of the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle, and taking her first horseback riding lesson with Jerome Young, a Black rancher and owner of Legends Ranch. During her visit, Alison discovered the often-overlooked history of Black riders and learned how the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle are inspiring the next generation of riders.

In this feature from Mountaineer magazine, read about the Mother's Day tradition, taking fabulously-dressed climbers to summits around the PNW. One of the Pacific Northwest’s grand traditions - a right of passage for many aspiring mountaineers - is climbing Mt. St. Helens, in a dress, on Mother’s Day. Inspired by the famous 1987 red dress of Kathy Phibbs, photographed and featured on the cover of the Seattle Times, thousands of aspiring summiteers flock to the flanks of Helens each May, donning their Sunday best. But as the tradition has grown and permits have become more restricted, many are taking their dress-game elsewhere.

The outdoor recreation industry is a growth industry that provides 5 million good jobs across the United States. Outdoor recreation jobs sustain economies, increase rural prosperity, improve public health outcomes, and promote environmental stewardship and conservation. Through various initiatives, ORR is working to help industry leaders, policymakers, and prospective workers understand how these jobs provide outstanding quality of life, support conservation goals, strengthen local economies, and connect Americans to the great outdoors. Visit ORR’s Workforce Hub and check out some of the other resources created to support and sustain the outdoor workforce.

The outdoor recreation industry is a growth industry that provides 5 million good jobs across the United States. Outdoor recreation jobs sustain economies, increase rural prosperity, improve public health outcomes, and promote environmental stewardship and conservation. Through various initiatives, ORR is working to help industry leaders, policymakers, and prospective workers understand how these jobs provide outstanding quality of life, support conservation goals, strengthen local economies, and connect Americans to the great outdoors. Visit ORR’s Workforce Hub and check out some of the other resources created to support and sustain the outdoor workforce.

We Are ONE is a national gathering of environmentalists of color, June 25-28 at the Loudermilk Center in Atlanta, Georgia. We are honored to invite you to join us - a community of new and familiar voices - to nurture our communities, activate coordinated action, and mobilize our collective commitment to environmental justice and equity. It takes all of us to meet this moment in history. PGM ONE, Justice Outside, and Next 100 Coalition communities, we’re here to create a space to bring our whole, complex, intersectional selves to heal, connect, ideate, and build a framework for endurant collaboration among Indigenous, Black, and Brown environmental leaders and efforts nationally.

Samish Island Nature and Adventure Camp offers an opportunity to disconnect from the stresses of daily societal racism and micro-aggressions and reconnect with rest, health, peace, each other, and nature. Executive Chef Wayne Johnson manages the kitchen, which becomes a place of discovery, where culturally significant dishes are prepared with love, offering a taste of home and a sense of belonging. The meals we share help make Camp a place where memories are made, friendships are forged, and the spirit of the Black and Brown outdoor community is alive and well. Samish Island Nature and Adventure Camp is the only all-inclusive sleepover summer camp of its kind in the region. It’s a place where culture, adventure, and the natural world come together to create a nourishing, life-affirming experience for everyone present.