Skiing & snowboarding with the EDGE Outdoors crew.
I’ve had the opportunity last week to help uplift and be uplifted in the outdoors. This weekend, I helped two amazing teachers facilitate this year’s Outward Bound Adventures Diverse Outdoor Leaders Institute (DOLI) backpacking component, which trains instructors of color in the necessary skills to bring youth into wild places. The trip reminded me of what I gained in knowledge and community from my own experience with the program in 2021, and it made me rethink how I approach education with adult students, since I’m so used to teaching the littles.
At the beginning of the month, I also got to share my story with others after the Women’s Adventure Film Tour screening stop at Patagonia in Pasadena, and hear from other amazing women in the outdoors. We celebrated International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month by watching beautifully made short films of women pushing against all odds in the mostly male-dominated industry.
I was also selected by EDGE Outdoors, another great organization that focuses on dismantling systemic barriers to wellness and outdoor recreation, particularly within snow sports, which offered ski and snowboarding rentals along with gear rentals. I didn’t grow up skiing, and, like with hiking, I didn’t see a ton of Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color skiing in the snow being represented in the mass media images we see, and never got into it.
So, when I was invited out to take lessons with other Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (cis, trans, queer) and just ski and snowboard I jumped at the chance, and I’m so glad that I did. I had so much fun just skiing with some fantastic women who are doing some pretty amazing things in their own communities.
Jasmine on the Women’s Adventure Film Tour panel at Patagonia Pasadena.
All month long, I was reminded of how I have been helped to become another leader in the outdoor space and why I need to pass along what I have learned to others. The month started with me protesting in Joshua Tree National Park to protect our parks, after the current administration attempted to fire more than 1,000 National Park Service staff, and it ended with an action plan to help protect the future of the planet and all the people in it.
My plan is to help bridge the gap between our communities and nature. When people notice that they are a part of our natural environment and they enjoy spending time in nature, they tend to want to help protect it. I may prioritize our youth, but educating others of all ages so that they feel welcome and safe in the outdoors is the goal.