diversity

Coastal fog in redwood forest, dawn

Why Are There Few Black Voices in Redwoods Conservation?

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The more we learn about the cultural context of the early 20th-century conservation movement, the better we understand how the racist and classist beliefs and practices of the era created systemic impacts on today’s conservation and outdoor recreation.

A rainbow flag overlaid on an image of a redwoods forest.

Instagram Inspiration from LGBTQ+ People in Nature

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We at the League are inspired by the awesome work being done by the LGBTQ+ community to bring beautiful diversity to the culture of outdoor recreation and nature appreciation. This June, we wish to celebrate Pride by honoring the rich tapestry of identities that together make up a wonderfully diverse and colorful spectrum of queer experiences.

diverse group of people surrounded by redwood trees

Connecting Communities and Redwoods

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A hike through Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve reflects the League’s vision for linking diverse populations with the restorative power of redwood forests.

View of a redwood forest canopy from the forest floor

We Stand Together Against Racism

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Black Lives Matter. We at Save the Redwoods League are deeply disturbed by historical and recent racial violence against Black Americans. We understand that there is a very real connection between the history of racism and exclusion in the conservation movement and the racism and injustice that persists in people’s everyday lives today. As members of a larger conservation movement, we at the League commit to being better allies to Black and other marginalized communities by not only standing in solidarity at this moment, but also by elevating their perspectives, needs, and interests in our work.

Amanda Machado (center) visits Redwood Regional Park in Oakland with friends

Redwoods Helped Connect My Latino Family to the Outdoors

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Guest writer Amanda Machado in Redwoods magazine recounts how visiting the redwoods with her family and friends made the outdoors feel culturally like home. “People shouldn’t have to search outside their community to find magic outside,” she writes.

Teresa Baker at Muir Woods National Monument.

Teresa Baker Blazes Trail for Racial Diversity in Parks

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“America is changing demographically,” said Teresa Baker, founder of the African American Nature & Parks Experience. “People of color will soon be in the majority, and we need to do everything possible to connect them to the outdoors, to help them experience the power of nature.”

Teresa Baker at the Cultural Relevancy and Inclusion in Outdoor Organizations convening in 2016.

Taking Action on Cultural Relevancy and Inclusion

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What I hoped to gain from the recent Cultural Relevancy and Inclusion in Outdoor Organizations convening was a sense of togetherness on a topic that very few outdoor organizations and foundations are addressing in action. It is a complicated topic to wrap one’s brain around in reaching an action plan, I get it, but what is at stake is a country that will be majority people of color in 20 years, and if people of color are not developing relationships with the land now, we certainly won’t care about saving the redwoods or protecting endangered species as we grow into a majority status.

Student Perspectives: Are You in the Redwoods?

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Your help is wanted and needed to increase the accessibility of parks to people of diverse cultures, backgrounds and economic statuses. National and state parks offer an experience that you simply cannot know from frequenting your local urban park. Serene naturalness, breaths of fresh air and lush trees abounding, and never-ending trails – what more can a person ask for? This begs the question, are you in the redwoods? And if not, why?

Redwood forest trail

How Open Space Can Bring Us Together

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In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the National Park Service offered free admission to its parks on Monday. I hope you were able to take advantage, because visiting a park — whether national, state, or neighborhood — is …