The world and the climate (political and natural) are requiring more and more of our attention and energy. And this work is important (we acknowledge that many have been doing this work for years or even generations) but it can leave us feeling fatigued, frustrated, angry, or hopeless. SO. We will meet for coffee (or your beverage of choice), mind-body-heart check-ins, and meaningful conversation about the positive things in our lives.

This meetup is a brave space, meant for vulnerability and healing. Coffee and snacks will be provided!

About your Facilitator, Jason Swann:

Jason (he/him) is the Intermountain West Conservation Finance Director, Founder of Rising Routes.

In his free time, he enjoys traveling, backpacking, hiking, and photography.

Have you ever wondered how trails end up where they are, and how they’re constructed? Join this Stretch Session to learn about how trails are made! There are dozens of considerations and decisions to be made before any actual construction happens, and we will walk through some of those considerations, as well as work through trail building and trail maintenance concepts, and ways to get involved locally.

About your Facilitator, Kylie Yang:

Kylie Yang (she/her) is an avid backpacker and environmental steward who has spent the last five years dedicating herself to building and fostering relationships and community in the outdoor industry.

If you don’t find Kylie hiking with her Vizsla, Sullivan, you’ll find her at a Bruce Springsteen concert or a local vegan restaurant.

Join on a hike through the woods and a journey to unpack some of the identities we hold. We’ll stop midway for a guided examination of the identities we hold. Through a series of questions, we will open the space to discuss, share, listen, and reflect on how our unique identities impact the way we interact with ourselves, those around us, and the spaces in which we recreate.

Participants should be prepared to spend most or all of the session on their feet. All backgrounds and experience levels are welcome :)

About your Facilitator, Maya Sullivan:

Maya (she/her) is a queer Japanese American who is passionate about expanding equitable access to the outdoors.

The Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Program (OEGP), modeled after New Mexico's Outdoor Equity Fund and championed by a diverse coalition of organizations led by Next 100 Colorado, became statute in 2021. Hear how outdoor equity grants are increasing access to the outdoors for Colorado youth who are Black, Indigenous or people of Color, LGBTQ+, disabled, and low-income. Then, learn how you can start to build a coalition and create a solution to your local challenges through state public policy in this hands-on, interactive session.

About your Facilitator, Andrea Kurth:

Andrea is a Latina, bicultural community advocate who has worked to increase justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in conservation and on public lands in Colorado for five years.

Connecting to and in the outdoors allows us to discover a sense of place, connect with one another, and better identify our impacts on the planet. Join us for a guided walking experience that celebrates the diversity of our human community, helps us discover diversity in the landscape, and teaches us how an inclusive view of nature can foster inclusion in our own communities.

About your Facilitators, Boulder County Parks and Open Space and Red Rocks Community College:

Boulder County and Red Rocks Advance Resource Interpretation group are partnering and utilizing their unique outdoor skills to offer an interactive outdoor experience.

Leave No Trace principles protect the outdoors while minimizing our impacts to the land, soil, vegetation, water, wildlife, cultural resources and other people. Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Team Becca & Luke McGraw will be leading a hands-on, interactive workshop focused on proven, research-based skills and education for getting outside in an environmentally sustainable way.

Topics include:

Overview of Leave No Trace principles and ethics, including both the hows and whys behind Leave No Trace.

Leave No Trace guidelines to practice and promote whether in the backcountry, frontcountry, your favorite local parks and natural areas or in your everyday life.

About your Facilitators, Becca and Luke McGraw:

Subaru/Leave No Trace Team Members, Becca (she/her) and Luke (he/him) McGraw, are experienced educators who share a passion for conservation and a desire to promote sustainability and inclusion in outdoor recreation.

Thirty-two years after the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, communities of color are still combating the environmental disparities that plague their neighborhoods. How have the summit’s Environmental Justice Principles influenced the current discourse? What issues are we still fighting today and why? Let’s discussion the relevance of the 17 principles of Environmental Justice created in 1991 to the struggles of 2023 and beyond.

Learn more about your Facilitator Charnell Parker McMullen Bushman:

Parker McMullen Bushman is the CEO and Founder of Ecoinclusive Strategies, Co-founder of Inclusive Guide, and Social Media Diva KWEEN WERK.