Oath and Community News
(April-June 2023)
This summer, we’re taking some time to reset and gear up for the rest of the year here at The Oath. We have big goals to continue to expand the work we are doing AND to see y’all more irl in 2024! This year has been filled with joy at our little org. First, we met in person as a team for the first-time-ever, and literally the next day we met 150 of y’all at our first-ever event outdoors, the Stretch Sessions: Boulder! But, with this joy and growth come the growing pains. As a part-time team we have a challenging balancing act of showing up for y’all (our community), while continuously improving our programs, ideating new programs, adapting our programs, teaching private workshops, planning future Stretch Sessions, fundraising, prepping to become our own 501c3, managing requests for collabs and events (we wish we could do it all!), creating resources, the list goes on. So thank YOU for your patience as we cook resources and opportunities for you behind the scenes at our available pace. Truly, our team is brilliant and I’m grateful to rely on such amazing folks like Hanna, Maya, José and Pattie. If you can, your support, whether telling a friend about us, donating money or gear, sharing your #HowIOath on the gram, or taking action for PIA (Planet,Inclusion,Adventure), is always the most meaningful to us.
On to the news: we want to acknowledge and celebrate the amazing work everyone in our community continues to do, and also the amazing opportunities we’ve had to share our (un)learnings in the past few months, from the Inside Out Conference to our DIY Gear repair night in Bend, OR.
Keep scrolling for the latest news and updates from The Oath, lists of organizations doing work for planet, inclusion, and adventure that we love, community events we have our eyes on, and more!
We’re part of a thriving meadow,
Gabaccia
In Oath News…
April:
We went to Boulder!
In April, we hosted our first ever in person event in Boulder, CO.
We absolutely loved seeing some of y’all in person for a day full of fun, learning, and community.
Photo by Dally Hue
May:
Wayfinding Stretch Session
In May, our co-founder José led our Stretch Session: Wayfinding to teach our community more about Thriving Meadows. A recording will be available soon to everyone who has taken The Oath.
DIY Gear Repair Night in Bend!
Later in May, we also hosted our 2nd ever in person event in Bend, OR in conjunction with The Gear Fix.
This event was a hands-on gear repair session, teaching us how to field-repair our own gear and help keep them out of the landfill.
June:
Ecologize and Joyify: Supporting Thrivability For All
In early June, Gabaccia and José had the amazing opportunity of being the keynote speakers at this year’s Inside Out International Conference.
Joyify and Ecologize, Supporting Thrivability for all, aka their presentation-conversation, was facilitated by none other than our dear Oath founding member and Children & Nature Network staff Francis Mendoza (aka @asianoutsider).
More Oath Troublemakers have taken The Outdoorist Oath!
In June, we hosted our first workshop of the summer, sponsored by CITIZEN. We are so excited to have 2,300+ Oath Takers in our community- yay!
Truth is, we are here to get as many people as possible to take The Oath! Can you help? Our next workshop will be August 14th at 5:30pm MT. Share this link here with your friends and family!
Photo by Roberto Flores
In Community News…
Planet:
Ready to take your love of the planet to the next level? Oath facilitator and founding member, Kristy Drutman founded the Green Jobs Board, a free hub for those interested in finding a job that takes action for our planet. We absolutely love this free resource for job seekers and Oath Community members looking to shift their career towards conservation, sustainability, and advocacy!
Inclusion:
After joining us at our Stretch Sessions: Boulder event, we wanted to shout out our friends at Latino Outdoors who are celebrating 10 years! Latino Outdoors, founded by the amazing José González inspires, connects, and engages Latino communities in the outdoors and embraces cultura y familia as part of the outdoor narrative, ensuring our history, heritage, and leadership are valued and represented. Check out their IG and be on the lookout for meetups/events in your area!
Adventure:
It’s summertime!
If you are woman identifying or non-binary and looking to get outside this summer but don’t know where to start, consider joining an outing or free webinar with SheJumps! SheJumps is a non-profit that serves their community by providing free community outings from rock climbing to mountain biking. Most events are free and hosted all across the U.S. Check out their events page here. Or grab a few fly fishing tips from our ED, Gabaccia’s recent class offering at SheJumps! Watch it here.
USEFUL & INSPIRING RESOURCES:
Leave No Trace - Training For All
This is an introduction to Leave No Trace and the actions we can collectively take to protect our planet. In this on-demand and FREE course you’ll learn helpful information with a simple framework of minimum impact practices to apply when spending time outdoors.
Native Lands Map
Ever wondered what Native Land you recreate on? Consider using this free tool to help direct your search so you can learn more about the land and the history behind it. A first step in the right direction in your own research.
Mycology, Redwoods, and Eugenics Webinar (Recording)
Join mycologist and Bard College visiting professor Dr. Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian for a conversation about the troubling roots of the redwoods conservation movement and how mycology can inspire us towards reconciliation.
TedTalk: Climate change isn’t a distant threat– it’s our reality
In a stirring poem and talk, youth climate warrior Selina Neirok Leem, from the Marshall Islands, explains why adaptation using Indigenous solutions is the only choice for people on the front lines of climate change. "These islands are our ancestors, our predecessors, our homes," Leem says. "We are at the risk of losing all of that for something we contributed very little to."
Nature Meditations Deck by Kenya Jackson Saulters from Outdoor Journal Tour
We had the opportunity of attending a couple of Outdoor Journal Tour facilitations this summer, and our biggest takeaway was the ability to connect with nature, even from within an unlikely place like a convention center. All thanks to the mindfully crafted Nature Meditations Deck. Check it out! To get inspired and learn more check out the She Explores episode with the author below.
If you made it here, we appreciate you BEYOND words.
Gracias for tagging along on this ride,
~ The Oath Team:
Pattie, José, Gabaccia, Maya, and Hanna
