Outdoors for All: Addressing the Adventure Gap - Online Classroom

An exploration of the racial disparities and inequities of the environmental conservation movement and the efforts that aim to correct them.

Who gets to use our nation’s wild places? Who is welcome in the parks? Who feels safe hiking in the wilderness? How do we change the status quo to make an “outdoors for all?”

The nation’s wild places — from national and state parks to national forests, preserves, and wilderness areas — belong to all Americans. But not all of us use these resources equally. Minority populations are much less likely to seek recreation, adventure, and solace in our wilderness spaces. It’s a difference that African American author James Edward Mills addresses in his 2014 book, “The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors” and will explore in this seminar. 

Note: This description was adapted from Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Outdoors for All course with James E. Mills: Featured Course: Outdoors for All | Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.

Presenter

James Edward Mills is a National Geographic Explorer and a contributor to National Geographic Magazine, a Fellow of the Mountain & Wilderness Writing Program of the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, and a recipient of the Paul K. Petzoldt Award for Environmental Education as well as the American Alpine Club’s H. Adams Carter Literary Award. In a career that spans more than 30 years he specializes in sharing stories about outdoor recreation and environmental conservation. He has worked in the outdoor industry since 1989 as a guide, outfitter, independent sales representative, writer, and photographer. He is the author of “The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors” and the co-writer/co-producer of the documentary film “An American Ascent.”

7:00-8:30pm PST via Zoom Meeting
Meeting link will be sent to registered attendees the day of the session.