Advertise on podcast: BIPoC Outside

Tori Baird is a canoeist and wilderness adventurer who has expeditioned in some of Canada's most rugged, remote, and wild places, often with her boys and dogs in tow. She also runs "Paddle Like a Girl," outdoors' skill-building and canoeing workshops that are geared to women. Tori paused her most recent adventure to chat with us about her expeditions, remote wilderness, back country, and water risks and planning, the additional planning it takes when expeditions are family affairs, empowering women in the outdoors, and the awesome work of Paddle Like a Girl.

"L” (short for Lanisha) Renee Blount is a Harvard-trained designer, creative strategist, professional adventurer, storyteller, and photographer. We had the opportunity to sit down with L to discuss her work, her approach to allyship in the industry, how creatives with cultural capital change outcomes, tips for newcomers to the industry, and defining what the win is.

Guarina Lopez is a Yaqui citizen, visual artist, storyteller, cyclist and the Founder of Native Women Ride & The Indigenous Cycling Collective We had the opportunity to sit down with Guarina to discuss her work, how culture comes first, the roots of the problem with environmentalism and feminism, the cycling space, the wild west of social media, building solidarity by respecting individual agency, and the Carlisle 200; Guarina's film documenting her prayer ride to raise awareness about Carlisle Indian Boarding School.

Teresa Baker is an outdoor diversity activist, writer, and founder of several organizations which most recently includes the In Solidarity Project. We had the opportunity to sit down with Teresa to discuss African American National Park Event, retracing the route of the Buffalo Soldiers, overcoming fear, breaking the mold of the outdoor person, giving people space to make mistakes, bringing humility to the work, authentic storytelling, the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, the In Solidarity Project, and the Outdoorist Oath.

Judy Kasiama is a multi-sport athlete, an outdoor advocate, and the founder of Colour the Trails and the Like Me Film Festival. We had the opportunity to sit down with Judy for the second time to discuss what she's been up to since we last chat, the positive change in snow sports demographics, the work left to be done, how industry is still getting it wrong, and how they can change that.

Jose Gonzalez is a professional educator, conservationist, artist, community builder, the co-founder of the Outdoorist Oath, and founder of Latino Outdoors. We had the opportunity to sit down with Jose to discuss Latino Outdoors, making structural changes to our approach to environmental conservation, education, engagement and inclusion, the spectrum of nearby nature to far away wilderness, and the power that comes when we build constellations, not stars.

Dr. Lydia Jennings is a soil scientist, science communicator, educator, and long-distance runner. We had the opportunity to sit down with Lydia to discuss her work, environmental policy impacts, Indigenous data sovereignty, the cultural history of spaces, running to decode land, 50 Miles for 50 Indigenous Scientists, disrupting deficit narratives, celebrating #LandBack at the Boston Marathon, and building relationship with place.  

Mardi Fuller is an Outdoors Woman, fully and unapologetically. She is also a multi-sport athlete, outdoor educator, and outdoor leader. We had the opportunity to sit down with Mardi to discuss the White Mountain region of New Hampshire, the opportunity cost of being in the outdoors as a racialized person, the ridiculousness of 'firsts', ski bum culture, racial literacy, water safety in Black communities, and the importance of claiming it.

James Edward Mills is a freelance journalist, contributor to National Geographic Magazine, a Fellow of the Mountain & Wilderness Writing Program of the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, a professional educator, and a recipient of the Paul K. Petzoldt Award For Environmental Education. He is also 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”. We had the opportunity to sit down with James to talk about his work and upcoming projects, Expedition Denali and how the outdoor world has changed in the 10 years since, the modern history of Black adventuring, the consequences of environmental apathy including the Willow Project, addressing the culture of space, and learning to be future elders.

Ruandy Albisurez is a multisport athlete, professional sports photographer, mountain bike educator, community organizer, and the founder of Warpaint Magazine, filling the gap in media coverage of BIPoC folk in the outdoors. We had the opportunity to sit down with Ruandy to discuss his career and community work, problematic narratives in traditional sports media, extractive journalist practices when working in the global south, the impetus for Warpaint and the importance of telling our stories through our lens.

Josephine Baran is a multisport athlete, a professional in the outdoor industry, and the director of the Outward Bound Canada Training Academy. We had the opportunity to sit down with Josephine to discuss her career, the barriers to the outdoors both, recreationally and as a career path, the increase in eco-anxiety, and how the Training Academy is working to change that.