Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive

A GRAPHIC ARTS STUDENT at Western Washington University, Brooklyn Bell is a lover of nature and an avid outdoor athlete, but she says the outdoors don’t always feel culturally relevant, which is a barrier that cuts across socioeconomic lines. One of the problems may be an issue of marketing, as the parks (and the outdoors industry, generally) rarely target people of color, even those who can afford technical gear and outdoors vacations. “If I don’t see anybody there that looks like me, or is welcoming me in to the point where I would feel comfortable being in the space, I would just rather not be there,” Bell explained at the November brainstorm session.