BIPOC Outdoor Resource Guide
Tracy Brown, co-founder of All Mountain Brothers, pauses for a portrait (Photographer: Eric Arce © 2021 Melanin Base Camp, LLC All Rights Reserved)
Hey MBC readers!
I’ve been collecting BIPOC-related outdoor resources to help you connect with grants, scholarships, nonprofits and meetups in your local area.
Please let me know if you can think of any additional resources and I’ll add them. The best way to reach me is on Instagram at @bikepak.
Now get outside!
~Pak
Table of Contents
I. Outdoor Education / Guiding
II. BIPOC Outdoor Youth Organizations
III. Consulting
IV. BIPOC Outdoor Events
V. BIPOC Outdoor Recreation Groups
VI. Black Outdoor Groups
VII. Latinx Outdoor Groups
VIII. Cycling/Biking
IX. Climbing
X. Snowsports
XI. Watersports
XII. Adaptive Recreation
XIII. Running
XIV. Bird Watching
XV. Hunting/Fishing
XVI. BIPOC Women
XVII. Black Women
XVIII. Indigenous Women
XIX. BIPOC Online Collectives
XX. BIPOC Media Companies
XXI. BIPOC Travel
XXII. BIPOC Outdoor Tour Guides
XXIII. BIPOC Outdoor Grants/Scholarships
I. Outdoor Education & Guiding
BOLD & GOLD Dudley Edmondson Fellowship
This Seattle-based environmental education fellowship provides an opportunity for young adults of color to develop the talent and tools to make a lasting impact in their community.
NOLS Fellowship
The National Outdoor Leadership School Fellowship Program aims to provide a structured pathway for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to become NOLS instructors.
Outdoors Together: BIPOC Apprentice Program
This Bay Area-based program trains Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) to become leaders in the outdoor industry through the provision of skills and training to individuals who want to get involved in this field, especially those interested in a paid position in adventure guiding with Sports Basement Outdoors.
Outward Bound
North Carolina Hearst Fellowship: The Hearst Fellowship is available to people of color who are interested in outdoor education and a career with Outward Bound.
Colorado Emerging Leaders Fellowship: COBS Emerging Leaders Fellowship (formally called COBS Fellowship for People of Color) is aimed to engage people of color and other historically marginalized groups by increasing access to employment at Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) and in the outdoor industry.
II. BIPOC Outdoor Youth Organizations
A. Black Youth
Black Kids Adventure (Alabama-based)
They are Alabama-based nonprofit that runs an annual camp for families along with additional events throughout the year. Their purpose is to educate and empower Black and Brown families to participate in outdoor adventures. Their founder is also a co-founder of #BlackHikersWeek.
Black Outside Inc
A Texas-based organization with the mission of helping reconnect Black and African American youth to the outdoors.
Camp Founder Girls:
America’s first historically Black summer camp for girls
B. Youth Programs in Multiple States
Big City Mountaineers
Works alongside the transformative power of nature and youth agency partners to leave a lasting impact on the lives of young people.
Outward Bound Adventures
The institute provides meaningful nature-based education that promotes positive self-development, environmental responsibility, and outdoor career pathways for urban youth of color.
Summer Search
Empowers young people through a 7+ year mentoring and experiential learning
C. Indigenous Youth
Fresh Tracks at the Center for Native American Youth
An outdoors initiative for youth that provides young Indigenous, rural and urban diverse leaders with cross-cultural community power building, leadership development, civic engagement and action training.
Get Out, Stay Out
Get Out Stay Out/Vamos Afuera is a grassroots, Central Coast nonprofit that invites Indigenous migrant youth to run, play, and discover themselves in the natural environment.
D. Northeast Based
Camping to Connect
An outdoor rite-of-passage experience for urban youth.
E. Pacific Northwest Based
Citizens for a Healthy Bay
A Tacoma, WA-based environmental justice camp program for BIPOC Youth/Young Adult
Major Taylor Project
A WA-based after school cycling program that empowers youth to explore their communities, build confidence and leadership skills, and discover their power to effect change.
O2 Program
Outdoor Opportunities (O2) is a Seattle-based outdoor expedition program designed to expose multi-ethnic high school teens to outdoor recreation, environmental education, urban conservation, and stewardship.
Wild Diversity
A Portland-based organization working to create a sense of belonging in the outdoors for the BIPOC & LGBTQ+ communities.
F. California
Trail Folx
Trail Folx helps L.A.’s inner-city youth reach new heights through mountain sports and activities.
III. Consulting
Diversify Outdoors
A coalition of digital influencers, entrepreneurs and consultants advocating for a more equitable and inclusive outdoors.
In Solidarity Project
We are passionate about building a better, stronger, more diverse outdoor industry.
IV. BIPOC Outdoor Events
Color the Crag Climbing Festival
The annual Color the Crag Climbing Festival celebrates diversity in rock climbing. Their mission is to build community, promote leadership, and provide a positive narrative of underrepresented communities in the outdoors by directly supporting and connecting climbers of color.”
NBS Black Ski Summit
The Summit is a biennial fundraiser of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, bringing together well over 5000 people from all across the country for a week of winter sports fun.
Refuge Outdoor Festival
This festival is a safer space for all participants, with outdoor recreation activities, community conversations, entertainment, and art exhibits.
V. BIPOC Outdoor Recreation Groups
Colour the Trails
Colour the Trails advocates for inclusive representation in outdoor spaces, working with brand partners, businesses, and organizations to break barriers and create accessibility. They subsidize outdoor adventures, create diverse content, and are actively working with allies to create the change they want to see in the world.
Here Montana
Here Montana is a Montana-based outdoor recreation group for the BIPOC community whose purpose is to increase access to the outdoors through education, confidence, identity, and community building. Ages 16+.
Inclusive Woods & Us
The aim of Inclusive Woods & Us is to increase equitable access to the outdoors for children, families, and communities of people of color in lower socioeconomic standing to improve the physical, mental and spiritual health of vulnerable populations.
Nature for All
The mission of L.A.-based Nature for All is to build a diverse base of support to ensure that everyone in the Los Angeles area has equitable access to the wide range of benefits that nature provides.
Soul Trak
A D.C.-based nonprofit organization that connects communities of color to outdoor spaces while also building a coalition of diverse outdoor leaders. They run a variety of programming to serve hands-on, experiential programming.
VI. Black Outdoor Groups
Black Folks Camp Too
Black Folks Camp Too has the belief that once Black folks become more active campers and begin enjoying the outdoor lifestyle, this will help break down barriers to create more inclusive communities and stronger relationships overall.
Colorado Blackpackers
Blackpackers is an organization meeting those at the intersection of underrepresentation and economic vulnerability to create economic equity in outdoor recreation.
Cultural Wellness Center: Melanin in Motion
A Minnesota-based organization whose purpose is to connect Black people to active living opportunities in the outdoors.
Hood Hikers
Hiking and daytrips from NYC to nature within the Tristate area. Good vibes & safe space for Black & Brown folks.
HBCUs Outside
HBCUs Outside is a nonprofit group that aims to inspire underrepresented collegiate youth to get outside.
Outdoor Afro
They celebrate & inspire Black connections and leadership in nature
Peace Peloton
Peace Peloton supports and invests in Black livelihoods, communities, and Black-owned businesses through organized bicycle rides, community development events, and sustainable enrichment programs.
The Black Foxes
The Black Foxes is an international collective of unapologetically Black cyclists and outdoors-people that are reclaiming their narratives and roles in the outdoors. They embody the journey of the black fox by connecting fellow riders and outdoors people, sharing their stories, and providing more representation within cycling and the outdoors.
VII. Latinx Outdoor Groups
HECHO
Empowering Hispanic leaders to engage their communities in the conservation of their public lands.
Latino Outdoors
Engages Latino communities in the outdoors and embraces cultura y familia as part of the outdoor narrative.
Vamos Outdoor Project
Vamos Outdoors Project works to connect families to environmental education opportunities through fundraising, outreach and partnerships with local organizations.
VIII. Cycling/Biking
A. Social Media Groups
All Mountain Brothers
BIPOC Mountain Bikers online collective
BIPOC of Cycling
A safe space for BIPOC to share, acknowledge, and affirm lived experiences of racism within cycling.
Friends on Bikes
An OR-based group for women of color, trans, and gender non-conforming BIPOC who love cycling in PDX.
B. Multi-State Groups
Major Taylor Project Cycling Clubs (28 states)
Radical Adventure Riders
Chapters: ATL, Bay Area, Cleveland, Finger Lakes NY, Madison WI, New Haven CT, Philly, Reno NV, Richmond VA, Salt Lake City UT, Santa Fe NM)
Their mission is to enhance gender inclusivity and racial equity in the bicycle and outdoor adventure scene. RAR does this by providing connection, education, resources and support for the community and industry.
C. Pacific Northwest
Asian Bike Club
A Seattle community for AAPI-identifying folks.
Bike Works
Bike Works promotes the bicycle as a vehicle for change to empower youth and build resilient communities. Since 1996 they’ve worked to educate and empower youth and make bicycling accessible and affordable to the Seattle community.
North Star Cycling
A Seattle-based group whose mission is to get melanated people on bicycles in order to build a beloved community and be the radical justice-focused conscience of cycling.
IX. Climbing
A. Social Media Groups
Asian Bouldering Crew
Asian Bouldering Crew amplifies Asian Pacific Islander (AAPI) voices in climbing.
B. Multi-state
Brown Girls Climb
BGC is a social enterprise that strives to facilitate mentorship, provide access, uplift leadership, and celebrates representation in the outdoors and climbing for People of the Global Majority.
The Brown Ascenders
They are a nonprofit organization created for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) climbers by BIPOC climbers. their goal is to increase the accessibility of outdoor spaces, outdoor-related education, and recreation for BIPOC adults and youths while cultivating outlets for community, representation, and growth.
Climbers of Color
Climbers of Color (CoC) is an initiative to increase alpine and mountaineering expertise among People of Color (POC) outdoor educators and organizers.
C. Southwest
BIPOC At The Front
A Salt Lake City, UT-based organization advocating for better access to the outdoors for BIPOC.
Climbing in Color
A Tucson, AZ-based organization promoting diversity in climbing and advocacy for natural spaces.
Chromatic Climbers
A Phoenix, AZ-based organization building a place for POC to thrive within the climbing community.
X. Snowsports
National Brotherhood of Skiers
Provides financial support to its Olympic Scholarship Fund in pursuant of its mission to identify, develop and support athletes of color who will win Olympic and international winter sports competitions, representing the United States, and to increase participation in winter sports.
Soy Sauce Nation
An Asian American snowboarding online collective
STOKED
STOKED uses snowboarding as a means to empower Black and Brown youth in Los Angeles.
THE BIPOC MOUNTAIN COLLECTIVE
BIPOC Mountain Collective is an organization looking to introduce minorities to mountain sports.
XI. Watersports
Black Surfing Association
A non-profit organization based in Rockaway Beach, Queens that was founded in 2016 by Lou Harris. They give free lessons to local children.
Diversify Whitewater
Diversify Whitewater’s aim is to introduce more BIPOC to whitewater kayaking and rafting
Indigenous Surf Club
Its mission is to raise cultural awareness and promote diversity in the sport of surfing through community activities, outreach, and camaraderie.
XII. Adaptive Recreation
People for Mobility Justice (LA Based)
People for Mobility Justice is a BIPOC collective that works in mobility and transportation.
XIII. Running
Black Girls Run
The goal of “Black Girls Run” is to encourage and motivate Black women to practice a healthy lifestyle.
District Triathlon
Triathlon training team established in Washington, DC providing structured training and education to increase diversity in multisport athletics.
Diverse We Run
Building racial representation through story-telling, advocacy, and community
Stride for Stride
Stride for Stride buys race bibs for immigrants, BIPOC, and low-income runners, with the goal of making races more accessible and more diverse.
XIV. Bird Watching
Black Girls Bird
Aims to increase the visibility of Black women and girls as birders.
XV. Hunting & Fishing
Black American Outdoorsman
A Facebook group of over 30,000 Black outdoors-people and allies across the U.S.
Black Hunters & Fishing
Black Hunters & Fishing is an active Facebook community for Black folks hunting and fishing enthusiasts.
Brown Folks Fishing
The Brown Folks Fishing crew creates visibility, representation, and inclusion for anglers of color.
Hunters of Color
A nonprofit that advocates for a more equitable and inclusive hunting community by providing educational opportunities, resources and mentorship.
XVI. Black, Indigenous and Women of Color
Brown Girl Surf
Brown Girl Surf is increasing access to surfing and amplifying the voices of women of color surfers to create a diverse women's surf culture in the Bay Area.
Color Outside
Color Outside helps women of color harness the power of the outdoors to create the joy-filled, balanced lives they crave through coaching, workshops, & one-of-a-kind retreats.
Hike Clerb
Promotes healing together through nature via intersectional women’s hikes.
Outdoor Journal Tour
The idea for the Outdoor Journal Tour and their signature event #wehiketoheal was born out of a desire to help women learn the importance of “praying with their energy”, actively moving into alignment with their goals and living as if they already embody them.
Textured Waves
Textured Waves is a surfing community for women of all shades, riding waves.
Wild Women of Color
Join us for an empowering nine-week online course to dive deep into the intricacies of being a *woman of color in nature. This course is designed to integrate lifelong nature connection, foster a growing community of wild women of color, and support your connection to your lineage and yourself.
XVII. Black Women
Black Girls Trekkin
An LA-based group of women who want to “get away from the busy city life. To promote diversity in the outdoors and show that people of color DO go outside and do things like hike, swim, climb, and enjoy the thrill of adventure and to connect with other black women that have like-minded ideas and to have their own safe space.”
Black women who kayak
Black Women Who Kayak+ breaks down barriers, empower, and defy the myths of what African American Women will and won’t do when it comes to outdoor sport
Black Girls Run
Black Girls RUN’s mission is to encourage and motivate Black women to make fitness and healthy living a priority.
Girl Trek
GirlTrek, the largest public health nonprofit for African-American women and girls in the United States. With 1 million members, GirlTrek encourages women to use walking as a practical first step to inspire healthy living, families, and communities. As women organize walking teams, they mobilize community members to support monthly advocacy efforts and lead a civil rights-inspired health movement.
XVIII. Indigenous Women
All are We Collective
Outdoor educational and recreational programs to build community and get outside. Support under-recognized communities!
Indigenous Womxn Climb
Indigenous Womxn Climb is a community providing support and resources for Indigenous Womxn climbers.
Indigenous Women Hike
Healing through their inherent connection to the land.
XIX. BIPOC Online Collectives
Diversify Outdoors
A coalition of digital influencers, entrepreneurs and consultants advocating for a more equitable and inclusive outdoors.
Diversity Vanlife
Diversify Vanlife is a platform that highlights the less-heard voices in the Vanlife and Nomadic communities. They amplify the stories of those who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S, and those with disabilities.
The Indigenous Collective
The Indigenous Collective is an ongoing video series that collaborates with Indigenous artists, musicians, performers, and storytellers in order to celebrate their creativity and vibrancy of life!
LatinXHikers
"LatinXhikers is a community dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors through digital story-telling and community outreach.
Native Women’s Wilderness
Native Women's Wilderness was created to bring Native women together to share their stories, support each other, and learn from one another as they endeavor to explore and celebrate the wilderness and their native lands.
Outdoor Asian
Their vision is to create a diverse and inclusive community of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the outdoors.
Pedal 2 the People
Pedal 2 the People is an online collective of BIPOC cyclists.
Queer POC Hikers
QPOC Hikers is based in the Pacific Northwest and exists to connect queer people of color with hiking and the outdoors by creating space to share stories and experiences, increasing visibility, representation, and awareness, and organizing opportunities for learning and growth.
Team Blackstar Skydivers
An online community of Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latinx and multiracial skydivers. Hosts an annual event in the southeast United States.
XX. BIPOC Outdoor Media Companies
Melanin Base Camp
A storytelling platform that promotes diversity in the outdoors.
Natives Outdoors
Their mission is simple: They are in business to empower indigenous communities through their products and storytelling for a sustainable world.
XXI. BIPOC Travel
A. Black Travel
Black and Abroad
A cultural collective dedicated to encouraging and celebrating Black travel.
Black Travel Summit
The year-round event experience celebrates travelers & travel industry professionals of color.
TravelNoire
Travel Noire is a digital media company serving millennials of the African Diaspora. Through inspired content, they help discerning travelers discover, plan and experience new destinations.
B. Muslim Travel
Muslim Travel Girl
The go-to website for Muslim-friendly holidays and DIY Umrah, helping Muslim Millennials explore the world in style without breaking the bank.
XXII. BIPOC Outdoor Tour Guides
Camp Yoshi
The vision is to create a space for Black folks and Allies to unplug, in order to reconnect with the wilderness. The Camp Yoshi collective pulls this off by custom designing guided outdoor adventures that speak to shared experience.
Black Adventure Crew
Black Kids Adventures, Inc is here to help bridge the adventure gap by helping introduce and exposing families to these activities, they expect to see greater representation in outdoor spaces, publications, and ads as well as motivate the next generation to pursue career opportunities that allow them to further connect with nature.
Dzil Ta’ah Adventures
Navajo owned Bikepacking Adventure company
Major Knox Adventures
Major Knox Adventures is an outdoor series that promotes radical joy of cycling and other outdoor activities while continuing to celebrate the legacies of "Major" Taylor, Kittie Knox, and countless lesser-known Black outdoor enthusiasts who have paved the way for experiencing pleasure in the great "out-of-outdoors".
Mount Noire
Their mission is to bring color to the mountains. They seek to increase inclusivity in winter sports. share their love for skiing & snowboarding and curate unforgettable, social & fuss-free experiences.
NOLS Affinity Expedition Programs
Expeditions that connect to POC’s outdoors, led by POC instructors
XXIII. BIPOC Outdoor Grants & Scholarships
Valez Adventure Connect Scholarship
Connect is a scholarship fund that will help provide experiences such as the Valdez Ice Climbing Festival and the Valdez Fat Bike Bash.
The Summit Scholarship
The AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation exists to break down barriers to entry to the big mountain realm for women from all walks of life.
BIPOC Backcountry Scholarship
Voile’s and Scarpa scholarship aim is to celebrate, amplify and inspire BIPOC presence in the mountain for backcountry skiing and snowboarding
Mountain Hardware Open Aperture Photo Clinic
Open Aperture is a photography clinic for underrepresented groups within the outdoor community who are interested in learning more about climbing photography.
SJ Brooks Scholarships
SJ Brooks Scholarships seeks to increase access, reduce barriers, and center voices specifically for BIPOC cyclists who are trans, woman, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit, and/or genderqueer.
REI’s Founded Outdoors
REI’s Path Ahead Ventures is a new initiative that will invest $300 million in 300 business founders of color in the outdoor industry. You can apply to REI’s Embark program, it is a 3-month virtual program for new and aspiring BIPOC entrepreneurs.
Bikepacking Roots BIPOC Bike Grant
The BIPOC Bike Adventure Grant is Bikepacking Roots' new grant program created to help reduce the barriers to bike adventure for BIPOC individuals.
Sports Basement's Resource Grant
intended to help increase accessibility to the great outdoors for nonprofit organizations and school programs serving Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) individuals.
BIPOC Filmmaker Grant
Our goal is to help more people tell their stories and to bring to the screen the voices of people who are far too often left out of the spotlight.
The Elevation Grant
The Elevation grant is for BIPOC content creators in the outdoor sphere.
Eddie Bauer One Outside Film Grant
Each year, Eddie Bauer awards up to six $10,000 film grants to help fund the creation of outdoor films made by filmmakers from underrepresented groups.
AMGA BIPOC Scholarship Fund
The BIPOC Scholarship Fund is a new model of funding intended to address key barriers identified by BIPOC members of the community in order to better support them throughout their AMGA programs.
Adventure Outside Grant
Funding for BIPOC Individuals to explore new outdoor recreation activities
Unfilter the Outdoors
A community focused on mentorship & scholarship opportunities for underrepresented long-distance hikers
Women of Winter Scholarship
This scholarship program awards Black, Indigenous, Women of Color with an educational opportunity to obtain a PSIA-AASI alpine or snowboard Level I certification that will encourage and support BIPOC women to pursue opportunities to teach skiing or snowboarding.
Blackbird Guides BIPOC Avalanche Course Scholarship
The purpose of the Blackbird BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) Avalanche Scholarship is to remove financial barriers to avalanche education to make backcountry skiing more accessible and representative.
Eugene Gear Collective
We are committed to the redistribution of outdoor gear free of charge in a mutual aid framework. BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled folks prioritized.
Westfjords Way Challenge
We’re offering two scholarships for race entry and travel to support and encourage Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color to compete in a bicycle race around Iceland.
While I love rocking my natural curls, I’ve learned to embrace protective styles that are low-maintenance and travel friendly