Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Walker
Hi Kristen , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My interest in outdoor recreation was sparked during the pandemic when choices for meeting up with friends indoors were limited. I started venturing outside doing local hikes and bike rides. During a bike ride along the Anacostia River in Washington, DC hosted by SoulTrak Outdoors I met their founder Tyrhee Moore and learned about their mission. A few months later I became a member of their 2022 Environmental Leadership cohort and this program provided a unique opportunity to engage in environmental stewardship projects while fostering community with other black and brown folks in nature. During my time volunteering with SoulTrak, I took a few National Park trips with this group. We went to Arches, Canyonlands and Virgin Islands National Parks for both recreation and service. I noticed that there were so few other Black people enjoying these breath-taking places which jump-started my idea for Our Parks Too! I met Diamon at a hike & yoga event I co-hosted as a member of the Environmental Leadership cohort and both being from Baltimore we immediately hit it off. We had a conversation about my idea for an initiative to showcase Black joy and nature in the National Park system and how her wide range of experiences in the outdoor space and shared goals for advocacy could really make the project outstanding and we’ve been working together ever since. Between the 2 of us we have visited 18 National Parks and hope to secure funding and collaborate with more outdoor groups to bring more Black people out with us.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We’ve been featured in a few national media outlets, and often when we relay our experiences as Black women and discuss the need for our project, non-Black people somehow feel offended, targeted, and go on to attack and invalidate us. Our project is about broadening the outdoor landscape for Black people, not about limiting access for anyone else. We would love for our project to be received just that way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We hope to work against the historical exclusion of Black people in the National Parks and other outdoor spaces by highlighting Black joy in these spaces. Like other organizations led by people of color doing similar work around the country, our goal is to change the narrative around who is “outdoorsy”, who “belongs” and who has a “right” to access and enjoy these public lands. What makes our project unique is that we focus on the National Parks system, and the Black history in and around the parks to foster connection, belonging, and ownership in our community. Only 4-6% of National Park visitorship is Black, and only about 30% minority in general. According to projections by 2045 there will be a major shift in American demographics with the current non-white minority becoming the majority. At the current rate of visitorship there will soon be no stewards left to cherish and protect the parks if Black and brown people don’t start to feel ownership of these spaces.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I am a lifelong Baltimore City resident with a passion for outdoor exploration and conservation. Despite primarily residing in inner city environments, I’ve always been an advocate for protecting the environment and appreciating the beauty of nature. I call Northeast Baltimore home, I grew up here and I still live here today. My parents used to take my brother and I out in our red Radio Flyer wagon down to Lake Montebello and Herring Run Park. My dad would pull up along the paths and we’d watch the birds and turtles playing in the water with awe. We also had a small patch of woods behind our house with an interconnected trail system that led to different neighborhoods, a creek, and a playground. We spent so much time with our friends back there as kids. I’m so glad that I was able to come of age with such proximity to nature, because not so many are as lucky.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ourparkstoo.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourparkstoo/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtg_MKpN8Rksm1CLoj-OFuFv09dCaqtpB
Image Credits
1st photo should be credited to Peter Hoblitzell
