ELEVATE CONSERVATION: OUTDOORS FOR ALL
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Thank you for joining us! 
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Please watch the event here!

Want to know more about how to stay involved and take action after Elevate Conservation: Outdoors for All 2020's event? Check out the coalition's newsletter here. 
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SPEAKERS

CJ Goulding - Emcee

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CJ Goulding (he/him) is passionate about facilitating growth in three things: people, community, and leadership. In his work with the Children & Nature Network and Fresh Tracks, CJ trains, mentors and supports a national network of over 330 leaders who are changing systems and creating equitable access to nature in their communities. This work draws from experience leading outdoor trips, conservation crews, and youth internship programs for the National Park Service. He completed a MaED in Urban Environmental Education with IslandWood and Antioch University, where he studied the power of community and its connection to nature in urban settings. CJ has been featured in the Outdoor Industry’s inaugural “30 Under 30” list highlighting game changers in the outdoor industry, and his essay “Why I Wear Jordans in the Great Outdoors” has been published and featured in culturally relevant outdoor curriculum across the country. He is an eager writer, photographer, and lover of sharing and supporting stories.

TERESA BAKER
FOUNDER AFRICAN AMERICAN NATURE AND PARKS EXPERIENCE &

Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge ​

Growing up as the only sister to eight brothers in her hometown of Richmond, California, Teresa was determined not to be outdone; spending time in the outdoors became her passion. Fast-forward 30 years later—the outdoors is still her passion; the only difference is the stakes are higher. She now spends time outdoors with the purpose of engaging communities of color in outdoor spaces, in hopes of fostering a shared sense of responsibility for environmental protection. Teresa spends the majority of her time working with outdoor agencies, organizations brands and retailers, on ways to welcome a more diverse audience to their boards, staff and programs. She does this through outdoor events and speaking engagements across the country. She is the founder of the African American Nature and Parks Experience and the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge. 
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Representative Angelica Rubio
Outdoor Equity Fund

Rep. Rubio was born and raised in rural southeastern New Mexico and is the youngest daughter of Mexican immigrants. Angelica grew up with a deep working knowledge of the power found in numbers, as well as a flair for making her case. After earning her degree in Government from New Mexico State University, Angelica worked in Washington, DC. She later moved to East Los Angeles to pursue a graduate degree in Latin American Studies, as well as an education in community organizing. Establishing herself as a fierce change agent, Angelica returned home and demonstrated the same urgency. In 2016, Angelica won a seat in the New Mexico State Legislature, where she now serves--focusing on energy policy through the lens of environmental and workers justice. Rep. Rubio is also a champion for equitable outdoor recreation that not only benefits younger New Mexicans, but more importantly working towards the protection of public lands. After her reelection in 2018, Angelica prepared for the 2019 legislative session by organizing a successful 300+mile bike packing trip from Las Cruces to Santa Fe, to raise awareness on the disconnect between the state capitol and the rest of the state, and did so again this past  January. When Angelica is not organizing and working on issues of justice, you can find her at home hanging with her dog, Lennon, or riding her bike along the dry ditch banks of the desert in Doña Ana County and beyond.


LEN NECEFER
FOunder of NativesOUtdoors

Len Necefer, Ph.D. is the founder of Natives Outdoors, an outdoor gear company that works with indigenous artists and athletes to create gear that supports outdoor recreation on tribal lands. He is a member of the Navajo Nation & he holds a Doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Engineering and Public Policy. Dr. Necefer is also an assistant professor at the University of Arizona with joint appointments with the American Indian Studies program & the Udall Center for Public Policy. Previously he worked at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio on supersonic vehicle research and most recently worked for the Department of Energy’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs supporting tribes realize their energy futures through research and grant-making. His research focuses at the intersection of indigenous people and natural resource management policy. This has included work from energy and water issues in the lower 48 and Alaska to outdoor recreation management policy.
 
In his spare time Len is an avid outdoor adventurer using rock/ice climbing, high altitude & ski mountaineering, and bikepacking to convey stories focused on environmental activism & indigenous history. These adventures are documented through his writing and photography which has been featured in the Alpinist, Outside Magazine, the Climbing Zine, Beside Magazine, Patagonia’s the Cleanest Line, and various film festivals.
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Wayne Hare

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Hare, a former combat Marine, spent many years in the IT sector before a major career change into outdoor, experiential education and then eventually into federal land management. Hare spent several years as assistant director of Outdoor Programs at Dartmouth College and he was also an instructor for Outward Bound Boston Harbor. During this time Hare also worked with National Park Service Director Bob Stanton to understand and remedy the lack of ethnic and cultural diversity in hearty, outdoor recreation and careers.

From there Hare became a career backcountry ranger in the west for the National Park Service where he patrolled the mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park in northern Colorado and the canyons of
Canyonlands National Park in southern Utah, and later for the Bureau of Land Management where he patrolled the Colorado River in western Colorado.

Hare retired from federal land management in 2013, but continues to help manage wildland fires. Hare has been on the board of High Country News for 12 years. In 2018 he founded a nonprofit, The Civil
Conversations Project, where he and others, through writing, filming, and guided discussions, attempt to change the false narrative that America tells itself about race.

In his limited spare time, Hare enjoys road and mountain biking, fly fishing, ice climbing, hiking, canyoneering, exploring southern Utah and the Arizona strip, good food and any cocktail. Hare lives in
western Colorado with his wife and three dogs.

HONOREES

Inclusive Journeys

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Parker McMullen Bushman

Parker McMullen Bushman is the Co-founder of Inclusive Journeys. Inclusive Journeys is a company that is working to identify safe and welcoming spaces for all.  Their first project is the Digital Green Book. This interactive site will be like Yelp, but for inclusivity. Parker’s background in the conservation, environmental education and outdoor recreation fields spans over 23+ years. Parker has a passion for equity and inclusion in the outdoors. Her interest in justice, accessibility,and equity issues developed from her personal experiences facing the unequal representation of people of color in environmental organizations and green spaces. Parker tackles these complex issues by addressing them through head on activism and education. In Colorado she works with environmental organizations to aid them in building culturally diverse and culturally competent organizations that are representative of the populations that they hope to reach and serve. She is a member of several committees that focus on diversity in environmental fields as well as a presenter and trainer on diversity issues. ​

TikTok: @kweenwerk 
Website: https://cparkermcmullenbushman.com/

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Crystal Egli

​Having grown up in rural Vermont, Crystal Egli has always been an avid outdoor recreator. She grew up hiking, biking, camping, boating, and both water & snow skiing. After attending film school at Emerson College, she pursued a career in the film industry in Los Angeles. It only took Crystal 2 weeks to realize Los Angeles wasn’t the place for her, but 10 years to leave. In that time she found her partner Andre, and in 2015 they decided to move to Colorado to pursue a work-life balance that included a much higher percentage of backpacking and fishing. A few years ago, coworkers convinced Crystal to take up hunting. Not only is she now an enthusiastic hunter-- Crystal has also become a Hunter Education instructor, as well as a mentor to a novice young woman. In 2019, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) awarded Crystal the Stephen Kellert award for “outstanding service in advancing connections between humans and the natural world to all peoples in a diverse and inclusive manner”. Crystal is using her platform and voice to continue to help carve out more inclusive spaces in conservation work and outdoor recreation. Crystal is the co-founder of Inclusive Journeys (InclusiveJourneys.com), which is working on creating a modern, digital version of The Green Book. The web-based platform will be a resource for people of marginalized communities to identify safe and welcoming businesses and spaces.

Taishya Adams
Colorado Parks & Wildlife Commissioner,
Outdoor Afro Policy Director & Colorado Volunteer Co-Leader 
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Taishya Adams is a servant leader with 25+ years of experience at the intersection of education, health, workforce, and environmental justice. As the first African American woman to serve on the Commission of Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Taishya sets policy and provides oversight of Colorado’s state parks and wildlife management with a focus on authentic stakeholder engagement, transparency, and accountability. At Outdoor Afro, Taishya serves as a co-leader in Colorado and as the policy director working with 90 leaders in 30 states connecting Black people to outdoor experiences, reimaging Blackness in the outdoors, and changing the face of earth-tending and environmental justice.  At the American Institutes for Research, Taishya collaborates with diverse stakeholders to strengthen educational equity issues related to access, representation, meaningful participation and quality for all. Taishya is committed to dismantling barriers, addressing bias and privilege, and working in collaboration to forge a new legacy founded on liberation and justice for all. 
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Previously, Taishya worked for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the DC Public Charter Schools Board, United Nations Association’s Global Classrooms, and the Children Defense Fund Freedom Schools.  Taishya is a co-founder of New Legacy Charter School – a public charter high school and early learning center in Aurora, Colorado. In addition to the extensive experience in the field, Taishya holds a MA in International Education from George Washington University and a BA from Vassar College in Political Science and Film Production. ​
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Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK)

​ELK is a Denver based inclusive non-profit organization that develops inspired and responsible leaders through science education and outdoor experiences for under-resourced, youth.  ELK serves 5,000 low-income youth, ages 5-25, and their families in Denver, Adams and Arapahoe Counties.  ELK focuses on outdoor experiential field activities and learning experiences such as overnight camping, hiking, snow shoeing and fishing trips to many of Colorado's state parks, national parks, and open spaces. We provide an in-depth study of the environment, eco-systems,  conservation, science and team-building and fun. ELK inspires youth to have high expectations of themselves by exposing them to the outdoors.  ELK transforms youth by endowing them with increased academic skills, civic and community leadership, environmental stewardship, and employment opportunities.
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Christian Giles -
​College Lead, Environmental Learning for Kids, Urban Rangers


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Christian Giles is a junior in college currently attending the University of Denver; majoring in Environmental Science and Sociology with a minor in Communications.  Christian works for ELK as  a College Lead for the Urban Ranger program and has participated in ELK for 7 years.  Christian is involved in the sustainability club on DU campus, and the Great Outdoors Wild Youth student council representing the Montbello community.  Through ELK Christian has been a leader on camping, back-packing trips, fishing clinics  and able to learn about careers in the outdoors and science and technology fields.  Through his education, he  hopes to cultivate a plan of action to promote more diversity and equity and get more people of color in the outdoors.
 
“I can remember the first time I was able to visit a National Park and the amazement and bliss I felt, but also at that same moment thought of all my friends and families who didn’t get to share this experience with me because of the idea that that people of color don’t belong in the outdoors, that this is strictly an area of life that belongs to white people.”  Christian Giles

Jackie Radilla -
Community Hub Programs Manager for Get Outdoors Leadville

Jacqueline Radilla De La Rosa, born in Acapulco, Mexico & raised in Leadville, Colorado, is Get Outdoors Leadville!’s (GOL!) Hub Programs Manager. Her job centers around community skills development and programming. She manages GOL!’s Community Gear Library; a resource aimed to help give access to community members to be fully equipped for their outdoor experiences—introductory or in the backcountry—by providing and loaning out high quality gear at little to no cost. Jacqueline believes that passing on and sharing her love of the natural love with the younger generation is key to the conservation of our planet. As an educator, she approaches conservation by teaching kindness; kindness to oneself, kindness to others, and kindness to Mother Earth. Jacqueline loves to rock climb and get crafty in her spare time. In her role, and in her volunteer work, Jacqueline continues to fight so that others can also have the opportunity to experience all that our natural world has to offer.
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Northwest Youth Corps
LGBTQ, ASL & Indigenous Youth Conservation Corps Program

D Callaghan 

Derinne "D" Callaghan was raised alongside the corn crops of the Midwest - specifically the land currently known as Columbus, Ohio. Eventually moving to Portland, Oregon, D was initiated into seasonal outdoor work as a field instructor for a publicly funded state-wide outdoor education program, which instilled within them the value of community and intention. Wanting to spend ample time in the woods, D sought a position with Northwest Youth Corps, serving as co-leaders on their LGBTQ+ inclusion trail crew the summer of 2019. It was experiencing the impact of this crew on members, leaders and allies that continued to develop D’s passion for youth development with the aim of creating safer spaces. When the LGBTQ+ Crew received the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps’ Project of the Year Award in February 2020, D was honored to travel to Washington, DC  to accept the award on behalf of both crews, Northwest Youth Corps and OUT There Adventures, and to participate in a film describing the program.

D is currently residing and working in the Green Mountains as a young adult crew leader for The Farm at Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. They feel fortunate to be able to continue to find meaningful work that aligns with their passions. When they aren't in the backwoods D can either be found cooking or planning their first thru-hike!

Grace Anderson
People of the Global Majority in the Outdoors, Nature, and Environment (PGM ONE)

Grace is a network weaver and community organizer based in Oakland, CA. Currently, as the Strategic Partnership and Operations Director with PGM ONE, Grace co-directs the largest racial affinity organization for BIPOC working towards environmental justice. PGM ONE envisions a world that centers, values, uplifts, and empowers those who are most impacted by environmental harm and climate change—and in particular black, indigenous, and people of color/of the global majority—to lead the way toward environmental justice and collective liberation.

She is a lover of natural wine, cycling long distances, reading, and early bedtimes. ​
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