On Saturday, September 14th, the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter and Sierra Club Military Outdoors joined our partners at REI for the 2nd Annual Outdoor Industry Hike and Paddle.
After weeks of 90-degree weather, a cool and cloudy Georgia morning was a welcome sight. Due to a bit of a mix-up, we met at the very first REI Boathouse at Stone Mountain, Georgia, but it had recently been relocated temporarily for filming. So, folks gathered at the REI boathouse take-off number two. I meet an Air Force Veteran named Kelly, who heard about this outing on Facebook at the original REI Boathouse.
Once we figured out we were at the wrong location, we drove over the to temporary REI Boathouse takeoff. Several veterans and Sierra Club members gathered for our day hike with REI guides. I signed folks in and gave what I must say was a riveting trailhead talk. James and Justin at REI served as our guides and took folks on the Stone Mountain Nature Trail. There were tons of jokes and a lot of awe on the trail.
After a couple of hours of sightseeing and hiking in one of Georgia's most popular outdoor spaces, folks returned for a working lunch with more friends joining us for the afternoon sessions. Hey, people love a free meal. We ate some of Stone Mountain's best pizza from Stone Mountian Cafe.
During lunch, we got a talk from David Sapp, an REI employee and Team River Runner Atlanta Chapter Coordinator. He spoke about his transition from being in the U.S. Marines Corps to the civilian world. He used nature to help him transition but still lacked a career that gave him purpose. As a teenager he worked at the local REI, and years later, after a chance encounter with an old REI manager, he was invited back to the REI family. He has been working with for REI for the last several years. He said he was skeptical at first but came around thanks to being given a chance to pursue his passion: the love of outdoors.
He shared with us that an internal REI survey found that 60% of their most productive managers and outdoor trainers were military veterans, showing that our skills learned during our the time in service can easily translate into civilian world leadership.
BriGette McCoy then spoke about her organization: Women's Veterans Social Justice Network. BriGette shared her story of how nature helped her transition from the Army to civilian life. She met Stacy Bare, who encouraged her to further pursue time in the outdoors. She dropped weight and felt better about herself, which led her to getting outdoors even more. She even joined the Sierra Club Military Outdoors for our first ever Artic Wildlife Refuge outing in Alaska. She also served as a keynote speaker at our SCMO fly-In in DC to lobby on behalf of the Accelerating Veterans Outdoors Recovery Act. Of course, I spoke about the military outdoors and the Sierra Club, letting folks know how they can get involved through volunteering as well as other ways they can support us.
Then folks got a guided float at Stone Mountain Lake and caught some scenic views of the historic park. The lake stands in the shadow of the infamous mountain. We had the option of choosing to stand-up paddleboard or kayak, and some folks went with tandem kayaks. We laughed, we shared stories, and the sun was kept at bay until the very end of our float. Good news, we only had one swimmer. I had a chance to deep dive with David Sapp on how the outdoors can help veterans and save lives.
Events like this one not only highlight the healing power of nature — they show how veterans can translate their skills learned during their time in service to leadership positions in the outdoor industry. We are happy to continue this new tradition for another year. We want to thank our incredible partners at REI and send a special thank you to our friends and colleagues at the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter; The Mission Continues; Team River Runner; and The Women Veterans Social Justice Network. We're proud that veterans, military, and the broader community can come together to share time in the great outdoors.
— Lornett Vestal, Southeastern Campaign Representative, Military Outdoors