Earlier in November, I was lucky enough to spend some time outside of the office, and across the country, where I attended the Association of Outdoor Recreation Education Conference (AORE) in Portland, Oregon. AORE is an annual conference that brings together students and professionals in the outdoor field, and takes a constructive look at where our field is headed, how we can design better programming, and what we can do to improve our relationship with the outdoors. This year, the Director of Sierra Club Outdoors and 2014 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Stacy Bare, was invited to be the keynote speaker, and speak on the topic of inclusive and adaptive programming. I found out that Mr. Bare would be speaking shortly after I began my position here at the Maryland Chapter in early September. I was eager to hear what he had to say, and how I could bring that knowledge and experience back to benefit our program.
At the keynote breakfast on November 13th, Bare stood up in front of the largest AORE attendance in history, and spoke honestly about his experience with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and how going out into the outdoors allowed him to find himself again. After returning from a tour in Iraq in 2007, Stacy Bare suffered debilitating PTSD and addiction that threatened to end his life. He was able to overcome his diseases, finding solace in the beauty of the outdoors and the adrenaline pumping excitement of outdoor adventure sports. As Bare shared his story with us, he addressed the importance of understanding that everyone is an adaptive athlete. Some people may be missing a limb, but others may be fighting mental or emotional battles. Outdoor programs are not always completely representative of the population, and some programs might maintain an image that perpetuates negative stereotypes. Instead of just addressing the problem, and explaining why it needs to be changed, Stacy outlined four key steps that would encourage programs to reevaluate their image, and become more open and inclusive to all.
Step One: End Bro Culture
The outdoor field is made up primarily of men, specifically, white men. There is an air of arrogance within the field, with many competing against one another to see who can accomplish the most difficulty, the most dangerous, and the most emotional/physical strength defying. There is a stereotype of the “manly man” headed off to the woods in search of something bigger than himself. This epic quest typically involves ascending the tallest mountains, climbing the hardest cliffs, and paddling through the strongest rapids. This “vision of success” leaves little room for the average man or woman, who simply goes out into the woods to enjoy the beauty. There is always competition to be the best, and this competition relies on who is willing to sacrifice the most time, money, and pain.
Step Two: End the Hierarchy of Experience
This second concept relates perfectly back to the first. In the field of outdoor adventure guides and higher education, it seems as though traveling the world is a mandatory requirement when applying to jobs. This can seem intimidating to those who are looking to break into the field and become involved. Not everyone has the opportunity to spend four to five months out of the year out exploring the field. Everyone is a beginner at some point, but stressing the importance of experience creates an unwelcoming environment for those who may just be starting out. The outdoors is available for all, and if as a field we don’t attract an interest base that is more representative of the nation’s population, we will fail to push ourselves further.
Step Three: More Selective Use of Plaid
Looking around the room, nearly everyone was decked out in identifiable outdoor brands. Black Diamond, Patagonia, Marmot, Mountain Hardware; these brands are popular amongst outdoor enthusiasts because they are built to work and withstand time and ware. These brands are considered a uniform amongst trip leaders and outdoor professionals, but the reality is, they are incredibly expensive. This creates a class hierarchy within the world of outdoor adventure sports. Those who have enough money to invest in top-notch gear are considered the “most committed”. Just because someone hikes in Timberland boots does not mean that they are any less than someone who hikes in a pair of $300 Keens. We should not perpetuate intimidation through how we choose to dress. Participants should be prepared for the elements, but they do not have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on gear just to feel included.
Step Four: Understanding Adaptive Athletes and Using the Outdoors as a Healing Process
Bare explained that we are not in the business of deciding who gets to be a part of our program. In addition to offering adaptive adventure programming, we should find ways to make regular programming more inclusive. This includes learning how to work and instruct the mentally and physically disabled. This includes maintaining close relationships with adaptive programming so that we can learn new approaches and techniques. This includes understanding that people’s differences don’t make them any less capable, but instead provides us with a different point of view.
Stacy’s speech was incredibly inspiring. It allowed me to take a step back and assess where our program stands. I am proud of the Sierra Club and its commitment to working with Veterans in the field of adaptive sports. His speech made me think more about what we can do on the community level. How can we at the Sierra Club encourage disabled members to join our weekend hikes? How can we get our participant populations to be more representative of our communities? I believe that this effort starts with our Outings Leaders. We must create close relationships with adaptive programs, encourage advertising across various local communities, and learn how we could provide more opportunities for our members. We are not supposed to be perfect, but we are always learning. We want our community members to take action and voice their opinions. We want to continue to foster a love for the outdoors amongst all of our members. Everyone deserves the opportunity to Enjoy, Explore, and Protect.