Arizona State Parks and Trails has joined forces with Black Folks Camp Too to promote inclusivity in outdoor recreation through the Unity Blaze “Return on Inclusion” training program. This collaboration aims to diversify participation in outdoor activities and make Arizona’s 33 state parks more welcoming to all.
As part of the initiative, Arizona State Parks and Trails staff have completed training designed to enhance their ability to engage with diverse communities. The Unity Blaze program emphasizes inclusivity regardless of race, gender, abilities, or ethnicity.
Developed by Black Folks Camp Too, the curriculum addresses unconscious bias, the historical barriers faced by underrepresented groups, and strategies for creating welcoming environments in outdoor spaces.
Earl B. Hunter, Jr., founder and president of Black Folks Camp Too, underscored the significance of the partnership.
“Our partnership is sincere, meaningful, measurable, and sustainable as we continue to increase Unity in the Outdoor Community and BEYOND through education and activations.”
Hunter highlighted three key reasons why outdoor recreation has historically lacked diversity: generational fears of the outdoors among people of color, a sense of exclusion, and a lack of familiarity with outdoor activities.
Through the training program, he hopes to address these challenges and encourage more inclusive outreach and safer outdoor experiences.
Arizona State Parks and Trails Executive Director Bob Broscheid expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to making outdoor spaces accessible for everyone.
“This is something we want to fully integrate into our daily operations and future plans as an agency because we want future generations, of every type of person, to be able to experience the outdoors,” Broscheid stated in a press release.
The effort is backed by data from the Outdoor Foundation’s 2022 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, which shows that 71% of outdoor recreation participants are white, even though they make up only 59% of the U.S. population.
The report warns that without efforts to diversify participation, overall engagement in outdoor recreation could decline significantly, impacting not only the industry’s economic vitality but also efforts to protect and preserve natural spaces.
Black Folks Camp Too, an award-winning organization, focuses on fostering unity in outdoor spaces through education, advocacy, and community-building. By partnering with organizations like Arizona State Parks and Trails, it seeks to break down barriers and ensure outdoor recreation is accessible to all.
