Day 1 of #BlackBirderWeek is #BlackInNature. As a black plant systematist, I’ve traveled throughout the southwest in search of the shrub @Glossopetalon. These experiences deepened my connection with #nature and gave me the opportunity to explore, learn, and grow as a person. 1/13

These experiences build on the childhood foundation my mother instilled in me by taking me to @NMStateParks to appreciate and love the land. They heightened my appreciation for the hardworking years my grandma Sandoval spent farming. However… 2/13

Conducting fieldwork alone as a black woman, presents a unique set of challenges. These include: fearing for my own safety, but also being perceived as a threat by others, or that I do not belong in these spaces. 3/13

It’s important to understand these experiences are not isolated as we have recently seen in national media. Recently a #BlackBirder was threatened when a white woman invoked the police as a weapon against him for asking her to leash her dog in Central Park. #BlackInNature 4/13

This traumatic experience is one ex. from our national climate. We must acknowledge that there is an open season on black bodies as we continue to hear about increased senseless killings and although we speak of current national climate, it is in fact a historical climate. 5/13

These racist biases COST LIVES and negatively impact how Black people interact with the #outdoors. This connection to nature is a long standing relationship in the Black community. 6/13

@FredDouglassNPS, for example, was an overlooked naturalist who spent time pressing flowers, and integrated thinking of waterways in many of his works - a rooting passed down from his grandmother. 7/13

Black folks have historically employed farm to table practices, utilized wildlife symbology in spirituality, & utilized many African techniques to elevate early American agricultural practices. Being rooted in the land has been a longstanding form of agency for our people 8/13

and yet… outdoor activities have been branded as solely a white hobby. This proliferates in the advertising of these spaces, who participates in outdoor activities, and who feels safe enough to cultivate their relationship with the natural world. 9/13

People of color comprise 39.9% of the US pop (US Census 2014) but 70% of outdoor recreation participants were Caucasian (Outdoor Foundation, 2013). Bruh, between 08-2012 NINETY FIVE PERCENT of National Forest & Wilderness visitors were white (US Forest Service, 2013). 10/13

Ultimately, there is a glaring lack of representation of #BlackInNature. Our children - the next generation - need to see themselves represented in these activities. Representation says, “yes, this is for you. Yes, you can do this because I did. I see you and you belong.” 11/13

Show us how you contribute to this representation through the #BlackInNature. Check out @OutdoorAfro, an organization that cultivates black leadership and connections with nature. 12/13

The @USFWS has a national partnership with @ZPHIBHQ to increase Black participation and exposure to our lands. These programs are imperative, but we must take further action in dismantling racism in our society for the safety & well-being of everyone becuz #BlacklivesMatter 13/13