Cover of book Nature Swagger		Nature Swagger author Rue Mapp

Black people in nature is an idea whose time has come, if recent efforts and publications are any indication. The latest drive magazine from Subaru has an article titled Nature Is for Everybody that features Kasim Carter who introduces other Blacks to hiking. Carter is a volunteer leader with Outdoor Afro which works to connect Black people in nature.

Another organization with similar purpose, Together Outdoors, works to make the outdoors more accessible and welcoming for everyone.

Rue Mapp, the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro (a leading force in the promotion of Black involvement and interaction with the outdoors), is author of the new book, Nature Swagger (Nov.1, $24.95). Filled with breathtaking photography, inspiring stories, profiles, and spotlights from prominent Black leaders in outdoor spaces, this book inspires Black communities to reclaim their place in the natural world. With more than 80% of Black Americans living in urban areas, revitalizing their connection with nature is more vital than ever.

Nature Swagger presents wonderful stories and photos by people detailing their connecting with nature and the joy it gives them.

			Rae Wynn-Grant is a large carnivore ecologist and a fellow with National Geographic Society; she is best known for her research on the human impact on the behavior of black bears in Montana. She is an advocate for women and people of color in the sciences. She writes: "With Mother Earth under my feet, and clear sky over my head, and living, breathing, vibrant wilderness all around me, I challenge myself to feel not defeated, but rather embraced. I challenge myself to accept that many animals don’t want to be found, and that scientific discovery can also occur in the absence of an animal."
	Rae Wynn-Grant with bear

		Elaine Lee is the founder of Ugogurl.com, “resource central” for African American travelers and travel writers. She says, "Outside is calling my name.".

Rue Mapp says: "“Not everyone can access iconic Black havens in the outdoors, or have a family history of connecting to them, yet it is critical for everyone to have the opportunity to get away from it all, and it is why I have devoted my work to helping Black people experience healing, peace, and resilience in the restorative elements of nature.”

The photos below, from the book, show the joy that nature brings to people who get outside and go.

"The African within all of us is just waiting for the opportunity to walk, discover, and explore again. Give her or him that moment of spirit, of grace, to awaken our bodies, minds, and souls to the joy of being Indigenous again, children again, exploring wild new worlds." From the Foreword by Shelton Johnson

Nature Swagger
Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors
By Rue Mapp
ISBN: 9781797214290
7 1⁄4” x 9 1⁄4” • 192 pages • color photography • $24.95
Chronicle Books • Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Bookshop

About the Author

Web manager Steve Giordano, past president of the Society of American Travel Writers, is a veteran ski and travel journalist & photographer whose work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, books, radio and television and many places around the Internet. He's written numerous travel books. Steve is the designer and technologist of HighOnAdventure.com and was the online and guidebook editor of SkiSnowboard.com. He is a member of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association and can be reached at rsgiordano@gmail.com.