Cooperative Living January/February 2023 - 8

EXPLORE MORE
Getting Out There
by Amanda Creasey, Outdoors Writer
Virginia hiking club encourages women of color
to explore the great outdoors
D
espite growing up in urban
New York City, Nicole Boyd
remembers experiencing the
great outdoors during her childhood.
She recalls riding her bike, playing
basketball and going to parks. " Hiking,
or 'walking in the woods' as I called it
as a kid, was something I looked forward
to, " she says. " Something about it
centered me and brought me a peaceful
feeling. "
Narshara Cade grew up in a
somewhat more suburban setting in
eastern North Carolina. The youngest
of four, she was the last child left at
home after her siblings departed.
" Outside time for me was, maybe, a
walk around the block, " Cade says.
Her earliest memories of being outdoors
revolved around playing sports.
Now both grown, Boyd and Cade
met while teaching at the same Virginia
middle school. Boyd's love of the
outdoors has persisted, and she
continues to enjoy hiking. Cade, on the
other hand, had never been on a hike
until she was 33. Her first was a birthday
celebration Boyd held with her and
other friends. " We went on a hike and
wine trip. There were six of us in the
group, " Boyd says.
BIODIVERSITY
Boyd says she and her friends began
noticing " a lack ofdiversity in the
outdoors, " and they wanted to change
it. To address this, Boyd and Cade began
ing
d
" a lack ofdiversity in the
the
ess
ot
en,
ant
to
it. To address this, Boyd and Cade began
posting photos oftheir hikes on social
media. Often, friends would ask them
the
where they were hiking and began
joining them, prompting the two
er
joining them, prompting the two
women to start a hiking group that
enticed women of color to get outside
and hike more.
6 ● Cooperative Living ●
" Being able to
hike with a group
provides a sense
of safety for
women of color. "
- Nicole Boyd
Charli Gorham
and her dog, Larry.
Not long after, during the height ofof
the COVI
the COVID-19-19 pandemic in thein the
spring of 2020, Boyd and Cade
formalized the group and named it
Black Girls Hike RVA.
" COVID-19 shut the world down.
But outside was still open, " Boyd says.
The group aims to make the outdoors
accessible to everyone, especially
women of color. " Our mission is
to help connect black and brown
women to the great outdoors through
sisterhood, support, love and laughter
on each hike, " Boyd says.
January-February 2023
Over the past two years, the group's
membership has grown. As of
November 2022, the group boasted
40 members. " The hiking community
is constantly growing, " Boyd says.
Those interested in membership
can choose from three different options,
each offering different perks, from
t-shirts to state park passes.
Once a quarter, the group also leads
friends-and-family hikes, which are open
to non-members. And it is for just
such a hike that my dogs and I join the
group on a mid-November morning.
co-opliving.com
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living January/February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living January/February 2023
