Kraus' Recreation and Leisure in Modern Society 10th Edition by Daniel McLean, Linda Dayer-Berenson, Brian Luke Seaward, Amy Hurd

تمرين 5

African Americans Blog About the Outdoors
Much has been written about the absence of racial and ethnic minorities in the outdoors, whether it be recreation participation or involvement in the environmental movement. In recent years, however, this has begun to change and the Internet is providing a forum for those who choose to write about their involvement. Not only do they write blogs about outdoor involvement, they engage other individuals and are building a community of individuals who have the same interests and concerns.
Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage
Rooted in the Earth is a blog written by Dianne Glave, an African American history professor. In her introductory blog, she writes:
As an African American woman, it has been a long lonely difficult journey sharing the stories of African Americans and the environment. It has also been one of my greatest joys. My goal in my inaugural May 2010 blog carnival is for diversity/ environmental bloggers to share their successes along with their trials and tribulations. We have been doing the good but difficult work of getting the word out about diversity and the environment. I invite and challenge you to come join with me to connect with people and find support in one another. Some are connected and others are not. For those who are connected, continue with me creating community. For those who are not, please do join in." a
In an earlier blog, she talks about how she became involved:
When I began doing the work on African American environment there were no definitions. Even today, if you google African American environmental history, a definition does not pop up. That's so unlike Google. One of my early efforts in working towards defining African American environmental history was an article on African American women and gardening.
In my personal and professional struggle, I have been an academic for many years. There were few people of color I could count on, and that I knew of who work in various areas concerning diversity and the environment. So my cohorts and primary audience were mainstream academics. I was frustrated and alone….
I still teach. I still think like a historian. In many ways, I still write like a historian. What's different though is I have more people to connect with now that I'm writing for a broader audience with the upcoming book and my ongoing blog." b
OutdoorAfro.com
The author of Outdoor Afro has a tagline on her blog stating, "Where black people and nature meet." Rue Map has a broader purpose for the blog: "Outdoor Afro is a community that reconnects African Americans with natural spaces and one another through recreational activities such as camping, hiking, biking, fishing, gardening, skiing-and more! Outdoor Afro uses social media to create interest communities, events, and to partner with regional and national organizations that support diverse participation in the Great Outdoors." c The blog focuses on her individual and family experiences in outdoor places, the experiences of other individuals, the reasons they seek the outdoors, and on special events, places to visit, and how to connect. A recent blog entry was about a field trip as part of an Audubon Birdathon:
Yesterday a group of Outdoor Afro fans from the San Francisco Bay area convened at Martin Luther King, Jr. Shoreline. The occasion was the Golden Gate Audubon (GGA) Birdathon, but the trip ended up as a leisurely education on birds and their habitat led by veteran birder and GGA docent Judith Dunham. This was a relatively unknown part of East Oakland for some of the participants, many of whom have lived in the area for many years.
We started at the Arrowhead Marsh parking lot and walked along the path to the boardwalk, then returned and enjoyed lunch (that included some home made cornbread muffins) on the dock near the channel. Over lunch, Rue read from Camile Dungy's book, Black Nature , a favorite poem The Hummingbird, by Cyrus Cassells.
Next, we drove to Damon Slough and looked at birds in the bay and the seasonal pond. We saw a wonderful variety of birds. Some, like the herons and egrets, live here year-round. Others, like the Long-Billed Dowitchers and Black-Bellied Plovers, will soon migrate north to the places where they breed. As an extra bonus, we saw American Coots with young and Mallards with ducklings. Thanks to everyone for making this such a rewarding trip! d
Identify the value of using a blog to tell about the outdoors.