Recolor the Outdoors with Alex Bailey

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Did you know that according to recent National Park Service data, roughly 77% of visitors to national parks are white?

In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting this moving TEDx by Alex Bailey, founder of Black Outside, Inc.

“Despite the rapidly changing demographics of the United States, the outdoors remains a non-diverse space. In his TED talk, Alex discusses the numerous benefits to spending time in nature, yet a lack of engagement for many communities of color today, particularly in the Black/African-American community, due to safety, access, relevancy, and representation. Although participation in outdoor activities remains predominantly white, many communities of color have centuries of history in nature, both tragic and triumphant. As painful as these histories have sometimes been, a deeper understanding of these dual truths could be the key to ensuring that the future of the outdoors is not only relevant but representative of the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States.”

Looking to learn more?

Heritage Harvest Dinner

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By Lydia Coburn, Communications Coordinator

When we put up the raised garden beds by our Neptune Drive office last spring, the future was unknown. Over the summer, we had the pleasure of watching a variety of vegetables and flowers grow, as well as the creation of an enjoyable outdoor space for our New Mainer neighbors.

But what do you do with an abundance of fresh food and a growing community? You throw a party of course!

Wednesday October 20th, BTLT staff and board members, New Mainers of all ages, and mentors all joined together for a “Heritage Harvest Potluck.” Each guest brought a culinary dish that held a special place in their heart – tables were filled with food from Vietnam, China, Congo, Angola, Mexico, Rwanda, and Maine. We enjoyed freshly shucked oysters, Chinese chicken wings, apple pie, ceviche, fumbwa, chocolate cupcakes, Swedish meatballs, spring rolls, fufu, and so much more – not necessarily in that order!

ESL educator, and co-host of the event, Kelli Park shared her thoughts:

“The Harvest Heritage Dinner was more than just a dinner, it was a symbol of things to come for our increasingly diverse community in Midcoast Maine. The dinner featured recipes from all over the world and showed that being part of a thriving, welcoming community extends far beyond the geographic boundaries of our local towns and into the far reaches of the world. This collaborative community event was an example of the things that individuals can accomplish when they come together with an idea: to find ways to cultivate connections among individuals from all walks of life to promote a thriving multicultural community. 

“My goal is to continue to facilitate collaborative programming with active participation from my English language students, whose voices are invaluable to us as we navigate our changing community. My hope is that this is just the beginning. Thank you to everyone who made this event happen! I look forward to many more evenings like this in the future.”

Throughout the evening, I witnessed someone eat their first culinary caterpillar while someone else had their first raw oyster, taught a group of women how to make the perfect s’more, and watched kids make new friends (tag is a universal language).

The other universal language? Food. Here’s to sharing more meals with our new neighbors and community members!

The Woodward Point Accessible Trail Project

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The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust and Maine Coast Heritage Trust and are fundraising to create a level, half-mile trail at Brunswick’s popular Woodward Point Preserve. Join the effort and make a gift today—every dollar supports making this beautiful preserve more accessible to everyone in our community! 

GIVE TODAY!

We want community members of all abilities to enjoy the beauty of Woodward Point.

Our goal is to build an accessible trail and parking to facilitate access for all visitors, including people who need a level surface to walk, use a wheelchair, or push a stroller.

To do this we need to raise $132,000.

Trails create active, healthy, and happy communities. Everyone deserves the enjoyment of this special place!

How this place became open to the public

Maine Coast Heritage Trust and Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust conserved Woodward Point in 2019, realizing the previous landowners’ dream of permanent protection for the property’s open space, scenic beauty, and extensive ecological values.

Woodward Point is a much-loved outdoor resource

Just minutes from downtown Brunswick, Woodward Point is a cherished destination for walking, nature observation, kayaking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Trails cut across several large fields, through woods, and down to the shore. Stone steps at four locations provide access to the water—including at a hand-carry boat launch site not far from the parking lot.

When you give today you will help:

  • Establish a level, half-mile accessible trail with a stone dust surface;
  • Make Woodward Point safe and accessible to more people;
  • Expand local outdoor opportunities for people of all abilities.

Thank you for considering a gift to help us enhance this community preserve!

For more information, please contact:

Angela Twitchell, BTLT Executive Director: 207-729-7694 angela@btlt.org

OR

Seth Levy, MCHT Donor Engagement Officer: 207-607-4361 slevy@mcht.org

Additional project details:

Woodward Point Preserve was conserved with generous support from many individuals, the Town of Brunswick, the Land for Maine’s Future Program, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Wetlands Program.

Town/County: Brunswick, Cumberland County
Total Project cost: $132,000

Equity on the 4th

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By Tess Davis, Bowdoin Summer Fellow

Imagine it is the Fourth of July 168 years ago. The year is 1852, and the slavery question simmers under all of American life. The brutal, inhumane system that built America cannot sustain itself, and this fact is realized by even the most ardent anti-abolitionists. Something must give; the Civil War is coming. Famous abolitionist and orator, Frederick Douglass speaks at a meeting for the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society. Douglass’s speech, dubbed “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” highlights the gross incongruity of the day. Powerfully, Douglass says, “The blessing in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. The Fourth of July is yours, not mine.”

Douglass spoke when black people were enslaved, yet his words are still as relevant today as they were then. “Justice, liberty, prosperity and independence” are not guaranteed to all Americans. People of color are more likely to be imprisoned than their white counterparts. The average white family has nearly ten times as much wealth as the average black family. Black people are less likely than white people to graduate from college, own a home, or spend time outdoors.

Fourth of July is supposed to be a celebration of the United States—of the promise enshrined in the Declaration to provide “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” for all. Unfortunately, the United States does not realize this promise, not by a long shot. We need to change how we celebrate the Fourth. Instead of celebrating the “accomplishments” of the United States, we should use the Fourth to improve the country.

Have a barbeque, drink a couple of beers, but also use the Fourth as an opportunity to educate yourself about the failures of the United States, to donate to organizations striving for equality and justice, and to center the voices of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).

Although Douglass’s speech was rightfully critical of the United States, there were glimmers of hope in his words, “Three score years and ten is the allotted time for individual men; but nations number their years by thousands. According to this fact, you are, even now, only in the beginning of your national career, still lingering in the period of childhood. I repeat, I am glad this is so. There is hope in the thought, and hope is much needed, under the dark clouds which lower above the horizon.” Even now, the United States is only 244 years old. We are still a  young nation, and we can still change for the better. In fact, we must change for the better. I encourage all of you to use the Fourth of July to do so.