MWCC to host workshop on the Black experience in the outdoor industry - why it's important

The first known Black person to hike all 48 of New Hampshire's 4,000-foot peaks in the winter, Mardi Fuller, is returning to Mount Wachusett Community College to guide a discussion on the racist history of the outdoor industry.

On Tuesday, April 30, at the MWCC Gardner campus, Fuller plans to talk about her experiences and obstacles she faces as a Black woman in the outdoor industry while creating a safe space for other people of color who enjoy the outdoors to reflect and build a sense of community. The workshop will start at noon and end at 2 p.m.

Fuller has been a backcountry adventurer her whole life. She said she had been an avid hiker, skier, climber, swimmer, and outdoors enthusiast. In addition to her personal goals in the outdoor industry, she has intertwined her passion for racial justice by advocating for equitable access to natural spaces for all.

Last year, the Black Outdoor workshop led by Fuller had 35 students attend. George LoCascio, an MWCC natural science professor, said the event is not only for environmental studies students but also open to the greater Gardner community.

The college invited Fuller again, LoCascio said, because they believe conversations about racial equity should not just be done one-time but should be an ongoing discussion. Fuller said she would never pass an opportunity to educate future leaders and young people who will have careers in conservation, preservation, environmental education, as well as the outdoor industry.

"Folks who came to the event last time really enjoyed it because it was eye-opening," He said. "The students really benefited greatly from it and also, it's a perspective that a lot of people might not be privy to."

The college student-run club, the Green Society, uses the food and plants it grows in the college greenhouse to host farmer markets and plant sales fundraisers every semester, LoCascio said.

The Black Outdoors speaker event is funded and hosted by the MWCC Green Society, International Center for the Promotion of Diversity and Inclusion, Three Pyramids Inc., Gateway to College, City of Fitchburg Human Rights Commission, Heywood Healthcare's DEI Committee, YWCA Central MA, MOC's Race Equity Committee, and CHNA9.

What does the event offer?

The Black Outdoors workshop will start with a 10-minute documentary called "Mardi and The Whites," which can be streamed for free at the documentary director Paula Champagne's website. The short documentary highlights Fuller's relationship with nature and journey through the White Mountains in NH.

After the documentary, the workshop will move to the outdoor classroom space that is on the Gardner campus. Fuller said that is when the discussion and reflection portion of the workshop will be held.

"Black people and BIPOC people have historically lacked access to outdoor recreation and to participate in the conservation and preservation movements," she said. "This event is also for white people to recognize the racist history and to remind people of color to reclaim our right to feel a sense of belonging in the outdoors."

Advice to local leaders and future leaders

After students of color attend the workshop, Fuller said she hopes they will seek community in the outdoors through affinity groups like Outdoor Afro or Latino Outdoors. She said it's important for people of color in the outdoor industry to have that community and learn about the history of legacy leaders who have advocated for their right to access of the outdoors.

Fuller said that local Greater Gardner leaders should examine their community's demographics and try to get to know those communities and their leaders. She said the key to building relationships with marginalized communities is to ask questions about what they need and learn to listen.

"Rather than inviting people into an existing program, local leaders should establish relationships with marginalized communities so they can ask those communities what kinds of support they need to get out in nature," she said.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Black Outdoor Workshop at Mount Wachusett Community College