Skier at a Maine West Recovery Outing.

Strategies for a More Inclusive Outdoor Recreation Industry

This Center webinar highlighted programs and advocates in the Northern Forest whose mission is to welcome more people into outdoor spaces.

In our webinar on Outdoors for Everyone: Engaging More People in the Outdoors – part of our Building the New Forest Future series – we learned from a panel of non-profit leaders on their successes in serving traditionally underrepresented segments of the population.

Joe Fox, outdoor recreation program manager at the Center, facilitated a discussion among the three panelists who gave insight into the needs and opportunities we have to be a more welcoming region. We recorded the discussion for you to listen to – click the link below.

Our panelists were Zach McCarthy, Founder and Executive Director of Inclusive Ski Touring, Kari Taylor, Director of Western Maine Addiction Recovery Initiative, and Klarisse Torriente, recreational enthusiast, volunteer, and writer in the Adirondacks.

Our panelists discussed why their programs are important for inclusive and vibrant outdoor recreation in our region. With a diverse set of perspectives, our audience heard about ways to serve underrepresented recreationalists from within and outside of the Northern Forest region.

Our panel shared some of the challenges they have faced in their programming, the importance of reliable funding sources and engaged volunteers.

We hope you enjoy the recording. Please share it with others who are interested in this topic.

Building the New Forest Future: Center Webinar Series

Building the New Forest Future is a webinar series that amplifies stories, practices, and lessons from community development, sustainable tourism, and rural economy in the Northern Forest. Read more

Staff Contact

Isabella Ronson-Amrein

Program Manager

Cell: 804-912-7145