Conservation work is slow and steady. Sometimes it’s meandering. Sometimes, it’s like a class five rapid you’re about to rush through. It requires patience, and persistence.

It is also true that for many queer people across the country, rainbow capitalism is the only time they get to see themselves reflected in the mainstream.

Freediving can be exciting and mysterious for beginners looking to get their feet wet. Here are some things to know to get you started.

I grew up near Los Angeles, California - but I tell people more often that I grew up in Southern California because it captures an entire region and culture. Growing up in L.A. means being on the freeways and roads constantly as a kid, and doing all the California things: going to the beach and driving along the coastline, going to the mountains (and looking at them), driving through the desert, driving to Disneyland or In-N-Out Burger, and above all: sitting in lots of traffic in 90 degree heat.

My favorite way to adventure is not taking it super seriously. I was lucky enough to grow up in the woods, in a super small town. I’ve never been a super gear head. Me and my friends would just go take a trip into the woods. And I think the best way for me is just going in with an open mind, and not having to intellectualize everything. It’s a time to be really playful, and see the queerness in nature.

And the water is something that continues to ground me every day, every week of my life. It is constantly keeping me grounded and on a path that I want to be on. So I want that for other people. And if they’re water people I want them to discover and have that relationship and for the water strength to become their strength. I think it changes everything. Even your embodiment. It shifts the way you move around in the world.

I know for a fact that an organization like Wild Diversity should exist, should be well funded. And there should be ways that we can be giving away more scholarships to people, and buying equipment and creating opportunities for people to just come and enjoy without cost or time being a barrier. It's everyone's responsibility to start [ensuring that these opportunities are accessible]. And one of those ways is by giving and giving generously. That is how we truly start building a world where Black Lives Matter.

I would encourage someone who's not feeling comfortable in the outdoors to get into journaling. When I write and can externalize it – get it out there and I look at what it is that I'm afraid of, in my intimate relationships, or fear of the future, or whatever it is – then I can have a conversation with that version of me, who’s holding that fear. And kind of nurture them, or give perspective, or come up with alternatives.

Looking for some meal inspiration for your Dutch oven? Our Program Coordinator, Charelle, gifts us with a Double Chocolate Cake recipe for your backyard camp fire with your pals.

The solitude that the last two years have required of me, have presented this opportunity to consider who and what and where I’m drawn. And, one of the many answers, is that I’m drawn outside. That, really, my Taurus placement is much happier when I’ve got my feet in the grass or have the sun soaking into my skin. I’m grateful that this realization compelled me to seek out these spaces upon my move to Portland. And that, serendipitously, I found Wild Diversity.

An environmentalist can look many different ways, it’s just someone who cares about the environment. To me, defining what the environment means, it’s just everything around us. Which includes the city and the natural world, because they’re interconnected pieces. Just because you put concrete on the ground doesn't mean that water and the sun and all these different elements go away.

And then I got matched up with Wild Diversity. And I started to feel scared that if I spent another birthday in my house, I was going to feel trapped, and like I wasn’t going to be able to leave. So, I got the job. And I packed everything up literally that same week. And I'm actually really happy. Because this is a decision I made for myself.

I know my fear of water was based in not really understanding it. And finally being able to understand what the water is doing and how to read hydrology and everything. Like I feel like that took away a lot of my anxiety. But it also just made me think that not a lot of other people – especially within my family – get to experience the rez or home from that point of view.

Hop in, friend. We are going canoeing with Kaïa. Check out this installment of Our Story is Your Story to hear from Kaïa about their beautiful relationship to the outdoors, to the water, and to helping to facilitate connections for others with Wild Diversity. What a beam of light they are.

Farm to Table is wonderful for sure. But from the Forest Floor to Your Table is choosing to meet nature where it’s at, instead of forcing it to produce what you want.

Looking for some meal inspiration for your next camping trip? Our Program Coordinator, Charelle, gifts us with a couple of new Tomato Soup recipes for the backcountry.

When you’re inside, there are three things you can do: You can be reading. You can be talking. Or you can be playing with some sort of board game or something like that. And while watching movies or talking to people or playing board games inside is fun, I'd much rather be experiencing something. Like you can outside. And you can always talk to people outside. And, in my opinion, I think it’s better. Because you’ve got this beautiful scenery to talk in.

It is officially November. If you're familiar with Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, temperatures are dropping. So one way to get ready for the consistent 50 and 40 degree weather is to prepare some nice warm drinks. Luckily, the Wild Diversity team has provided you with recipes for some delicious drinks.

So, for me, after we get those common experiences on the table, we can turn to the building. Now, how can we support each other? How can I elevate you and what you're doing? How can we use our collective resources to really put our community on the top shelf? I think it’s a fucked up trick to focus on the negative when we have time together. Not that we're ignoring that it's happening. Not that we're using toxic positivity. It’s that we already know, you know, where all the pieces are on the board. Now. Let's play this fucking game to the best of our abilities. Together.

It is hard for me to fathom why anyone would ever risk the inevitable sloshing of milk onto the counter, by pouring an avalanche of irregularly sized cereal bits into a bowl of liquid. So much chaos. So early in the morning. Why take that chance? It's cereal. Then milk.