Champion Highlight: The Bronze Chapter

Apr 20

By Amy DiTommaso

An RIDC Champion is someone who is actively doing the work of the mission and vision of our organization and is a living example of the goals we have.

Our next champion is The Bronze Chapter, created by Denice Rochelle. The Bronze Chapter’s mission and purpose is to create community at the intersection of identity and the outdoors. They re-connect Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) to the natural world through outdoor skill-sharing and recreation. Whether it is a class on wilderness first aid or a snowshoeing trek in the North Cascades, The Bronze Chapter is making the space they don’t see but that they know they belong in.

We were fortunate enough to get the chance to ask founder Denice Rochelle a few questions about how the group started and how we can all interact with the Earth in a way that will better it for everyone. Please enjoy Denice’s thoughtful responses, and then check out the Out and Back with Alison Mariella Désir episode that highlights The Bronze Chapter to watch Denice teach Alison how to Kayak!

Running Industry Diversity Coalition (RIDC): How and when did your group form?

Denice Rochelle (DR): The Bronze Chapter grew out of my lifetime wish to have more people who looked like me to not only play with but also learn about nature and the natural world with. I wanted to share my love of the outdoors in ways that would be contagious and lead to folks wanting to be mindful about caring for the outdoors and our Earth home that supports all life. I’ve always wished to see more individuals and families of color with confidence and skills that allow them to safely and confidently participate in activities and sports that take them to magnificent views and beautiful places that most Black, Indigenous, and other people of color don’t get to see, largely because of the enduring and lasting effects of systemic racism and how that oppression still shows up in outdoor spaces. If you’ve never been on an alpine mountain, chances are you aren’t going to care much about that space, even though that space may contribute to the water that you drink, or the air that you breathe, or the cooler temperatures that you enjoy. If you’ve never been in or close to the sea or large bodies of water, chances are you aren’t going to care much about this liquid that covers most of our planet or how critical our oceans are to biodiversity and our survival.

I’ve wanted other BIPOC to have access to opportunities and experiences that I’ve had to learn about nature and the natural world while experiencing it, because it’s the human way to invest in and take better care of things that we love, enjoy, have a good relationship with, etc. If we don’t have a good relationship or positive connection with nature and outdoor spaces, we’re not going to be moved to take care of it. As we move to a majority-minority citizenry, people of color are going to be charged with making the policy, laws, and rules that directly affect the best interests of nature and the natural world and for the care and maintenance of all outdoor spaces. We rely on nature for our survival yet we’ve created a situation where approximately less than 25 percent of Earth’s surface (excluding Antarctica) can now be classified as wilderness. Humans have wrecked the biodiversity that is essential for the health of our planet. If we don’t increase the number of Black and Brown people outdoors, the people who love and are knowledgeable about the outdoors and how we rely on nature and nature relies on us, we’re going to lose.

In 2018 I took a solo road trip to northern California. On the way home, I camped in the California redwoods and along the Oregon and Washington coasts. During that road trip (which was more than 2000 miles) I didn’t see another clearly Black or Brown person doing any of the things I was doing (beach walking, kite flying, camping, hiking, solo traveling, learning about different cities and towns, looking for and creating their own adventure). So when I got home I wrote about my road trip and lack of seeing anyone who looked even remotely like me on some outdoor-oriented Facebook pages. I asked where people were . . . I saw POC online in outdoor-oriented groups, but I wasn’t seeing them outside. I wanted to know what the disconnect was. People started answering my questions and all their responses fit into a few categories. The responses were really sad to me because what they were expressing as barriers to outdoor participation weren’t complicated or insurmountable. In my mind, the collective responses represented gaps that formed from lack of exposure and opportunities to learn skills and gain confidence. I read something attributed to Marian Wright Edelman along the lines of most people won’t be what they can’t see. I decided to try and make some small difference. So in the summer of 2018 I began renting campgrounds and hosting campouts (self-funded) to share my skills and knowledge with BIPOC wanting to learn to camp, wanting to improve camping skills, wanting to learn some basic outdoor skills, wanting to learn what stewardship, conservation, and preservation was about, or just wanting to enjoy the outdoors overnight in supportive environments with others who looked like them. The effort outgrew my resources in the summer of 2021, so I began to explore formal organization options. With the help of a conscientious law firm specializing in corporations, I learned the options and decided on a path forward. In August 2021, I chose to form a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and named it The Bronze Chapter after something a camper said to me during a campout. I never pursued outdoor degrees. I never aspired to form a nonprofit. I never imagined my wanting to help other BIPOC experience the outdoors in ways that I do would lead anywhere. I’m just a girl with a lot of energy who is willing to share things I learn to inspire others. We love in an incredibly beautiful and environmentally important place, yet so many of us don’t experience the beauty or see the importance.

RIDC: In your Out and Back episode you discussed changing our narratives. Was there a specific experience or moment that changed or kick-started your outdoor narrative?

DR: My outdoor narrative was being written before I could walk or talk, so outside has just always been a part of me. I was taken outside all the time. Parks, the ocean, etc. Family often took me traveling by train and car. We often went to Vancouver, British Columbia. So I grew up traveling and exploring. Learning how to ride Amtrak trains and read display boards, how to tip people who helped us, how to take taxis, how to navigate restaurants, how to read maps, etc. The people who raised me were friendly and sociable, and that was the type of soil my seed was planted in. I’ve always felt safe and welcome in outdoor spaces and traveling. I grew up camping, riding dirt bikes and bicycles. My dad was a scuba diver, waterskier, motorcycle rider, model airplane builder, fisher, and camper. My outdoor narrative is very different from most BIPOC that I meet because I had the privilege of exposure and opportunities that most BIPOC I meet didn’t have. Exposure + opportunities = skills and confidence.

RIDC: What is your favorite outdoor activity to share with people who are just starting to explore the outdoors?

DR: Camping. Helping people learn to camp and learn to camp better is what The Bronze Chapter grew out of. Camping opens doors to the outdoors. Once a person learns to sustain themselves comfortably, safely, and confidently outside overnight, the world is their oyster. They can experience the majesty of black starry nights, alpine peaks, meadows and valleys, alpine lakes, rare wildflowers, animals that live in mountain environments, old-growth trees, etc. They can feel the freedom of unstructured wilderness and open spaces. Explore county, state, and national parks and privately owned land. Nature is restorative, balancing, recalibrating, aligning. Also, once someone learns to car camp they can take those skills in other directions like sea kayak camping, SUP camping, bicycle camping, motorcycle camping, snow camping, backpacking, etc.

Through camping, people can grow confidence in their ability to take care of themselves in various conditions and in their ability to make good decisions. They learn about how to care for the environment and the importance of stewardship, preservation, and conservation. They learn about how their actions can adversely affect lakes, rivers, and oceans and the animals and plants that live there. They learn why it’s important to care for forests, Mother Nature, and Earth. In general, how to recreate responsibly so that beautiful places can continue to exist. Camping can change lives.

Also core to The Bronze Chapter is safety, so to address women not feeling safe outside, we host an annual women’s outdoor self-defense class and wilderness first aid certification classes so that as we grow a more skilled BIPOC outdoor community we can be better equipped to render assistance if needed.

RIDC: How can the outdoor industry help change the status quo of outdoor education?

DR: That’s a really big question that I’m not qualified to answer. One way would be to focus on messaging that the outdoors is for everyone. EVERYONE. Messaging that centers outdoor education on all humans. Another would be making outdoor education affordable. And the global majority needs to be at the core of the entire process. The outdoor industry has always and purposefully focused on and catered to a white audience. That means the outdoor industry can also purposefully focus on and cater to creating inclusivity and diversity in outdoor education. The outdoor industry can stop with the performative (and temporary) behaviors and do what it takes to form permanent and sustainable infrastructure from the inside out. Put Black and Brown people on boards, in executive roles, in ownership positions. Don’t hire white people to provide DEIJ [diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice] training. Give Black and Brown people fair and realistic opportunities to excel to those levels. We keep hearing stories about companies in the outdoor industry who put Black and Brown faces in their ads to sell their gear and to sell their DEI initiatives, but they don’t want to make the serious and deep required changes in their infrastructure. The outdoor industry at large will continue creating educational opportunities for a white audience until there’s more BIPOC decision-makers at the table.

RIDC: In regards to Earth Day, how can we help more people practice Earth Day every day?

DR: One way would be by making fun and engaging content that illustrates how and why taking care of the environment and being conscious of the environment is something that affects individuals and every living being collectively, and by talking about that fun and engaging content every day. Every day displaying things people can do and actions they can take. Big actions, small actions. If more of us talk and live and act like Earth Day is every day, change will happen. It’s up to us.

RIDC: Are there any upcoming The Bronze Chapter events people can learn more about and/or participate in?

DR: We have some programs populated on our calendar, some that are in the process of getting on the calendar, some that are still in the planning phase, etc.