I Support
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Name:
Rue Mapp
Where I live:
Oakland, Calif.
Age:
43
An inspiring article I read recently:
“
How the Hub Found Its Center,”
Stanford Social Innovation Review
Latest or greatest accomplishment:
Last month, I was added to the “Wall
of Fame” at my alma mater, University of California, Berkeley.
What I do:
I am the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro, an online and
social nature network. We celebrate and inspire African American connec-
tions to nature. I also enjoy raising backyard chickens and trading my eggs
for my neighbors’ vegetables, honey and homebrew!
I’d rather be:
Hiking among the California redwoods
My dream:
To see all people engaged with the outdoors
A meaningful life story:
Last summer, I had a chance to visit the Arctic
with the Sierra Club, and was humbled by the grizzly bear who visited
our camp our first day on the tundra along the Brooks mountain range.
Obviously things turned out fine, but in that instant, I understood that
I was not at the top of the food chain. Of course, I was terrified! But
through my fear, I was also tremendously humbled by the power of nature
and wildlife, and recognized the fragility of our humanity within it.
What I admire:
Resiliency. The word reminds me of my parents and
­
others in their generation who migrated by rail from the South—headed
to metropolises north and west over a span of decades in search of new
opportunities and a chance to live in a more just world. I think of what
they left behind, such as family and a daily connection to land. But my
parents, and many others I know, did more than survive in their new
world; they thrived. They kept their connections to nature alive, and they
shared with me the ways of the natural world, that serve as the inspiration
and hope for my work today.
Inspirational quote:
“
You have to take risks. We will only understand the
miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.”—novelist
Paulo Coelho
My favorite rail-trail experience:
In 2010, I led a group on a bike tour
called “Wheelin’ the Watershed” in partnership with my local park dis-
trict. Riding on the San Francisco Bay Trail with community members
was incredibly fun and inspirational. We got about 20 people of all ages
on bikes—some of whom had not been on a bike in years. On our bikes,
we felt both energized and inspired by the ways a community of people
and natural systems can work together, and we understood the impor-
tance of the rail-trail in bringing these elements together.
How and why I support RTC:
I am proud to serve on its board of directors
and to be a positive amplifier of its mission. Access for everyone to the
outdoors is a central value. RTC embodies this value by supporting and
advocating for rail-trail systems that open a door for almost everyone to
biking and walking opportunities close to home. I believe that by promot-
ing rail-trails, RTC supports a wonderful legacy of our rail system, provid-
ing non-motorized transportation that engenders thriving communities
and a healthier environment.
david bishop
Add your unique voice to the rail-trail movement by becoming a member of Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy. Learn more
at railstorails.org o
r call 202-331-9696.