About Us
We are guided by our core values, our commitment to the people we serve, and the spirit of togetherness on a shared journey towards a more equitable future.
Our Vision & Mission
RISE Hiking Collaborative envisions a future where
Black women and girls excel in inclusive outdoor spaces, have barrier-free access to natural and cultural resources within a variety of natural environments (from forests to urban parks), can enjoy and reap the benefits (physical, social, economic, mental, and spiritual) of an outdoor lifestyle, and are partners in conservation and environmental heritage efforts.
We will manifest this vision by carrying out our mission to:
Inspire, engage, and provide opportunities and equitable access for Black women and girls to the outdoors for
recreation, environmental education, stewardship, and advocacy.
Our Name and Reorganization
Black Women Hiking the DMV (BWH-DMV) organized its first group hike in 2020 and never looked back. Marking its four year anniversary, in 2024, Ready to Implement Solutions for Equity in Hiking Collaborative (RISE Hiking Collaborative) was incorporated as a non-profit organization and restructured BWH-DMV as a signature adult program.
Our new name reflects that we are not a one-dimensional recreation organization but that we have a broader mandate to specifically advocate for and the address the outdoor needs of Black women and girls through education, policy awareness, fostering cultural shifts, and leading change and inclusivity among the outdoor community.
RISE Hiking Co. aims to collaboratively address the undercurrent of inequities outdoors by leaning into and leading brave conversations about historical exclusion and forging a path for equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
Why our name matters
There are keywords in our name that express what "RISE"is about:
Ready - expresses a sense of urgency and eagerness to undertake important actions.
Implement - the ability to complete tasks informed by shared goals and objectives.
Solutions - moves beyond the identification of the underlying problems to create lasting change.
Equity - focuses on resources that people need based on their background and specific needs while also recognizing its relationship to diversity, inclusion, belonging, and justice.
Hiking - one of the top outdoor recreational activities that still lacks diversity and accessibility to certain people
groups.
Collaborative - community building that leads to transformation and is achieved by working together, leveraging
resources, and dismantling barriers.
RISE is also inspired by Maya Angelou’s renowned poem “Still I Rise”, which is a powerful message to Black Americans, particularly Black women, about hope, liberation, and resilience.
Our Geography
We aim to collaborate with outdoor leaders across the country. Through our signature adult program, we serve Maryland and its adjoining jurisdictions including the District of Columbia and eastern Virginia, primarily the Washington and Baltimore Metropolitan areas. We also organize weeklong hiking and camping trips within the continental U.S. and aspire to travel abroad.
What We Believe
We have adopted these powerful statements to guide our actions around themes of diversity, inclusion and belonging, health and wellness, equitable access to resources, power and privilege, and justice and healing.
01
We believe that the identities, perspectives, and experiences of all underrepresented people matter. Communities of color, including Black women, are legitimate trail system participants and our experiences in the outdoors should be considered and proportionately represented.
02
We believe that our physical and mental health is a priority and non-negotiable. A sense of urgency is prudent to support Black women in active, outdoor lifestyles to improve our health outcomes and reverse current trends.
03
We believe that access to third spaces, which are settings outside of home and work, help us to lead balanced lives. Nature is an acceptable and necessary third space for Black women for improved wellness, physical and mental health, exploration, contemplation, meditation, and relaxation.
04
We believe that our hiking and nature immersion experiences sharpen the skills needed to thrive in the outdoors and beyond in everyday life. We accept challenging outdoor experiences as a strategic way to build resilience, confidence, courage, and promote problem-solving and decision-making necessary in our lives off-trail.