A year ago today, Fiwygin Outdoors came to life as we had our very first event! It was cold and I was underdressed, but it was a great start to this idea I had long dreamed of.
Our first event was April 2, 2016 at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden in Minneapolis.
In our first year, we enjoyed:
- Mountain Biking
- Hiking
- Wildflower searching
- Canoeing
- Kite Flying
- (Ice) Fishing
- Birding
- Little Library searching
- Park clean up
- And more!
From our first event with 5 people, to our largest event this February with upwards of 50 people, we have grown intentionally. Fiwygin Outdoors started out as a group to ensure that people who are underrepresented in the outdoors know that they have a safe place to engage in green space.
While all are welcome, we continue to extend an extra invite to POC, Indigenous people, LGBTQ people, and people with limited income/resources/experience/mobility.
That is the foundation of this group -- ensuring that underrepresented folks find safe, accessible, meaningful and sustainable ways to spend time outdoors.
We invite you to join us for our 1 year birthday party at Theodore Wirth Park, where it all began a year ago.
- When: Sunday, April 9th at 10am
- Where: The Theodore Wirth Beachhouse (3200 Glenwood Avenue)
- What: Keith will be taking folks geocaching throughout the park. If the weather is decent, we'll likely bring a canoe. Feel free to bring yard games, kites, bikes, naturalist guides, or anything else you want! We will bring snacks -- perhaps even a cake!
- Who: Anyone who wants to spend time outside -- with an extra shout out to those who are historically underrepresented in outdoor spaces.
If you can't come, but find value in the work we're doing, please consider supporting us in any of the following ways:
- Monetary donations to pay for supplies, snacks, equipment/gear: PayPal.Me/FiwyginOutdoors.
- Volunteering to lead a session in your area of knowledge/expertise: i.e. paddling instruction, geocaching, wildflower identification, birding, mountain biking, etc...
- Donating new/gently used gear: such as canoes, life jackets, warm weather clothing, hand warmers, a small trailer, fishing gear, rain gear, nature guides, etc. Please reach out to FiwyginOutdoors@gmail.com if you have an interest in donating gear.
We thank you again for all of your support over the last 12 months. We look forward to this second year, in which will will develop a leadership team, get more support for (and from) the community, have at least one overnight adventure, and will continue to grow our program intentionally and sustainably.
We'll see you on April 9th!
asha.
February 2017 -- Fiwygin Outdoors presents Asha's Celebration of Winter