Lower cost of living relative to major cities like Boston, NYC, along with a better quality of life (less crowded, less frenetic/stressful).

You SHOULD feel like you belong, but you should reflect on the fact that you are luckily to feel this sense of belonging. If you don’t realize that you have this privilege you may unintentionally be blind to the fact that POC do not feel this same sense of belonging, and you and the organizations you’re part of should make an intentional effort to make others feel included regardless of their race. Not saying you (or others) deliberately exclude POC but there are historical and societal barriers you may be unaware of, and this context necessitates working extra hard to be inclusive.

You’re making a great point about inclusion overall in the outdoors industry. Why does it have to be either/or? We should create a more welcoming space for POC… AND we should create a more welcoming space for people new to the sport(s).

I quoted this line because I think it captures something most white people often do not question. If you are white, you probably do not ever worry that your race makes you less welcome in outdoor environments and clubs/groups. The author is saying that POC on the other hand do not feel this intrinsic sense of belonging. And it’s not just the literal physical space of a hiking trail — it’s the community / group spaces like the GMC, like a subreddit for hiking and appreciation of the outdoors in Vermont. I can’t imagine something that screams “you don’t belong” more than being told your feelings and perspective are stupid and invalid, which is what a lot of other commenters are saying.

Thanks for sharing your perspective. I hope others will come around to this approach!

Great article!! Thanks for sharing. The author urges white people to acknowledge that they probably have “a deep and likely unrecognized sense of belonging in those [outdoor] spaces.”

Before you discard the idea that a hobby / space / group is not inclusive to all, please question whether you have an unrecognized sense of belonging, and imagine what it would feel like to NOT have that.

We should want everyone, especially those who have been historically excluded, to feel included and a sense of ownership of our shared Vermont and the outdoor spaces and hobbies we love.

Our vet recommended NexGuard (monthly pill for fleas and ticks). Our dog sometimes gets ticks but if they latch on they die. We also do the Lyme vaccine

Ahhh! Can we use this as a PSA for people to stop putting bread out for birds?! My dog is always grabbing them and I heard it’s bad for the birds too 🙃 And there’s a special place in hell for people who litter chicken bones out their car window!!!

100%!!! I love dogs and frankly am envious of people who can trust their dogs off leash. (I have a small huntress who has fabulous recall UNLESS there are rodents involved so she lost her off leash privileges.) She has had a few scary interactions with other dogs so doesn’t like when strange off leash dogs approach her… and yet when owners can’t keep their dog away from mine and she reacts they act like WE are in the wrong rather than THEM for allowing their dog to approach us unwelcome in the first place. (Cross country skier with your black lab, I’m looking at you 👀)