MEET THE CREW
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MEET THE CREW •
MARV
creative lead + secretary
he/any
Marvin (he/any pronouns) is a blooming creative who loves to heal through laughter.
Born a Jersey boy, Marvin grew up in the suburbs of Whitehall, PA, and earned his B.S. in Kinesiology at Temple University in 2020 before returning to the Lehigh Valley during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Having never taken advantage of the lush landscape of the Lehigh Valley and its surrounding ecosystems before moving to Philadelphia for his undergrad, Marvin bashfully attended one of AiN’s earliest events. There, he met a thriving collective of BIPOC individuals who taught him about the importance of solidarity in spaces seldom welcoming to melanated and marginalized individuals. From then on, he’s leveraged his public health educational background and newfound adoration for nature in tandem.
With a penchant for challenging his body to all kinds of movement, Marvin enjoys weightlifting, paddleboarding bouldering, rollerskating and leisurely bike rides (when he remembers he has a bike). He devotes his reconnection to nature to AiN and plans to continue honoring his passion for equitable recreation for as long as he has the pleasure of experiencing life.
Marvin supports AiN’s efforts by expanding its digital creative presence and welcoming old and new faces at over 40 meetups with his signature jaunty energy. He can’t wait to meet you!
ELZABETH
outdoor rec lead + chair
she/her
Elizabeth Allen (she/her) is a leader, mentor, student, teacher, guide, helper and healer.
Born in New York City, and raised in a more rural part of PA, Elizabeth has loved the outdoors since childhood. Growing up in predominantly white spaces, Elizabeth is keenly aware of the lack of known diversity outdoors and has been advocating for, and creating opportunities for BIPOC and other under-represented humans in nature. She was often one of the few, if not the only person of color attending mountain bike races, going hiking, and exploring nature spaces like national parks.
In 2021, Elizabeth discovered Afros in Nature and as they say, the rest is history. She quickly bonded with the people and the mission of Afros and joined on as one of the Outdoor Recreation Coordinators.
Elizabeth is responsible for scheduling the majority of AiN’s outdoor activities each season and creating the event calendar. Her favorite thing is assisting in hosting events and helping create fun, safe experiences for people of color in the outdoors. Elizabeth also serves as the Core Crew Chair (AiN’s Board of Directors). When outside, Elizabeth enjoys walking in local parks, hiking, bike riding, paddleboarding, photography, and creating videos.