We’re excited to meet you!
Here’s a guide to our meetups.
Once a majority of registered participants have arrived, we start with a brief introduction and the creation of an inclusive space. To foster inclusivity, we’ll all share our names and preferred gender pronouns, if desired (for example: Hey y’all, I’m Felix and my pronouns are he/him).
We will also feature a low-stress icebreaker designed to help participants better know one another (What was your favorite place out in nature as a child? What’s your favorite activity to do outdoors?)
Sometimes, we like to set a few minutes aside between intros and the activity to check in with ourselves and set our intentions for the meetup. We invite you to share what yours are, or you can keep it to yourself. Some examples of intentions can be to meet someone new, to challenge ourselves, or to take time for ourselves!
Showing the world our beautifully diverse squads helps us drive home our mission to bring BIPOC back to the outdoors— we’ll almost always take a group photo at every meetup.
Although formal introductions are a part of the AiN meetup structure, we encourage folks to connect and mingle with others before we circle up! Don’t worry, we’re all here to invite some peace into our lives while out in nature.
If you see any familiar faces from the AiN Core Crew or squad from past meetups, don’t be afraid to say hi!
INTROS 💬
GETTING ACTIVE 🏄🏿
Our activities at meetups vary. Historically, AiN has gone on nature walks, community hikes, birding, bike rides, stand-up paddle boarding, trips to climbing gyms, and white water rafting! Of course, each activity will determine the structure of the meetup, but more often than not, the squad (“meetup participants”) sticks together in one or two groups, based on activity level and personal confidence in the activity.
For hikes, nature walks, birding, and bike rides, we often split into two (2) squads, where Squad A will go on a shorter, less challenging, and family-friendly route and Squad B will go on a longer and potentially more adventurous route.
For paddle boarding meetups, meetup participants often break out into smaller groups once we hit the water or everybody just goes with the flow, with the expectation that we keep track of time and return to shore by the allotted time.
Other unique events that take place on-site, like whitewater rafting, climbing gyms, and mini golf, often lend themselves to the squad mingling amongst the friends they came with, or building groups with others they met that day. More than anything, we hope that you take advantage of our experiences by introducing yourself, meeting new folks and potentially leaving with new friends.
Y’ALL HUNGRY? 🍊
Sometimes, AiN will offer a food or refreshment component at our meetups. Breaking bread after getting active is always a great way to further build relationships in a less-active environment and offer a moment of self-regulation. This can look like a full BBQ buffet, hoagies with all the fixins, a smores buffet or a cozy cup of hot chocolate. AiN is still in its early stages of growth and although we’d love to ensure everyone leaves with a full stomach, we can’t guarantee refreshments at all meetups.
OTHER MEETUP
TIPS 💡
At our meetups, we encourage you to take time to fully participate in the experience by observing your senses. Take deep breaths, notice the taste of the outdoors on your tongue (trust, there’s a taste), the smell of the air, the sounds all around, what your eyes can see & receive.
We’ll never ask you to do something you’re not comfortable with.
If you join us on a hike/nature walk/bike ride, you will often hear “Hiker back/up!” or “Rider back/up!” from others, who wish to alert us that they are approaching; if that happens, shift over to the opposite side so the hikers/bikers can pass.
The squad sticks together! If you are ahead of others, occasionally glance back and assess your journey.
If you notice that the group is farther behind, take the opportunity to pause and mindfully soak in your time out in nature; invite some deep breaths into that moment and check in with the intention you’ve set for yourself.
Most importantly, ENJOY YOURSELF! Feel free to ask the Core Crew any questions, we’re always here to help. If there are any concerns, please find comfort in expressing them to the Core Crew.
FAQs
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FAQs •
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We welcome multiracial children at our events and their non-BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) parents. If you are a white parent accompanying your child, we just ask that you understand that this is an opportunity for you to center your child’s experience as a BIPOC person and provide them an opportunity to enjoy an activity with others who look like them, an in many cases, have also grown up with multi-racial identities.
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The decision to limit the majority of our events to Black, Indigenous and People of Color is that our aim is to foster a safe and supportive space for BIPOC folks to enjoy the outdoors, be their true authentic selves and be free of having to put forth emotional labor, deal with microaggressions or code switch during our time together. We do, on occasion, have events that are open to allies, advocates and co-conspirators (Google these terms if they are unfamiliar) and those attending understanding that centering the experience of BIPOC participants is front and center.
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Spread the word! AiN is still a relatively new organization; many BIPOC folks in the Lehigh Valley don’t know about us yet.
Also— volunteer your time with us! We’re on the hunt for reliable and trustworthy individuals whose passions align with the AiN mission.
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Many of our events are free thanks to fundraising, grants and our generous donors. Our more expensive events like paddleboarding and whitewater rafting are set at 50% of the purchase price of tickets, with a cap of $25. This means that even if an event is $75 per person (examples: whitewater rafting/snowtubing), the most we’ll ever charge is $25.
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AiN has hosted the following activities in the past:
Paddleboarding
Hiking
Bike Rides
Birding (birdwatching)
Whitewater Rafting
Snow Tubing
Mini Golfing
Indoor Rock Climbing/Bouldering
Pool Parties
We’re always looking for new ways to enjoy the outdoors so look for additional offerings in the future.
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Nope. Most activities we provide a simple of list of things to bring, that ideally you have already. Ex: paddleboarding requires a suit or outfit you don’t mind getting wet, a water bottle and a towel. Hiking requires sturdy shoes (sneakers are fine) and a water bottle. If you decide to purchase gear over time, our outdoor rec coordinators love geeking out over gear and are happy to make suggestions that cover many budgets, including what to look for when looking at used items. Dwight is quite the FB marketplace hunter!
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YUP! If you don’t see yourself riding regularly and just want to take a bike out for an event, we have a Gear Loft that you borrow a bike, helmet and lock from. We just ask for a copy of your ID and you are responsible for the pickup and drop off of the bike before and after the event.
If you decide that you want your own bike, here are a few options:
Limited Budget - We highly recommend hitting up CAT (Coalition for Alternative Transportation) and building a bike. This puts your cost to a minimum and has the added bonus of learning a bit about your bike as you are building it.
If you want a ready to go, USED bike, Check out Action Wheels Bike Shop on Broad Street in Bethlehem.
For new bikes, our go to spots are Action Wheels Bike Shop in Bethlehem, Saucon Valley Bikes (BIPOC owned) in Hellertown and Cutters Bike Shop (Woman co-owned) in Bethlehem
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We do when possible, and it honestly depends on the activity. We always encourage folks to reach out ahead of time if they have a specific need or concern so we can problem solve together. With hikes and bike rides, we usually offer two distances so those with limitations have options, however the Lehigh Valley unfortunately doesn’t have many accessible hiking trails currently. It is always on our mind, however, and if you know of places that are more accessible that we should check out, please reach out and let us know.
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No, however, we do ask that everyone be responsible for their own health and make decisions that are within their best interest. Stretching our abilities is how we grow, and stretching too far can lead to injuries and not having a great time. It’s better to join us and feel that you could have done more than feel that you were way in over your head.
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Kids are always welcome! We love our young Afros squad members nd understand the importance of exposing younger beings to the outdoors as early as possible. Families that recreate outdoors together produce future families that recreate outdoors together.
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For outdoor recreation activities:
For general inquiries or anything not outdoor recreation related: