Home - BIPOC Outdoors at NMU

Celebrate Connection. Embrace Nature. Find Your Rest.

Join us for the BIPOC Outdoors Summit and Rest Retreat @ NMU — a gathering that brings together outdoor enthusiasts, community builders, and those seeking restoration and inspiration.

While these events center the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in outdoor spaces, everyone is welcome to attend and help create a more inclusive, healing, and joyful outdoor community.

"As you walk, look around, assess where you are, reflect on where you have been, and dream of where you are going. Every moment of the present contains the seeds of opportunity for change. Your life is an adventure." 

-Dr. John Francis, 'The Planet Walker'

What You’ll Experience:

• Outdoor adventures, skills workshops, and nature-based activities

• Conversations on belonging, leadership, wellness, and community

• Restorative spaces for reflection, connection, and self-care

• A welcoming environment where all identities and experiences are honored

Whether you're looking to build new skills, connect with others, or simply pause and recharge, the BIPOC Outdoors Summit and Rest Retreat offer meaningful spaces to reconnect with nature, with community, and with yourself.

We can't wait to welcome you the summer of 2026!

Create a space that centers and uplifts the voices, knowledge, and lived experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in outdoor spaces. The summit will highlight cultural, historical, and contemporary relationships with land, wellness, and environmental stewardship.

Provide hands-on workshops, mentorship, and resource-sharing to help participants build practical outdoor skills, explore academic and professional pathways, and reduce barriers to outdoor engagement and leadership.

Cultivate a supportive and intergenerational community that encourages rest, resilience, joy, and collective healing through immersive outdoor activities, storytelling, and shared meals in the natural landscapes of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.