Been Outside is a thoughtful collection of essays and recollections on the power of nature and the outdoor experience from the point of view of gender noncomforming, nonbinary, and women of color edited by Drs. Amber Wendler and Shaz Zamore. Released 1st Oct 2023 by Mountaineers Books, it's 208 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.
Science and medicine have long been in consensus about the undeniable mental and physiological benefits of being outdoors and interacting with nature. There's a large disconnect between representation of non"mainstream" nature lovers in the media: the vast majority are white, college educated, middle class +. The real truth is much more complex and nuanced (completely ignoring the millenia of indigenous people who have learned and interacted with nature as a matter of course, which is the *point*, in many/most cases they've been ignored or erased). This book grew out of a desire to document the experiences and knowledge of black, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming nature lovers and that is exactly what they have done.
Although the editors started their process by concentrating on gathering the stories of STEM folks (they're both STEM educators, and started with their wider peer groups), the book grew to include stories written by academics in other fields, alongside creative writers and outdoors enthusiasts. It's heavily weighted toward academics, but the writing is very much layman accessible, readable, and often thought provoking.
It's interesting and educational. Representation is -so- important and it's to be sincerely hoped that this book will encourage and pave the way for more young people in STEM fields.
Five stars. There are woefully few books with a focus on diversity in STEM which are layman accessible. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, gifting, or home use.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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