The Trail Ahead

Terumi Murao is a Japanese-American surfer, sustainable wardrobe stylist, and model. She’s an activist who spends her time working with the surf non-profit Laru Beya Surf Collective in Far Rockaway, Queens. Today, Terumi joins Faith & Addie to discuss sustainable fashion, surfing, making ethical choices, and navigating privilege. Terumi talks about where her awareness of the harmful effects of the...

Molly Sugar is a designer, writer, and cyclist based in Portland, Oregon. She’s the founder of Friends on Bikes and the co-founder of Radical Adventure Riders , both of which are organizations that work toward gender inclusivity and racial equity in cycling communities. In today’s episode, Molly joins us to talk about how she discovered her passion for gravel riding. She also talks about the proce...

When you think about surfing and catching waves, Queens, New York is definitely not the first place that comes to mind. However, the community of Rockaway, Queens is home to a very vibrant and well-connected surf community. Atongular Monique is a mentor at Laru Beya Collecting, a surfing-focused, non-profit organization that offers free surfing and water safety intstruction to historically exclude...

Gabe Vasquez is a first-generation American who was born and raised in the borderlands. He is the founder of Nuestra Tierra, an organization focused on supporting and creating thriving border communities via outdoor engagement. Gabe has served his community as a Las Cruces City Councilor, staff member for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, and by helping to protect New Mexico’s environment and public land...

Meet Erin McGrady. Erin is an Asian American photographer, writer, runner, outdoor enthusiast, and lover of good food. She is also the co-founder of Authentic Asheville - a storytelling platform that celebrates local travel by creating inclusive city guides aimed at identifying welcoming places for travelers from the LGBTQ+ community. In this episode, Erin gets vulnerable as she shares her story,...

Alex is an Indigenous artist and activist who spends much of his time on the road, often moving between communities to stand in solidarity with their pressing calls to action. He is a member of the Navajo Nation, a vocal advocate in the Land Back movement, and a supporter of Indigenous-owned businesses. His jewelry and pottery convey traditional designs and stories of the Navajo people - serving a...

Laura is a digital educator who specifically speaks on race and equity in the outdoors and the importance of rest and self care. She is multiracial and a transracial adoptee, she is climber and a core member of Brown Girls Climb and an outdoor enthusiast. She also is a DEI strategist and consultant. She is a full time van-lifer and digital nomad. She is also vegan. We met up with Laura while she w...

In this episode of The Trail Ahead, Addie and Faith are joined by Noël Russell. Noël is a writer, van lifer, and dog-mom who works in digital marketing, and so much more. She’s someone whose words deeply resonate with Faith especially when it comes to encouragement and truth. Today, Noël shares the story of her upbringing and how it played a formative role in her life. She also discusses how she a...

Today, José joins the podcast to share his views on the power that words hold, how we can view it from a responsible and respectful lens, and how we can be more mindful when it comes to the use of language. José also discusses how his love for the sci-fi genre has inspired his work while influencing the way he approaches equity. From using memes as radical acts to understanding friendships as a su...

After taking some time off from their first 12 episodes, Addie and Faith are back with a fun but important conversation where you get to know the hosts of The Trail Ahead a little more intimately. In this episode, Addie and Faith interview one another and re-introduce themselves to old and new listeners alike. They discuss what playing outside means to them and dive deeper into why their work is i...

Sergio Avila is a conservation scientist, educator, and wildlife researcher and tracker based in Tucson, Arizona. He is the first regional Local Outdoors Coordinator for the Sierra Club. He is dedicated to designing and implementing local strategies and projects that increase opportunities for people to connect with nature and ignite their commitment for protecting the planet and to each other. Se...

Note: This episode is in Spanish. There is a short summary episode in English available in the podcast feed. Sergio Avila es un científico conservacionista, educador, y investigador y rastreador de vida silvestre en Tucson, Arizona. Es el primer coordinador regional de actividades al aire libre para el Sierra Club. Se dedica a diseñar e implementar estrategias y proyectos locales que aumentan las...

Brooklyn Bell is Patagonia Mountain Bike Ambassador and a freelance artist from Bellingham, Washington. She skis, she climbs, she rides bikes and she loves getting creative in the outdoors. We love how she clearly defines the difference between diversity and inclusion and how she has found a way to both educate others and create boundaries that help make space for herself. She talks about joy and...

Clare is an ultrarunner from Englewood, Colorado and studied coral ecology at Princeton University, where she ran cross country and track. She taught English in Southern Thailand, while also establishing a swim and environmental conservation program. Clare began running professionally in 2016 after winning the Leadville 100. She's since won Western States (2019), CCC 101k (2017, UTMB series) and h...

In this episode we talk about surfing, defying expectations, creating the work you need to see in the world and your life literally being the story. Our guest is Monica Medellin, a director and producer born and based in Los Angeles, California. Monica is also the founder and CEO of The Gnar Gnar Honeys. She creates beautiful work and shares rich stories that celebrate and promote diversity and re...

Whitney Clapper is a fierce advocate for our better future, a future that is socially and environmentally just and equitable. She works in Global Environmental Marketing at Patagonia. She says that time and time again listening to her heart and gut when making hard decisions and then choosing to speak up has opened doors to the life and career she now lives. For more information about Faith, Addie...

Ranching, haircuts, sustainable materials and so much more. We had a blast talking to Gabriel Dixon Patterson about his play and his work. Gabe is a Biomaterials Scientist with a PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from University of California,  Davis. Congrats Gabe! He is  a climber, the founder of Soul Ascension Crew , and an ambassador at We Got Next , a non-profit aimed at increas...

Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel is a runner and an activist with a heart for the people. She is the founder of Rising Hearts , an indigenous-led grassroots group that advocates for justice and creates incredible educational resources. Jordan has run in prayer, with a red hand-print painted across her face to raise awareness of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIW...

Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is a wildlife ecologist who has worked with animals around the world, including lions in Tanzania and bears across North America. She is a force, and perhaps the only Black woman in the world working with bears as a wildlife ecologist. (She literally goes into their dens while they are hibernating!) We talk about the ways in which this work can be isolating, specifically as a Bl...

In the lineage of many creative activists, Layel Camargo is on a mission to make a just future irresistible. Through humor, joy, irreverence, improvisation, illustration, media and art of all kinds, Layel is urging us to consider what climate change is doing, big and small. We talk about everything from being prepared with an ‘end of the world cocktail’ to how their perspective as a trans indigeno...

We literally laughed and cried speaking with Selema Mabena Masekela about racism in surfing; his journey building a career in a historically white, male and monied environment; and while swapping stories from childhoods in New England. It was a gift to hear about his legendary father, musician Hugh Ramapolo Masekela, and how his example helped Selema find his voice as an activist.  For more inform...

Lydia grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico (Tewa lands) and is Huichol (Wixáritari) and Pascua Yaqui (Yoeme).  Lydia earned her Bachelors of Science from California State University, Monterey Bay in Environmental Science, Technology and Policy. Lydia now resides in Tucson, Arizona (O’odham & Yaqui lands) where she earned her PhD at the University of Arizona in the Department of Environmental Sciences ,...

Danni Washington is a science communicator, tv and podcast host, and non-profit founder with a background in marine biology. She’s also an ocean advocate who loves scuba diving and using education, the arts and social media to inspire people of all ages to connect more deeply with the natural world. We talk to her about everything from ocean plastics to mermaids to the importance of representation...

Can we diversify the outdoors, make historically exclusive places feel inclusive, and reckon with the long-ignored truths about the racism and erasure present in well-established environmental movements? We can. And we have to. Join athletes and environmental advocates Faith E. Briggs and Addie Thompson as they dig into conversations at the intersection of race, environment, history and culture. T...