Translation: Reilly Doucet

Creativity, courage, knowledge: nature is the source of it all. 

As part of Black History Month, Conversations Noires, in collaboration with Never Was Average, presented a series of panels and lectures inviting leaders and creators from the Black community to discuss social issues, various topics, lived experiences and visions for the future. The theme for 2023 was imagination, and Altitude Sports is proud to have presented a panel on nature and our relationship with it.

Nature is free of judgment. 

It is beautiful and demanding, inviting and capricious. It does not care about our past, our origins, our financial status, or our place in society. It is a place where logic gives way to creativity and inspiration. A safe space that surrounds us. Yet too often, we forget its benefits.

And sometimes, when you come from certain communities, you don’t have access to it at all.

"To be interested in the outdoors, as a Black woman, takes courage. You don't see many people in nature who look like you, it's very Westernized," stated Alexe, founder of the Montreal-based natural and organic body products brand Apprenti Ôr'ganik, who draws her roots from Montreal and Haiti. She found her calling in nature, which inspires everything she does. "I felt accepted by nature before I felt accepted anywhere else. It was the space I needed to feel encouraged to create my products, to evolve my brand."

As a member of the Black community, Alexe is no stranger to an unfair obstacle: that Black people have to work twice as hard to achieve the same respect and recognition as white people. And when you're occupied with always going the extra mile, you don't have time to take care of nature, then in turn, don't get to experience the many mental benefits it brings. This setback is one faced by many. 

"Many of us came here via immigration, and we landed in poor neighborhoods, where concrete is king and trees are almost non-existent," explained Brahim Djiddah, originally from Chad. Founder of Sensory House and president of Hydroflora, which specializes in hydroponic technologies and urban vegetable gardens, he agrees with Alexe. While soaking up nature may not be a priority for newcomers, who are already dealing with culture shock and catching up, Brahim has learned that it is nonetheless vital. 

"At first, I didn't see myself in nature either," he said. But I became more and more interested, so when I was already working in finance, I took a course in the field, and felt more assured in myself than ever. People would always tell me the same thing: "you have a good job, why are you going to give it up to go plant trees?" he adds, with a smile. 

His relationship with nature echoes that of Alexe. Each of us has an innate urge to be in the forest, in the mountains, by the sea. It is nothing more or less than our origins, before modernity made us forget our direct connection with the outdoors. It is an inexhaustible source of creativity, and everyone, absolutely everyone, must be able to enjoy it. Gone are the days when nature and outdoor activities were reserved for a so-called elite. And there's no need for high-tech equipment: just put on some good walking shoes and go. 

There’s more to connecting with nature than feeling its creative power, though. Nadia Bunyan, founder of the nonprofit Growing Arc and a fashion designer inspired by the connection between agriculture and clothing, is adamant about this. "My Caribbean background means I know the effects of colonialism too well - so I reflect on the situation of the First Nations in Quebec as much as I can, especially when I'm forming a relationship with the land we're all on. We both suffered from colonialism - we still do - so you have to ask yourself: what does it mean to be a designer on unceded territory?" 

The way Nadia, Alexe, and Brahim see it, it is impossible to connect with a territory without taking the time to learn more about those who inhabited it first. 

This can involve difficult conversations, but it involves a rewarding desire to create inclusive local communities as well. In fact, caring for our local communities allows us to care for those beyond the seas that seem so far away. It starts with changing our habits. As explained by Nadia, for example, "the simple act of buying local not only encourages our own local producers, but it also reduces exportation, which then allows communities otherwise plundered by Western countries to use their resources for themselves, instead of having to export them all to here." 

It is this desire for community that nature evokes in us. The desire to create common spaces where everyone has a place, and everyone can flourish. Creative spaces that let the imagination run free. It is from nature that the most beautiful ideas come, and the seeds of change. 

Yes, nature is free of judgment. But human nature is not quite there yet. Like our green spaces though, it can be cultivated. It can be educated and inspired. And the best place to lay this groundwork for learning is on the earthy ground of the great outdoors that nourishes us all, where everyone has their place, and revolution comes if only first on a local scale, then to everyone.