Featured Outdoor Diversity Organization: Soul River Inc.
During the month of June, we are shining a light on the important work of Soul River Inc., a non-profit that brings U.S. military veterans and inner city youth together in nature.
This is part of our community effort to highlight organizations working towards social justice, diversity in the outdoors and more inclusive public lands.
About Soul River Inc.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Soul River Inc. focuses on “bringing veterans as mentors and inner city youth together into the wild rivers of nature.”
The organization’s hope is to educate, inspire and encourage urban kids to become environmental advocates. These youth learn about, experience and connect with Mother Nature through immersive activities in the outdoors, guided and inspired by veteran mentors.
Uniting U.S. military veterans and urban youth in nature offers incredible benefits to both groups, who might not connect with one another otherwise.
Mutual respect, admiration and inspiration is molded through unforgettable outdoor adventures, whether it’s “spending time embraced in currents of river water, trekking majestic forested trails, or witnessing a bald eagle or elk in its habitat.”
All these experiences in nature offer healing, sharpen self-awareness, provide focus and reduce stress, Soul River Inc. says.
The driving force behind the organization is the belief that these connections in nature will inspire and establish a new generation of outdoor leaders and conservation advocates
Soul River Inc.’s mission is twofold.
- The organization offers veterans the opportunity to go on “deployments”, during which they guide and mentor urban youth.
These “mission-forward projects” are done in the style of the Peace Corps and modeled on the Navy SeaBees, but instead of military purposes, focus on humanitarian work, environmental advocacy and social relationships.
- Soul River Inc. gives urban youth, who otherwise may never have these experiences, the chance to go on transformational excursions into nature.
At zero cost, they practice outdoor skills, immerse themselves in wild landscapes and learn things that can’t be taught in a traditional classroom or on the city streets. The ultimate goal is to inspire these inner city children to “grow and become ambassadors of our natural environment.”
Founder
Soul River Inc. is the first non-profit of Chad Brown, a U.S. Navy veteran, photographer, creative director, conservationist and adventurer. His work has taken him around the globe and his adventure photography often focuses on documenting vulnerable wild spaces and their inhabitants.
He advocates for social and environmental justice, with a passion for working with indigenous people and promoting equal access to public lands for everyone.
As an outdoorsman, Chad has experienced firsthand how nature can help heal, as he suffers from PTSD from his service overseas during the Gulf War’s Operation Desert and Operation Restore Hope.
His struggles with PTSD lead him to the founding Soul River Inc., connecting inner city youth and military veterans to outdoor experiences.
Additionally, Chad has recently founded another non-profit, Love Is King, which we have highlighted in our series before. That organization specifically focuses on resolving bigotry, ignorance and hatred in the outdoors for BIPOC and other minority groups.
He currently resides in Portland, Oregon and is a board member of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. He has been featured in national publications and broadcasts such as the BBC, CBS, National Geographic and Outside Magazine.
Chad Brown was the first recipient of the Breaking Barriers Award presented by Orvis and received the Bending Toward Justice Award from Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley.
Support & Donate
We invite you to join us in making a donation to Soul River Inc. and help support their amazing work.
Follow Soul River Inc.
Check out Soul River Inc.’s information-packed website and social media to learn more about their work, projects and team members.
- Website: https://soulriverinc.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NCOleaders/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Soulriverinc/
Credit for the images used in this post, which are screenshots from their website, is due to Soul River Inc. (Chad Brown).
You Can Help Bridge the Diversity Gap in the Outdoor Industry
An overview of diversity and inclusivity organizations we have supported can be found here. This document contains information about what these organizations are doing and how you can donate to them directly.
We also set up a submission form you can use if you know an organization that’s working to make the outdoors more diverse and inclusive. If you want to see them supported, please submit via this form.