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Feeling the urban heat? It’s time to embrace the great outdoors! This article unveils top outdoor adventures and nature-based activities for summer that will reconnect you with your wild side
As members of the African diaspora, we often find ourselves caught between two worlds. The hustle of our daily lives can disconnect us from our rich heritage and the natural world that shaped our ancestors. But what if we could bridge that gap, right here, right now?
Engaging in nature-based activities for summer isn’t just about having fun—it’s about healing, reconnecting, and rediscovering ourselves. 
1 Hiking Expeditions
Discover trails that echo the continent’s diverse terrains.
In Arizona, hike the red rocks of Sedona’s Cathedral Rock Trail. Its iron-rich formations mirror Ethiopia’s Gheralta Mountains. Bring a small pouch of teff flour to scatter, connecting two ancient lands.
UK adventurers, explore the Brecon Beacons in Wales. Its misty peaks resemble Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Pack some Tanzanian Kilimanjaro coffee to brew at the summit using a portable AeroPress.
2. Culinary Gardening
Transform your backyard into a Pan-African food forest.
Create a “West African corner” with drought-resistant roselle (bissap) and celosia (Soko). Source seeds from Seedsave, specializing in African heirloom varieties.
Establish a “Horn of Africa spice garden”. Grow teff in raised beds and cultivate berbere spice ingredients like korarima and rue. Use them to make injera and wat for your next habesha-inspired feast.
3. Outdoor Fitness
Merge ancestral movements with nature-based workouts.
Join Afro Flow Yoga sessions in community parks. This practice blends yoga with West African dance, Kemetic yoga, and Caribbean movements. Flow through sun salutations while incorporating Yoruba orisha dance steps.
Organize a “Diaspora Warrior Challenge”. Set up stations in a local green space, each representing a different African martial art. Practice Dambe boxing techniques from Nigeria, Tahtib stick fighting from Egypt, and Engolo from Angola.
4. Astronomy
Rediscover the celestial stories of your forebears.
Use the Star Walk 2 app to locate the Pleiades, known as “Subiya” (stars) in Swahili. Learn how East African pastoralists used its appearance to mark the start of the short rains.
Participate in the Astronomers Without Borders’ “One People, One Sky” project. Share how your specific ethnic group interpreted the constellation Scorpius, from the Maasai’s “Elders in Council” to the Tswana’s “Lightning Bird”.
5. Eco-Volunteering with Diaspora Focus
Contribute to conservation efforts bridging Africa and your current home.
Join the Audubon Society’s Climate Watch program. Monitor purple martins and barn swallows, which migrate between North America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Your data will help track climate change impacts across continents.
Volunteer with Sankofa Farms in North Carolina. Learn Igbo and Yoruba regenerative farming techniques and help distribute organic African vegetables to food-insecure communities.
6. Aquatic Adventures
Dive into water activities steeped in African maritime traditions.
Take kitesurfing lessons with the Wake Up Stoked in Cabarete, Dominican Republic. Learn how the Mina people of Ghana’s Volta region have been wind-surfing for centuries using raffia palm kites.
Organize a stand-up paddleboarding excursion on Lake Michigan. Channel the spirit of the Tonga people of Zambia, who’ve mastered paddling dugout canoes on Lake Kariba for generations. Share stories of Nyami Nyami, the Zambezi river god, as you glide across the water.
7. Afrofuturist Nature Photography
Capture Africa’s essence through a futuristic lens in your local environment.
Launch an #AfrofuturistNature challenge on Instagram. Photograph local insects like fireflies or praying mantises, reimagining them as bio-luminescent creatures from a futuristic African ecosystem. Use apps like VSCO to add ethereal, Afrofuturistic color grading.
Create a photo series titled “Wakanda in the Wild”. Document urban green spaces, envisioning them as hidden high-tech African sanctuaries. Use the Enlight app to subtly add holographic elements to your images.
Conclusion: Embracing Your Multifaceted Heritage
These nature-based activities for summer are more than mere pastimes. They’re a bridge between your African roots and your diasporic present, allowing you to celebrate the complexity of your identity.
By immersing yourself in these top outdoor adventures, you’re not just connecting with nature. You’re forging a new diasporic tradition that honors your past while embracing your current reality.
Which of these experiences resonates with your soul? The spirit of Africa awaits – in every leaf, stone, and starlit sky around you!
READ: 5 Nature-Based Self-Care Hacks for Busy City People
As a busy city dweller, you don’t need to escape to a remote cabin in the wilderness to reap these benefits.
This article explores five simple yet impactful nature-based self-care hacks you can incorporate into your busy schedule, no matter how jam-packed your days seem.
