Tearing Down Barriers: How Simone Adams Is Reshaping the Great Outdoors

By Dr. Jerome Dorn

In a landscape where the outdoors has long been framed through a narrow lens, Simone Adams is quietly — and powerfully — redrawing the map.

A Georgia-raised Black woman with a deep reverence for forests, trails, and waterways, Adams is the visionary founder and executive director of Color My Outdoors, a Southern-rooted nonprofit reshaping how People of Color experience, lead, and thrive in outdoor spaces. Her mission is personal, purposeful, and unmistakably bold: to dismantle the barriers that have historically excluded Communities of Color from nature — and replace them with access, representation, and belonging.

Rooted in the South, Reaching the Nation

Color My Outdoors began as a grassroots effort, grounded in the realities of the Southeastern United States — a region where Communities of Color are most present, yet least visible in the mainstream outdoor industry. Under Adams’ unconventional leadership, the organization has grown into a national voice for outdoor equity, challenging long-standing narratives about who belongs outside.

One of its most groundbreaking achievements was the launch of the South’s first-ever directory of diverse-led outdoor businesses, an initiative that not only spotlights Leaders of Color but also strengthens a more just and resilient outdoor economy. Through partnerships with industry giants like REI Co-op and Patagonia, Color My Outdoors has bridged grassroots advocacy with institutional influence, proving that equity and environmental stewardship are inseparable.

The organization’s recent relaunch of its multimedia storytelling and digital campaign platform has further amplified voices often overlooked — guides, educators, environmental professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives across the South who are redefining outdoor leadership on their own terms.

Leadership Beyond the Trailhead

Adams’ leadership style is as expansive as the landscapes she traverses. Choosing a nomadic lifestyle, she lives and works full-time from her trailer, moving through nature while working at the intersection of race, place, and power. This intentional way of living allows her to listen deeply, gather stories, and document truths that rarely make it into glossy outdoor marketing campaigns.

Her work challenges audiences to rethink how we define belonging, success, and freedom — not just in nature, but in life. For Adams, the outdoors isn’t an escape; it’s a reclamation.

“People of Color always belonged outside,” her work insists. History, culture, and legacy affirm it — even when the industry has failed to.

Rewriting the Nature Narrative

Color My Outdoors is more than an organization; it’s a movement rewriting the nature narrative. Through storytelling, resources, and advocacy, the nonprofit celebrates culture and leadership while opening doors to careers and opportunities in the outdoor and environmental sectors.

By centering community and honoring lived experience, Adams has cultivated a vision of conservation that includes joy, justice, and representation. It’s a future where leadership of color isn’t an afterthought — it’s at the helm.

A Call to the Industry

Simone Adams’ message is clear and unwavering: Nature was never meant to be exclusive. As the outdoor industry reckons with its past and reimagines its future, Color My Outdoors stands as both a mirror and a roadmap — reflecting the inequities that exist while guiding the way toward something more honest and inclusive.

One thoughtful initiative at a time, Adams is tearing down barriers and building bridges — ensuring that the outdoors finally reflects the diversity, brilliance, and leadership of the people who have always belonged there.

Follow & Support:

📍 Instagram: @colormyoutdoors

🌿 Organization: Color My Outdoors, 501(c)(3) nonprofit

🌎 Mission: Rewriting the nature narrative for People of Color in the South and beyond

Because equity isn’t a trend — it’s the trail forward.