DANCE the PCT: Hiking 2650 Miles for the Planet
Donation protected
Prancing, Dancing, and Romancing up the Pacific Crest Trail with a purpose.️We are Reece & Colby, queer intersectional environmentalists and avid dancers on a mission to raise awareness, build community, and find joy as we collectively face the challenges at the intersection of building both a fairer society and a healthier planet. The journey ahead is long and winding. Join us as we tell this story while we hike—actually, dance—2650 miles from Mexico to Canada on the PCT.
You heard us! We’re leveraging our love of dance and nature to raise money for 5 incredible organizations centering conservation, climate activism, Indigenous knowledge revival, and diversity and inclusion in the outdoors (More details about each of these orgs at the bottom*):
- Center for Native Peoples and the Environment
- Environmental Center of San Diego
- Sunrise Movement
- PCT Association
- Out4Sustainability
Now here's how we're going to do it! Anyone is welcome to donate any amount. When you make a donation, you can leave a comment on GoFundMe or message us on Instagram @wyld.rhythms with a song request. When we're on the trail, we will record a video of us dancing on the PCT with the stunning background of the American West, post it on our feed, and shout you out. Donations provided will be split 50/50—half going towards off-setting the cost of our hike, and half going toward the organization(s) of your choosing! You can also specify if you want 100% of your donation to go to one or all of these 5 incredible organizations!
*More on these organizations:
Center for Native Peoples and the Environment
- The Center for Native Peoples and the Environment is directed by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Citizen Potawatomi Nation member and author of the widely inspirational "Braiding Sweetgrass: Scientific Knowledge, Indigenous Wisdom, and the Teachings of Plants." The mission of CNPE is to create programs that draw on the wisdom of both Indigenous and scientific knowledge in support of our shared goals of environmental sustainability. The center works to benefit native students by increasing opportunities for them in environmental sciences, research collaborations, and in partnerships with Native American communities to address local environmental problems. They also collaborate on projects that practice conservation and land restoration which respects and incorporates Indigenous stewardship. More info: https://www.esf.edu/nativepeoples/index.php
Environmental Center of San Diego
- The Environmental Center of San Diego envisions a community working together to protect and enhance San Diego’s natural environment through education, advocacy and direct action, and to ensure access to the coast where feasible. Some of the projects they are working on include protecting and restoring coastal wetlands, rewilding Mission Bay, advocating for San Diego's threatened biodiversity, and campaign for local climate action. We are proud to support with an organization doing such great work in our own community! More info: https://sandiegoeco.org
Sunrise Movement
- Sunrise Movement is a diverse, youth-led organization that advocates for real climate action and policy at the highest levels of the US government. They aim to force the government to end the era of fossil fuel elites, invest in Black, brown and working class communities, and create millions of good union jobs. This was the group that popularized the Green New Deal which seeks to both transition the country off of fossil fuels while building a fairer society through the process. They have been successful in helping pass the largest climate bill in history, establishing the American Climate Corps, and holding the Democratic Party accountable in prioritizing climate change. More info: https://www.sunrisemovement.org
PCT Association
- The Pacific Crest Trail Association’s mission is to advocate for the Pacific Crest Trail as an inspirational outdoor experience, to create belonging and access, and to care for and conserve the trail and the lands through which it passes. Approximately 10% of the PCT remains unprotected from development that could erase some of its wild nature forever, and this org is working on protecting the land to avoid that. More info: https://www.pcta.org
Out4Sustainability
- OUT for Sustainability provides a platform for co-creating climate resilience and environmental justice by and for LGBTQIA+ communities. OUT4S promotes equal representation, visibility, and recognition of LGBTQ2S+ folks in the climate movement and governance. They support LGBTQ2S+ communities by promoting food, energy, and water security & land access through mutual aid, micro grants, and climate disaster risk management strategies. And finally, they promote climate reparations, land rematriation, food sovereignty, and bodily autonomy. More info: https://out4s.org/mission-%26-strategy
Organizer
Reece Salmons
Organizer
San Diego, CA