Kimmie Gordon makes the woods inviting for everyone
Brown Faces, Green Spaces — the organization Gordon runs — promotes diversity outdoors by leading camping, birding, fishing, archery, hiking and other activities for people of color in Northwest Indiana.
She has loved nature and the outdoors since she was at least 6 years old. That's when she began attending Girl Scout camp in Valparaiso with her sister. But they were the only Black girls in camp, which initially led Gordon to believe her culture doesn't love nature.
Now she spends her time turning that belief upside down.
Gordon wants to share her experiences in nature with others. She found herself centered and at peace when she would visit neighborhood parks as a teenager. Those feelings led her to pursue a graduate program, become involved with her community and move back to Gary where she started Brown Faces, Green Spaces.
Current rhetoric around DEI initiatives across the county and in National Parks has made her future uncertain, but Gordon said she and her organization will continue doing what they've been doing year after year: catering to people and helping create experiences in safe and welcoming spaces 'for us, by us and with us.'
We spoke with Gordon in August about her job and the environment. Her answers are edited for brevity and clarity.
SUGGEST A SUBJECT: Know someone doing good things for Indiana's environment and want to see them featured here? Email Karl and Sophie at: karl.schneider@indystar.com and sophie.hartley@indystar.com to let us know.
The privilege of being able to provide our local youth and senior populations the opportunity to experience the natural world, the outdoors, something they may not otherwise have ever done or had access to.
And one of my favorite parts of that is seeing people experience outdoor joy like the reaction on a child's face when they catch a fish for the very first time, or a senior participant that gets in a canoe for the first time in their life and loves it. How their faces light up with such jubilation and excitement. overcoming their personal fears related to the outdoors — then they try it, love it, and come back again and again. Those are the things that make me proud — the people.
Living with environmental inequities and feeling powerless to change it has been a common source of stress for me lately. Though things are slowly pivoting back to inequitable access, I'm determined to keep working to address the systemic issues creating barriers for people of color to be able to access and enjoy nature.
The rollback of DEI in our national parks and green spaces where programming such as ours is now prohibited by federal mandates. Even sadder is the accommodation that some organizations are giving the federal government to help do away with diversity in our national green spaces. They do so without any consideration of how it affects diverse audiences.
The rollbacks of years of progress towards environmental justice protections that we've fought so hard to institute were gone in just a matter of weeks in 2025. The many decades that the people have fought for environmental justice and outdoor equity dissolved with just a signature. Environmental justice and racism — diversity, equity, and inclusion — none of that will ever go away, and it's more important now than ever for communities to continue to mobilize around these issues.
In a society infused with digital devices and constant distractions, oftentimes people forget that stillness exists somewhere. When we put down the phones and turn off all the noise, there is nature. I mean, what would happen if there was absolutely no digital access on any device at all? We would have to depend on sustaining ourselves through nature, and it's all around us.
We don't have to wear fancy outdoor gear or go out on a trail or riverbank to experience nature, even something as simple as sitting under a tree in your yard can be a respite for the mind. Finding small ways to explore nature can be just as beneficial as a walk in the Grand Canyon. And everyone should benefit from that.
So, I hope to continue to lead by example in these spaces. When people see others that look like them doing things that they may have a fear of or barrier to, it can intrigue them enough to also want to try it. And that's all I want people to do, is just try an outdoor experience that they've never done before, that they may be uncomfortable to think about but worth finding out about. Because I have yet to see any of our first-time participants regret trying, in fact, most of them return time and time again having developed a genuine love for the outdoors and all that nature has to offer.
I am fascinated by beavers and their ability to engineer their own ecosystems with the power of their teeth and tails. And did you know they have transparent eyelids that allow them to see clearly under water like a pair of goggles?
IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
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Kimmie Gordon makes the woods inviting for everyone
Kimmie Gordon is working to make green spaces in Indiana welcoming for everyone. Brown Faces, Green Spaces — the organization Gordon runs — promotes diversity outdoors by leading camping, birding, fishing, archery, hiking and other activities for people of color in Northwest Indiana. She has loved nature and the outdoors since she was at least 6 years old. That's when she began attending Girl Scout camp in Valparaiso with her sister. But they were the only Black girls in camp, which initially led Gordon to believe her culture doesn't love nature. Now she spends her time turning that belief upside down. Gordon wants to share her experiences in nature with others. She found herself centered and at peace when she would visit neighborhood parks as a teenager. Those feelings led her to pursue a graduate program, become involved with her community and move back to Gary where she started Brown Faces, Green Spaces. Current rhetoric around DEI initiatives across the county and in National Parks has made her future uncertain, but Gordon said she and her organization will continue doing what they've been doing year after year: catering to people and helping create experiences in safe and welcoming spaces 'for us, by us and with us.' We spoke with Gordon in August about her job and the environment. Her answers are edited for brevity and clarity. SUGGEST A SUBJECT: Know someone doing good things for Indiana's environment and want to see them featured here? Email Karl and Sophie at: and to let us know. The privilege of being able to provide our local youth and senior populations the opportunity to experience the natural world, the outdoors, something they may not otherwise have ever done or had access to. And one of my favorite parts of that is seeing people experience outdoor joy like the reaction on a child's face when they catch a fish for the very first time, or a senior participant that gets in a canoe for the first time in their life and loves it. How their faces light up with such jubilation and excitement. overcoming their personal fears related to the outdoors — then they try it, love it, and come back again and again. Those are the things that make me proud — the people. Living with environmental inequities and feeling powerless to change it has been a common source of stress for me lately. Though things are slowly pivoting back to inequitable access, I'm determined to keep working to address the systemic issues creating barriers for people of color to be able to access and enjoy nature. The rollback of DEI in our national parks and green spaces where programming such as ours is now prohibited by federal mandates. Even sadder is the accommodation that some organizations are giving the federal government to help do away with diversity in our national green spaces. They do so without any consideration of how it affects diverse audiences. The rollbacks of years of progress towards environmental justice protections that we've fought so hard to institute were gone in just a matter of weeks in 2025. The many decades that the people have fought for environmental justice and outdoor equity dissolved with just a signature. Environmental justice and racism — diversity, equity, and inclusion — none of that will ever go away, and it's more important now than ever for communities to continue to mobilize around these issues. In a society infused with digital devices and constant distractions, oftentimes people forget that stillness exists somewhere. When we put down the phones and turn off all the noise, there is nature. I mean, what would happen if there was absolutely no digital access on any device at all? We would have to depend on sustaining ourselves through nature, and it's all around us. We don't have to wear fancy outdoor gear or go out on a trail or riverbank to experience nature, even something as simple as sitting under a tree in your yard can be a respite for the mind. Finding small ways to explore nature can be just as beneficial as a walk in the Grand Canyon. And everyone should benefit from that. So, I hope to continue to lead by example in these spaces. When people see others that look like them doing things that they may have a fear of or barrier to, it can intrigue them enough to also want to try it. And that's all I want people to do, is just try an outdoor experience that they've never done before, that they may be uncomfortable to think about but worth finding out about. Because I have yet to see any of our first-time participants regret trying, in fact, most of them return time and time again having developed a genuine love for the outdoors and all that nature has to offer. I am fascinated by beavers and their ability to engineer their own ecosystems with the power of their teeth and tails. And did you know they have transparent eyelids that allow them to see clearly under water like a pair of goggles? IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
