Acknowledgement

My favorite way to get outside is kayaking and /or hanging out by water. My dream adventure is learning to sea kayak in a beautiful tropical place with warm, easy waves alongside the love of my life surrounded by dolphin and sea turtles. I love to roller skate and bake desserts-- sometimes at the same time!

My favorite way to get outside is to be in, on, under, or near the water. My dream adventure is to do a kayak camping trip along a beautiful Alaskan river. I'm an entomologist, which means I get very excited about insects and will bombard you with interesting facts about them in hopes that you will love them as much as I do.

My favorite way to get outside is through walking which can happen anywhere-- in a park, in a natural area, or in my neighborhood. My dream adventure is to climb Mount Saint Helens. To me it sounds like the right mix of all day adventure and true physical challenge. I grew up in Northern New Mexico and I love and miss the high desert mountains!

My favorite way to get outside is one foot in front of the other... preferably with my dog Rodney on an early morning . I try to drop the pressure of “how” I should get outside and instead call on the gratitude I have when the opportunity presents itself-- whether it’s 10 minutes or a few days at a time. My dream adventure is an epic couple of days off grid connecting with new and old friends in the queer/trans community where we impress each other with outdoor cooking, tent building and nature knowledge. I'm a nerd about aviation and I’ve worked as a commercial aircraft mechanic for the past 13 years. I’m always game for a convo about your fear of flying! Also, I mostly hike in jeans. 

Tracie  grew up camping with her family in the Midwest and while that  experience definitely instilled in her a love of the outdoors, it also  raised her awareness of the challenges of being "other" in these spaces.  She enjoys cycling, hiking and camping. She's also looking forward to  enjoying new challenges and adventures with Wild Diversity including  backpacking, climbing and kayaking in particular. 


Tracie passionate about creating welcoming  and accessible spaces for queer POC. Her favorite way to enjoy the wild is with friends and folks who are  interested in exploring more off the beaten path places.

My favorite way to get outside is taking long meandering walks and splashing in any body of water. My dream adventure is spending an entire month doing all of the following, one week at a time: bike touring, then canoe camping on mountain lakes, then backpacking in a dense forest, then lazing around and swimming in a lake and napping all day in a hammock. The weather would vary back and forth from sunny and breezy to rainy and cloudy. I'd go alone with an adventuresome pup or with a small group for good company and laughs. There would be excellent snacks, fun plants to identify, and plenty of time to breathe and have a slow pace all along the way. I really don't like butterflies or moths. I just cannot with the fluttering.

My favorite way to get outside is an overnight canoe trip down a lazy river. My dream adventure is to bike across the country! I've been making my own sourdough bread for 4 years.

My favorite way to get outside is to spend the day hiking in search of waterfalls. My dream adventure is to go backpacking in the Patagonia. A fun fact about me is that one of my goals is to swing on every swing in every neighborhood park in Portland.  

I love getting outside in lots of different ways and am always so grateful when I have the fortune to be surrounded by the most magical sights and appreciate the wonder of it all in solitude. My dream adventure is to co-create an intentional and nourishing community that lives in reciprocity with the land. I love sharing and gifting foodstuffs. This year, I was so excited to share tomato plant babes I grew from saved seeds with 30+ people. 

My favorite way to get outside is by first sipping on morning tea, then stepping barefoot deep into the moss-covered dirt, tuning into the fresh breath of the forest, and soaking the golden kisses of sun rays. My dream adventure would be all the adventures wrapped into an epic, simply because I can’t choose just one! It would look something like part-motorcycle, part-mountain bike-packing around the world in search of climbing destinations, while also meeting with locals, learning from the diversity of food & cultures, discovering a coastal spot to snorkel and surf, kayaking into a hidden slot canyon that happens to have some deep water soloing... and stumbling upon a quiet gem to spend an evening processing, wild foraging, campfire cooking & painting away the sweet whisperings of the heart. I love exploring the world of food: growing, cooking, baking, sharing, and yes of course, eating! I’m really interested in how food can be simultaneously art, healing medicine, and connection to land, plant/animal/fungi life, people, and self. 

Sofia Baum grew up in the Willamette Valley, specifically Junction City, OR. A recent graduate of Oregon State University with B.S. in Business Administration and Sustainability, Sofia is serving as a Youth Ecology Coordinator for Wild Diversity for summer 2020. She is very passionate about creating opportunities that center equity, curiosity, authenticity, growth, and meaningful work through immersive programs, experiential learning, food security initiatives, social justice education, and civic engagement.

Summer Youth Ecology Coordinator

I grew up in a big metropolitan, so finding nature came later in life as I learned to enjoy myself more and trying to find peace of mind. My favorite outdoor nature experiences has been hiking in the mountains of Ireland and kayaking in Hawaii. Local treasures, I have also gone to 6 out of the 7 wonders of Oregon, and they are wonderful! 

Mercy M'fon Shammah

Executive Director/Founder

Her drive to form Wild Diversity came from the desire to support a robust community of POC & Queer outdoorists and be an architect of much needed change for diversity in the outdoor industry. She wanted a welcoming as safe place for her underrepresented communities to thrive.

Mercy has over 15 years in community leadership as an educator and facilitator directly serving community. She has also traveled to over a dozen countries training and leading workshops as a roller derby coach to empowering women to realize their potential. She brings that passion to the Wild Diversity community and is proud to be a part of community growth.

Shoshanah Oppenheim

Member at Large

Shoshanah grew up in a big city with great parks, but where the wild outdoors  always seemed out of reach. When her girlfriend invited her to go backpacking, she fell in love with the challenge and adventure.  Shoshanah wants to see and experience more from a trail, the seat of a  bike, a paddle board or canoe. She is committed to removing barriers for LGBTQ and POC to experience the adventure of the outdoors and reconnect with the love of adventure.  

Professionally, Shoshanah has lead strategic planning efforts of citywide and statewide significance. Notable projects include raising  money for bike and pedestrian safety, Portland's Civil Rights Plan and developing Oregon's Statewide Housing Plan. She places equitable outcomes at the center of her work and works to improve the lives of her  neighbors. 

Shoshanah strives to live, learn and listen in ways that promote equity.

Alyssa Macy 

Member at Large

Alyssa Macy is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon and was raised on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. She is of the Wasco, Navajo, and Hopi descent. Alyssa is the CEO of Washington Environmental Council. Her previous experiences includes serving her Nation as the Chief Operations Officer where she was responsible for $33 million in tribal programming and services; working transportation, campaign management, communications and international advocacy within United Nations bodies. She is a published writer and co-authored the first ever national report on Native American  voting in 2005. Alyssa has been a foster parent to 6 children and her oldest daughter is in her second year of college. She enjoys spending her time outdoors skiing and glamping. 

Francisca Garfia

Secretary

Francisca grew up in sunny Southern California before moving to Oregon for college and to get away from lizards. Due to growing up in a large city, she didn’t get to experience the outdoors until she backpacked on Mt.Adams at age 18. That backpacking trip changed her life and spurred an appreciation for the outdoors and a  desire to encourage more young POC to access these spaces. 

She  currently works for the City of Portland after working in archiving at Reed College and being a community liaison for Causa Oregon. In her free time, she enjoys reading, biking through Portland, and planning trips to National Parks. She looks forward to keeping excellent notes (in a recycled notebook!) and learning as much as possible from the rest of the Wild Diversity team.  

Lauren Reini 

Treasurer

Lauren is an outdoor lover who grew up in the Pacific Northwest with a strong track record in financial planning and budget management, on-line (demand) planning and marketing.  Consistently successful career with a world-class retail organizations known for excellence in quality, service, results, and professional development. Lauren is a Business Integration Planner for Nike. 

Lauren loves spending time outdoors. Biking, hiking and camping are her favorite ways to relax in the wild.