For many, nature can feel like a backdrop: distant trails, unfamiliar forests, or spaces that seem designed for someone else. But what happens when someone steps forward to reshape that story, inviting a whole community into the experience?
Damiesha Dennis, founder of Brown Girl Outdoor World (BGOW), does exactly that.
Born and raised in Jamaica and now based in Toronto, she turned her love for nature into a mission to make outdoor spaces welcoming and accessible to people who have long felt excluded.
Through BGOW, she designs adventures, programs, and community meetups that help women of diverse backgrounds move beyond observation and into active participation in outdoor life.
For Demiesha, this work started with her own experience: discovering that the outdoors in Canada didn’t always reflect the diversity she carried in her heart.
Instead of accepting that absence, she made it her purpose to change the narrative around who belongs in outdoor spaces, especially forests, rivers, parks, and fishing spots where voices like hers have historically been missing.
Her organization offers more than trips; it creates community. From hiking and fishing to camping and ice-fishing, BGOW fosters belonging and reminds participants that adventure doesn’t require elite gear or exclusive access but opportunity and invitation.
By guiding women into these environments with confidence and support, she reshapes how outdoor culture is perceived and who gets to claim space within it.
This work feels especially significant now, as conversations about representation and environmental stewardship grow louder. Damiesha isn’t just encouraging participation; she’s strengthening voices who will care for nature in ways rooted in both culture and care.
Her role on advisory councils, including for Algonquin Provincial Park’s fisheries plans, reflects her growing influence in conservation dialogues that shape land use and ecological futures.
Through Brown Girl Outdoor World, she shows that connection to land and water isn’t optional, it’s foundational.
By expanding who feels welcome outdoors, Damiesha’s vision helps women step confidently into experiences that nourish curiosity, confidence, and deep respect for the natural world.
