5 WTA partner organizations to support this GivingTuesday

Washington Trails Association believes that trails are for everyone, forever. We seek to create a community of avid outdoor enthusiasts who love natural spaces. This year for GivingTuesday, we are highlighting five WTA partner groups that are making waves, rewriting narratives and making sure everyone can experience nature in meaningful ways. Please consider sharing your generosity with these organizations. 

A Y-WE Grow participant stands in Marra Garden admiring sunflowers. Photo courtesy Y-WE.

Young Women Empowered (Y-WE) cultivates the power of diverse young women and gender-expansive youth to be creative leaders and courageous changemakers through transformative programs within a collaborative community of belonging. Grounded in social justice, Y-WE creates spaces where youth can explore who they are, connect and lead with purpose. Through mentorship, creative expression and collective action, participants gain the skills and confidence to shape a more equitable and compassionate world. 

Donate today to support Young Women Empowered as they nurture a generation of leaders who live their truth, achieve their dreams and create lasting change in their communities.

Participants of Nosotros En Naturaleza stop for a group photo on their hike. Photo courtesy Jesus Mendoza.

Nosotros En Naturaleza (NEN) is dedicated to connecting Latinx and BIPOC youth in King County to the transformative power of nature through immersive outdoor experiences. Their mission is to remove barriers to outdoor exploration by providing free transportation, gear, food, guided hikes and mentorship. NEN centers the voices and lived experiences of underserved communities, fostering a sense of belonging and community for individuals like “Nosotros” (us) in outdoor spaces. They proudly live by that motto on and off the trail.

Donate today to help support Nosotros En Naturaleza as they continue to create a more equitable and inclusive outdoor environment while empowering the next generation of climate and social justice advocates.

Earth Gym founder Rachel Heaton shares indigenous plant knowledge with participants during a session.  Photo courtesy Rachel Heaton.

The Earth Gym offers a connected and creative approach to wellness in the outdoors – one that is centered around Native traditions of connecting with the spirit of the land. The Earth Gym focuses on functional fitness that centers wellness as a way of life that incorporates the whole person and the whole Earth. Their unique wellness model is rooted in Indigenous knowledge and offers a creative way to interact and engage with nature for people of all ages and abilities. 

Donate today to support this Native-woman-owned organization that is on a mission to strengthen bodies, expand minds and foster community wellbeing across Cascadia. 

Participants on POST 84’s backpacking trip walk uphill into the mist. Photo courtesy POST 84.

POST 84 is a student-led outdoor education non-profit organization in Seattle. POST reaches over 400 high school students from 19 Seattle-area schools through overnight and day trips around Washington. POST offers a wide range of activities, including rock climbing, snow camping, backpacking and survival skills. POST has been a valued program in the community for over 30 years. They honor all scholarship requests, no questions asked. 

Donate today to help POST 84 continue to offer a safe and welcoming environment that fosters environmental awareness and knowledge of the outdoors, leadership, diversity, self-confidence and a sense of belonging for high schoolers of all backgrounds. 

Even the rain won’t stop Major Taylor Project participants on an outing. Photo courtesy Cascade Bicycle Club staff.

Cascade Bicycle Club’s Major Taylor Project (MTP), founded in 2008, breaks down barriers to bicycling for youth of color in King and Pierce counties. They believe that bicycling is a form of exercise that fosters not only healthy bodies and minds but also healthy communities. Their namesake comes from Marshall “Major” Taylor — a Black American cycling champion and celebrity. He broke racial barriers on his path to winning world championships as a track cyclist during the Jim Crow Era. To honor his legacy, MTP seeks to break down racial barriers for youth in the Puget Sound region. 

Donate today to support Major Taylor Project as they bring free bicycle education and youth development programming to students in middle and high school.

Washington Trails Association is grateful to collaborate with these groups to help everyone get outside and for future generations to have opportunities to savor these outdoor places. We look forward to seeing each program continue to grow and prosper as we build a world where everyone has the opportunity to access, explore and enjoy the outdoors.