About US
Meet Crystal Egli and Parker McMullen Bushman, the two women behind Inclusive Journeys and the Inclusive Guide.
Parker McMullen BushmanThoughts on Parker McMullen Bushman
By: Crystal Egli Parker and I have had an immediate connection since the first day we met. We were both attending a conference, and my partner had just participated in a breakout session Parker taught about Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) issues as they relate to conservation and environmental education. My partner came running up to me and said, “I found you a new best friend! Her name is Parker and she is absolutely amazing. You’ll know her when you see her.” Sure enough, I knew her when I saw her, and once we began to talk it seemed like she also knew me. I came to learn that Parker’s background in the conservation, environmental education and outdoor recreation fields has spanned over 22 years. To say her passion for equity and inclusion in the outdoors is infectious would be an understatement. Her dedication to justice, |
“A basic principle of ecology is that diversity in an ecosystem fosters strength and resilience. The same is true in our organizations and communities. Our hope for tomorrow is each other. So we must work together to make change happen.”
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accessibility, and equity issues developed from her personal experience facing the unequal representation of people of color in environmental organizations and green spaces. Parker boldly and unapologetically tackles these complex issues by addressing them through head on activism and education. In Colorado, where she lives, Parker works with environmental organizations to aid them in building culturally diverse and culturally competent organizations that are representative of the populations that they hope to reach and serve. She is a member of several committees that focus on diversity in environmental fields as well as a presenter and trainer on diversity issues. She sits on the board of Environmental Learning for Kids, Metro Denver Nature Alliance, the Next 100 Coalition and the National Association for Interpretation. Parker is also the Founder of an online diversity resource forum called Ecoinclusive and the creator of Kween werK. Ecoinclusive was born out of a desire to make sure everyone has a connection to the outdoors.
In addition to working on all of that for what seems like 27 hours a day, Parker is mom to three amazing kiddos, and her partner Mark teaches about recycling, (how cool is that?). Her three generation household includes her father, who remembers having to use the Green Book earlier in his life. Parker hopes our work will ensure that our generation is truly the last generation who will ever need it.
In addition to working on all of that for what seems like 27 hours a day, Parker is mom to three amazing kiddos, and her partner Mark teaches about recycling, (how cool is that?). Her three generation household includes her father, who remembers having to use the Green Book earlier in his life. Parker hopes our work will ensure that our generation is truly the last generation who will ever need it.
CRYSTAL EGLIThoughts on Crystal Egli
By: Parker McMullen Bushman Crystal is like a lightning bolt. I’m not sure of any other way to describe it. She is one of the most driven and focused people that I know. When we first connected, she told me that she was beginning to think about the topics of Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) and how they affected the work that she does. I could see myself in her, early in my conservation career, realizing that being the only person of color wasn’t a fluke, but rather it meant there was an issue with the system. Crystal has always been outdoorsy-- she grew up backpacking, fly fishing, water & snow skiing-- but it wasn’t until she took up hunting for her own food that she |
uncovered something larger within herself, something that couldn’t be kept inside any longer. Her true mission began. Crystal voice in this space has been incredibly valuable! Crystal has spent the past few years working to improve authentic representation of marginalized people in conservation marketing, and as a result drafted an open-source plan called “Project Mountaintop” that was distributed nation-wide to natural resources organizations, the outdoor retail industry as well as government and non-government organizations to adopt. I was so excited when the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) awarded Crystal the 2019 Stephen Kellert award for “outstanding service in advancing connections between humans and the natural world to all peoples in a diverse and inclusive manner”. Crystal uses her platform and voice to continue to help carve out more inclusive spaces in conservation work and outdoor recreation. Everyday I am inspired by the work that she does!
Not only does Crystal work in the marketing section of a public land conservation organization, she is also on the board of directors for Environmental Learning for Kids, a hunter education instructor, a member of the Next 100 Coalition, and a mom. Crystal goes all-in on everything she puts her mind to, and I am so excited to be her partner for Inclusive Journeys.
Not only does Crystal work in the marketing section of a public land conservation organization, she is also on the board of directors for Environmental Learning for Kids, a hunter education instructor, a member of the Next 100 Coalition, and a mom. Crystal goes all-in on everything she puts her mind to, and I am so excited to be her partner for Inclusive Journeys.