Brittany Leavitt

It's officially here! 👩🏾‍🌾🫛🍅 @blackgirlsgardening is now out! 🎉✌🏾 Celebrated by spending time in @cooperstreetgarden planning out the season with co-coordinator @merofero Chatting with some neighbors 🫂 Enjoyed finding worms 🪱 Harvest our ginger & turmeric 🫚 We are stoke to open the space April 1st! More details to come!🥕👩🏾‍🌾🌱🙌🏾

Although I love spending time in the city, I still seek out ways to connect with the outdoors. That's why I teamed up with @subaru_usa for a multi-sport adventure to Acadia National Park. The Subaru Outback was a game-changer, offering plenty of storage to carry everything from my outdoor gear to cooking essentials and campsite setup! #Sponsored Some of my favorite tips for making the most of your trip:  🏕Make your campsite cozy and whip up delicious meals—bonus points if you bring ingredients from your own community garden, like I did. 🧘🏾‍♀️Set aside time to catch the sunrise and enjoy some peaceful meditation. The Blackwoods Campground even has a lovely trail that leads straight to the water! And while you're admiring the big, sweeping views, don't forget to appreciate the small beauties around you, like the pines, butterflies, and snakes. A huge thanks to @subaru_usa for making this adventure the perfect way to reconnect with nature.🏔🐍🦋 #SubaruOutback #SubaruRoadTrip #AcadiaNationalPark

This nerdy Black Girl made it to ESSENCE Magazine! I'm having so many moments at once—it's overwhelming! 🫨🫨 Thanks for all the love!🫂💜 A full recap is still to come for many things... but. I am over the moon to share that I was interviewed by ESSENCE Magazine! If you know, this magazine has been a staple in the Black community for generations. It was such an honor to share my journey into the outdoors, my passion for education, and the pure joy that comes from exploring nature.  I also got to talk about the importance of @browngirlsclimb and how it truly takes a team to make a small organization thrive. I am grateful for this opportunity to highlight the work we do and the love we put into it.🧗🏾‍♀️🙌🏾💜 Small piece from the article: “Leavitt spoke to this experience of being a minority in the outdoor recreation space, reflecting on her childhood as a transracial adoptee in Maryland. As a Girl Scout, she found a sense of cultural community that familiarized her with the historical Black presence in the outdoor recreation space. Maryland is home to multiple national parks and after volunteering with another organization called Outdoor Afro, she immersed herself in addressing the institutional barriers that prevent many people of color from claiming a space in hiking, biking, or other activities.  “I think one of the best things I learned is that you don’t have to start young. You can take your time, and it is never too late to find that thing that resonates with you,” Thanks to @thenorthface_climb @thenorthface forther opportunity Thanks, @jkh_photo , for the panel photo Some favorite photos of 2024: ✨️Panel at climbfest. ✨️Teaching at United in Yosemite. ✨️Eating hot peppers in @cooperstreetgarden ✨️Enjoy watching community thrive at the BGC retreat! ✨️more garden and NYC love! ✨️Doing my once a year ice climbing in Adirondack with Queer Ice Fest ✨️Bouldering in France with a crew💜 ✨️vibing out and about the love Climb in the Gunks!✌🏾 You can read the full article in my bio!

Looking back through old photos from my days as a young trail steward 🥾🌲 I spent a good chunk of time learning trail building with the Konnarock Trail Crew, part of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. I had the opportunity to help work on sections of the Virginia portion of the Appalachian Trail. trails that so many people hike and thru-hike today. That experience shaped so much of how I move through outdoor spaces now. I love understanding trail systems: how they’re built, why they matter, and the ongoing care it takes to maintain them. It’s the same way I think about climbing areas and crags. Stewardship matters. Whether we’re hikers or climbers, we all have a role in caring for the land and understanding how to show up responsibly through Leave No Trace practices. Now living in New York, I’ve fallen in love with hiking in the Catskill Mountains. It’s become one of my favorite places to pause, reset, and step away from the pace of the city. I’m excited to be joining @parksproject and the @catskillcenter for a National Trails Day volunteer event focused on protecting the beautiful trails of Platte Clove Preserve 💚 📍 Platte Clove Preserve: Elka Park, NY 🗓 Saturday, June 6, 2026 ⏰ 9 AM – 1 PM We’ll be: 🌿 Re-marking trails 🪵 Installing bog bridges ⛰ Re-routing unsafe sections near cliff edges 🌱 Restoring unofficial paths contributing to erosion Trail maintenance helps protect ecosystems, prevent erosion, and preserve access for future generations. It’s powerful work, and I’m excited to get my hands back in the dirt again. You can learn more & register through the link in my bio (packing list included too!) Looking forward to building trails together 🥾 #NationalTrailsDay #ParksProject #Catskills #TrailStewardship #LeaveNoTrace TrailCrew

🌱 Cooper Street Garden Volunteer Day 🌱 Join us for Cooper Street’s first volunteer day of the season! We’re excited to gather in the garden, get our hands in the soil, and prep the space for a beautiful season ahead. 🌻🐝 🗓 Saturday, May 17th ⏰ 12 PM – 4 PM 📍 Cooper Street Garden, Bushwick 🌱 Tasks for the Day: 🌻 Planting seedlings in the beds for the season ahead 🧹 Trash pick-up + general garden clean-up 🎨 Painting benches and flower beds to brighten the space for the community What to bring: 🧤 Layers 🥾 Closed-toe shoes 🍎 Snacks to keep you fueled Cooper Street will provide: 🌻 Working gloves 🔧 Tools ✨ Sign-up form is in our bio! We can’t thank you enough for showing up for the garden and community. Excited for another season of growing, learning, and building together. 💚🌿🐞 #CommunityGarden

Garden Moments at @cooperstreetgarden One of my favorite seasonal activities is rolling back our beautiful cover crops Cover crops are plants grown to help protect and nourish the soil between growing seasons. They help improve soil health, prevent erosion, support pollinators, and prepare the beds for future planting. We usually plant clover, peas, and oats 🌾🌱 While working in the garden, we always end up snacking on pea shoots 🫛 Salsa, chips, and pea shoots = elite garden snack. The wisteria is finishing its bloom and it has been such a beautiful sight lately 💜 The Cooper Street pups have been especially happy soaking up the spring energy 🐝 I’ve also been replanting cosmos and sunflowers that were spread naturally by the wind and birds 🌻💨🐦 One of my favorite parts of gardening is seeing what decides to return on its own. The hydrangeas are getting ready to bloom, and somehow one of our bok choy plants made a comeback 🥬 We’re prepping for so many wonderful things in the garden space this season and feeling really excited for all the learning, care, and community ahead. The world is hot mess and I am bringing back planking🪵 📚 After our first Storytime in the Garden, we’ll be hosting our first Garden Meeting of the season! Come learn how to become a volunteer and get involved with the space. 📅 May 9th 🕠 5:30–6:30 PM 🌻 Our first big Volunteer Day of the season will be May 17th! More details soon #communitygarden #nyrp

5 to 9 before the 9 to 5 🌱♻️ Cooper Street Garden coordinators were up early for this season’s compost drop-off! Running on limited energy, but making the most of our time 🙌🏾💪🏾 We wrapped up unloading the bags by 8 AM and still got some extra tasks done clearing beds, removing plants, and prepping the space before our first work meetings of the day 🫶🏾🪱🐞🐝 Little by little, the garden is waking back up, and we’re getting super stoked for this season! 🌻 #communitygarden #nyrp

This week felt really good. I got to spend time outside doing some of the things I love 🧗🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♀️👩🏾‍🌾 Friday was my first day back out at The Gunks. I made a point to slow down and just enjoy climbing again before shifting into full SPI exam mode. Spent the day top-roping routes I’d plan to lead next time I’m out. Except for Junior… I don’t know 🫠 It’s hard but a fun 5.9+ R on top rope. Truly no clue how or why someone would want to lead it. My goal is to take my SPI exam by fall. And honestly, I’m feeling more positive about my own climbing journey lately, which I’m really stoked on... I also laugh because it has taken me 5 years to exam..but also not ashamed about it anymore.🤷🏾‍♀️ Also did a very off-the-couch 5K on Governors Island with some homies finished in 30:21, which I will absolutely take. I’m excited to just keep doing more fun 5Ks. Dream goal is a half marathon, but with my schedule… we’ll see if that happens this year. And of course, Mondays in the garden always grounding.🫶🏾🪱 Overall, it feels really good to be back in a bit of a routine finding small pockets of time to be outside and just have lil moments of joy.

Many tasks in Cooper Street Garden as we prep for the season which means getting into the beds and making space. Cleavers (sticky plant) are all around the garden. A beautiful medicinal plant that supports the lymphatic system and skin always a reminder of how much the garden gives. But in this moment, we’re clearing some back to make room. Our peonies are have started to bud.!🙌🏾 You’ll start to see ants around them that’s part of the process. The ants are drawn to the nectar and help protect the buds from pests. Little systems working together.🫶🏾🐜 Peonies hold their own medicine too often used to support inflammation and menstrual health. Such a lovely balance of beauty and care in the garden. As someone who has more knowledge growing food. I have been learning alot about the medicine so many plants have to offer thanks to @merofero So excited for this season ahead 🌻🪱 Check the May schedule for programs & volunteer days on the @cooperstreetgarden page. #communitygardens

Wow… so much has been happening Welcome to anyone new here👋🏾 I’ll share a full intro later,but for now I’m just taking in the last few months.✌🏾 It’s been a busy Earth Month, and I’ve been reflecting on the beauty of the many environments I’ve been able to connect with across the country and beyond. What continues to ground me is how nature shows up in so many forms and ways… Whether it’s a carpenter bee hanging out on wisteria in a community garden, a starfish just vibing in the Pacific tides, or watching the sunset over the Tetons. Connection to nature can also be simple as stepping outside my front door, taking a slow morning walk through @prospect_park , prepping for the growing season at @cooperstreetgarden , or spending time at a stewardship cleanup + picnic at @forttryonparkconservancy . These moments remind me that there are so many ways we connect with nature, through healing, research, recreation, and beyond. And while we get to connect, reset, and enjoy… we also have to acknowledge that caring for the environment can’t be separated from conversations around access. We have to hold both: tending to the land and acknowledging the realities that Black, Indigenous, and People of the Global Majority communities face when it comes to access to clean air, water, and resources. These conversations overlap. And they matter. So, I hope this Earth month has been educational for everyone, too. Excited to share more soon and welcome to my little corner of big thoughts, recaps, mini lessons, and outdoor (and city) adventures 🧗🏾‍♀️👩🏾‍🌾🧘🏾‍♀️🌄🌎🪻🐝🪻 #earthday #outdoors #nature #vibes

For National Volunteer week BGC was honored to be recognized as the Community Impact Award winner by the NYC Service Office of the Mayor! 🤎 @nycservice This recognition reflects the power of community and what’s possible when we show up for one another. As Brown Girls Climb celebrates 10 years as a national organization, we’re also reflecting on the last 6 years of building meaningful programming here in New York City. From Wilderness Medicine courses to climbing retreats… from Girl Scout climbing days to member grant support… from stewardship education to creating pathways from gym to crag, we’ve been focused on access, education, and connection. At the core of this work is our vision: We believe in an outdoor and climbing community that honors our individual relationships to the land, acknowledges complex histories and truths, centers the voices of those most impacted by colonization and industrialization, and works toward a just redistribution of resources, so that everyone can find their own relationship to the land. This award reflects the hundreds of people who have been part of this journey. Big thank you to our New York guide partner at @riseoutsidecollective for supporting our outdoor programming over the years 🤝 To the many BGC NYC local leaders, past and present, thank you for shaping how we show up as leaders in climbing and outdoor spaces. And to our 400+ community members who have joined us whether at a festival, retreat, certification, workshop, or a chill meetup this work exists because of you. We’re also grateful for the $1,000 awarded, which will go directly toward this year’s Gym to Crag program. More details soon!! We’re excited to keep building more resources, more education, and more connections. Thank you for making Brown Girls Climb what it is today 🤎 Interested in joining Brown Girls Climb? We have open applications for Local Leaders right now, check our past post for full details! Yes… New York City is on the list! ( They close May 1st!) 🧗🏾‍♀️🫶🏾 - Brittany Leavitt Executive Director, Brown Girls Climb #serviceimpact #Climbing #community

Here are a few things I spotted while hanging with @acg + @camp.yoshi 🏃🏾‍♀️🏕 🌊Waterfalls The Gorge is full of flowing water + misty air. From iconic spots like Multnomah Falls to tucked-away gems like Latourell Falls, you’ll hear the falls before you even see them. 🦎Slow moments: Slow it down and you’ll notice the small things salamanders under logs, layers of moss and fedays! A reminder that there’s life in every corner. Step out of the trees and the Gorge opens up.. on clear day! 🌲Plants + seasonal finds: Keep an eye out for seasonal plants like Stinging Nettle (great for tea, just don’t grab it barehanded 😅), plus wildflowers and lush undergrowth. Also… watch out for poison oak ‼️ 🫶🏾The peep and vibes: And if you’re lucky… you might spot some stellar guides from Camp Yoshi leading the way. You’ll also notice incredible people all around sharing stories, moving through the land, building connection   Maybe even taking a moment to relax in the sauna by @guss.sauna ♨️ And if you really pay attention… You might catch a glimpse of the new Nike ACG Zegama Trail Shoes out on the trail . Overall… a magical experience. Can’t wait to share more soon #ColumbiaRiverGorge #PNW #ACG #NatureConnection #campyoshi