Jenessa Carlisle
As a Parks & Trails Ambassador for the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities, Jenessa is dedicated to creating representation and decolonizing outdoor recreation by increasing the conversation and supporting programming that surrounds diversity, equity, and inclusion in outdoor spaces. Through her work as a previous boat captain, trail guide, and most recently as a dog musher in the Boundary Waters, she finds immense importance in bridging the adventure gap and breaking down systemic barriers in the outdoors that continue to hinder historically excluded groups, but especially communities of color.
Mush St Paul
Mush St. Paul will feature a series of events for 20-30 BIPOC individuals to learn the ropes of mushing, working with sled dogs, and inspiring joy in the cold months. As a Black musher, I’m excited to bring awareness to our parks/trails system to showcase not only a very rare activity taking place on our trails (dog sledding), but also defying the stereotypes of who is participating in these activities. There is a common myth that Black and Brown people don’t like winter activities, and Mush St. Paul is here to shine a spotlight on these limiting beliefs. Alongside dogsledding, this opportunity can be paired with a series of winter programming such as ice fishing, ice skating, cross-county skiing, and more. The potential is endless.