Two long-time Guelphites are working to forge connections in the queer community through their love of nature with their new group.
Over the pandemic, Desmond Amy and Jaye Crawford had started helping ARCH Guelph with its Nature in Transition programming, but over time as they went out on their own, that shifted to the group now known as Queers in Nature.
The group aims to bring members of the queer community together to get outside and enjoy nature through inclusive hikes and relaxed nature workshops.
“A big part of it is just getting people out in nature,” Crawford said.
“I love going on hikes. I love how good it feels to build community with that (at the) centre,” Amy said.
The pair are self-proclaimed nature nerds, Crawford having a particular affinity for birds and Amy for trees.
“We just are really nerdy about cool naturey things and we wanted to share how excited we are about it,” Amy said.
Crawford added the people who show up are just as excited.
“It's so lovely,” he said.
During and just after the pandemic, there weren’t a lot of activities you could do with groups, Amy said, and it was something they were missing.
"It just felt like a very nice way to have more of an incentive and accountability to have outdoor access and hanging out with people in a low-pressure environment,” they said.
Crawford said it’s a great way for introverts to socialize too.
“We can connect with trees and stuff. It’s a lot less pressure than a bar scene or anything like that,” he said. “We have a task; we’re just gonna walk through the woods. You don’t have to think about being awkward or what you look like.”
The workshops, basically, are “just us talking about stuff that we think is cool,” Crawford said.
For example, Crawford led one workshop on birding.
“I’m a birder and really love talking about birds, so I ran a little birding 101, where we all sat down and talked about birds, and then we went and tried to look at some birds,” he said.
Amy said the turnout has been really good so far.
While they’ve been keeping each meeting capped at about 15 people so it stays manageable “in terms of COVID safety and social awkwardness,” he said, but it’s been a consistently full turnout every time.
“The demand is there. There’s definitely a need, or a wanting at least, for outdoor gatherings and connection,” he said. “Any time we post an event, there’s instantly sign ups for it. People are always excited about it.”
They’ve done at least one hike each month since the end of the summer, and plan to do more – especially through the winter.
“I think winter is historically hard for everyone to get out. Nobody really wants to spend time in the cold,” Amy said. “But that’s almost when you need to be accessing nature more and accessing community more.”
Both Crawford and Amy said they don’t believe Guelph has had another nature group quite like this one, which aims to be as inclusive and relaxed as possible.
“There’s lots of different specialty interest groups,” Amy said. “But in terms of being queer, sometimes those groups are a little bit harder to feel comfortable accessing, if you feel like it might not be a welcoming space for you.”
Whereas he said everyone in this group will be welcoming regardless of who you are.
“I think it’s a really valuable thing for our community to have. We want the tender Guelph queers to come out, flip some logs with us, find some salamanders, talk about birds,” Amy said.
They added that they try to include some more physically accessible hikes, because they don’t want there to be any barriers.
For instance, along with their monthly hikes on the Bruce Trail, which clock in at about 10 to 15KM each, they’re trying to incorporate more regular short hikes in town that are accessible by public transit.
“That’s why there’s no cost associated with these,” he said. “We just want to get people out, and we just want to hang out and meet new people.”
Crawford said being out in nature is good for both mental and physical health, and for the queer community especially, it can be a chance to get a break from transphobia, queerphobia, “and everything else that’s going on … in the world right now.”
“The world is kind of on fire and a little bit scary, so let's go hang out in the woods,” he said.
Amy said the main intention is “to feel joyful with each other. It’s just a nice reminder that the world can be on fire, but ultimately, there’s some good pockets. And we want to sit in those good pockets with some good people and bask in that for a bit.”
Plus, they said it’s a chance to experience childlike joy again, for example, when finding a salamander or a water snake.
“Basically, you get to just be a kid for a bit again,” Amy said.
You can find them on Instagram or watch for event postings on Eventbrite.
