“I like to take action. I like to see things come to life."
Jennifer Daring describes herself as a bi-racial woman whose passion is being an outdoor inclusion activist. She proudly advocates for those who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). Jennifer co-founded Green Recreation Organization (GRO), a group that offers women and LGBTQ+ people a welcoming community in which to explore new outdoor experiences. GRO regularly plans outings to Cuyahoga Valley and other parks. In 2022, Cuyahoga Valley National Park interviewed her as part of a Women in Parks oral history project. Shortly afterwards, Jennifer began working for Cleveland Metroparks as an outdoor recreation specialist.
A Path to the Outdoors
Jennifer grew up in Stow, Ohio, not far from Cuyahoga Valley. Her mother is a hospital food service worker who raised Jennifer and her brother as a single parent. Jennifer sometimes lived with her grandma. “I was originally in Girl Scouts and I loved Girl Scouts, but... I wasn’t the most outdoorsy kid," Jennifer recalled. “It wasn’t for a lack of being immersed in it... I guess the ‘not knowing’ part was what made it intimidating. We went camping. We went fishing... As I got used to it, it was more of a welcoming experience."
After high school, she became a bartender. A boyfriend introduced her to rock climbing which became a favorite activity. Starting in her late 20s, Jennifer committed herself to being a lifelong learner. She began taking classes in environmental studies, biology, and geography at Kent State University’s Stark campus. There she found nurturing professors. As part of her degree, Jennifer did an internship with Summit Metro Parks, working as an outreach program assistant. She gained experience planning and leading themed hikes and after-school activities. This was during the development of Summit Lake Nature Center, located in an economically distressed Akron neighborhood along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. While at Summit Metro Parks, Jennifer organized Summit Lake trash cleanups. She also worked a season as a wildlife biologist. Jennifer said, “I spend most of my time hanging out with snakes and turtles, bats, salamanders-pretty much anything herpetology related. In the off-season, I do a lot of the deer management stuff." In 2021, after studying full time and juggling several jobs, Jennifer became the first person in her family to earn a college degree.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
