Reflections from Soul Trak 2026 Leaders – March 2026

We’re excited to spotlight the contributions of our 2026 Environmental Leadership Fellows: Catrya, Glenn, Asia, and Mya — each of whom has brought care, creativity, and commitment to our work this season. From event support to community engagement, their leadership has helped bring our mission to life in meaningful ways.

This month, we are excited to share reflections from our Soul Trak Leaders, Environmental Leadership Fellows, and College Ambassadors Cohort, who are offering fresh insights from their first months with Soul Trak Outdoors. Below, our Fellows highlight key lessons learned and observations from recent programs, including our Start Your Gardens Workshop, Bouldering Night, and Top Rope Climbing.

We’re excited to continue amplifying their voices as the year unfolds!

March Programs Reflection – Start Your Gardens Workshop

Glenn Hall | 2026 Environmental Leaders Fellows

The month of March as a Soul-Trak Environmental Fellow has been a doozy, but in the best way possible! As a team, we were able to successfully plan and execute our Spring Gardening event, and I was blown away by all the people who came out ready to learn. When I was reflecting back after the event, I was proud knowing that the team’s efforts culminated in an event where so many Black and Brown people could learn about the joy of gardening and nature, and that truly filled my cup that day. A lot of planning and coordination with partners went into this event, and so it was a great reminder for me to not be afraid to reach out to folks within this space, as 9/10 if they can make it, they will, or even if not, try their best to support. I was also reminded that even though things might not go as planned, in this case, staying on schedule and making sure the transitions were smooth, nothing is perfect, and most times, no one actually sees that part and just sees the end result of a good time. So this reminded me to give myself grace because things always work out. What drove that home for me was that we ended around 2:10 pm, which to me is funny in the best way possible. 

Outside of the gardening event, I had a great time tabling at the Pink-Nic. Not only was it extremely nice out, but there were so many people out enjoying that brief day of good weather. There were so many kite flyers, and even a professional who sent his kite to the other side of the park was a sight to behold. We also got to hear from a lot of the young attendees who stopped by our table about how they experience nature, and we were able to capture that on a beautiful poster with all their artwork! Kids are more in tune with nature than we are led to believe in this age of technology, and so to hear it firsthand gives me hope every time. 

Going into April, I am looking forward to seeing more warm weather and more opportunities to get out into nature while sharing with the community all that Soul Trak has to offer! 

Asia Smith | College Ambassador

Mya Love | College Ambassador

It was a cloudy Friday afternoon. I happily walked to the DC Bouldering Project to facilitate another successful Bouldering Night. Howard University had just wrapped up its spring break, and I was excited to hear all of the Spring Break stories. I walked in appreciating the relative calmness of the gym. I proceeded to complete the standard check-in process, grabbing shoes, signing in, and putting my belongings away. 

As I socialized with the other volunteers, I began to reflect on the beauty of Bouldering Night. This activity carries a hefty fee of $124 monthly, unreasonable for most college students. Most of the time, this results in students and people of color being completely ostracized from the activity and community. However, thanks to organizations like SoulTrak, there is ample opportunity to find and nurture a love for climbing. A narrative directly mirrored through my experience. I had stopped climbing once I turned twelve, but through my time as a College Ambassador, I was able to reignite my passion for climbing. After my moment of reflection, I joined the SoulTrak circle, where we introduced ourselves and shared our favorite shows at the moment. We then made our way to the climbing area, where I was able to reconnect with some friends I’d made through Bouldering Night and meet some new ones. One particular climber echoed my story of reigniting their passion for climbing through SoulTrak as we battled a green together. We continued to socialize and practice until the end of the session, concluding with a group photo and completing another successful Bouldering Night.