Reflections from Soul Trak 2025 Environmental Leader Fellows

We’re excited to spotlight the contributions of our 2025 Environmental Leadership Fellows—Dede, Ayanana, and Jamal—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.

March Community Hike: Lesson in Leave No Trace

Despite the chilly, misty morning, our group showed up ready to go and embraced the adventure ahead. We hit the Fort Circle Hiker-Biker Trail to explore the 7 Leave No Trace Principles—and while we didn’t get to all of them, we had some great conversations around three key ones.

Jahmal, one of our Soul Trak Fellows, kicked things off with a discussion on staying on durable surfaces. He had us looking closely at the trail and pointing out different types of terrain we were walking on. Then I led a convo on “Leave What You Find,” and we talked about fun and thoughtful ways to appreciate nature without disturbing it—like snapping photos or using plant ID apps instead of picking things up. And of course, everyone got hands-on experience with “Dispose of Waste Properly” as we picked up trash along the way.

We wrapped up our hike at the Anacostia Community Museum, which was a surprise gem for a lot of folks—it’s a Smithsonian museum focused on social issues in urban communities, and most of the group had never heard of it before. A few people even stuck around after the hike to check out their exhibit on 100 years of Black arts education in D.C., which was incredible.

If you haven’t been, we totally recommend carving out a day to walk the trail and explore the museum—it’s such a powerful combo of nature and culture!

Dede, 2025 Fellow

Top Rope Climbing Meetup

At the end of every month Soul Trak hosts a top rope climbing meetup at Movement in Crystal City, VA. It’s a space where participants come together to climb and make connections. As a Soul Trak Fellow, one of my goals was to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone, so when I saw the top rope meet up I decided to face my fear of heights. Not only was I able to climb up the rock wall higher than I anticipated, I also learned how to belay, which was a skill I was nervous about learning. It turns out, it’s easier to face uncertainty when you have the Soul Trak community cheering you on…and being in a harness didn’t hurt!

Dede, 2025 Fellow

March Bouldering Night

Soul Trak’s Bouldering Night is a free/discounted evening for Soul Trak members at the Bouldering Project, a climbing gym in DC. It has quickly become one of the most popular events, and the night this past March perfectly showcased why. The event began with everyone gathering in a Soul Trak circle to share their bouldering experiences, ranging from first-time climbers to regulars at the gym. New climbers first had a lesson on the basics, and the more experienced climbers went straight to the wall to get started.

What stands out most to me during bouldering nights is the incredibly supportive atmosphere.  Climbers who felt nervous or unsure were met with encouragement from the group. The positive energy was uplifting, especially when one climber, who had been struggling with a challenging route, finally reached the top and they were met with cheers and applause. 

As the night progressed, a few participants branched out to try the slackline, a fun balance challenge (that is much closer to the ground). By the end of the evening, even those who had never climbed before felt empowered and more confident in their abilities, and were interested in returning. It was great seeing people make new friends and connect over the climbs, experimenting with new techniques and tips. The bouldering night was the perfect way to close out the weekend and start up a new week with friends and community. The group left with a renewed sense of self-assurance, ready to fall and get back up again—literally and figuratively

Ayanna, 2025 Fellow

Photo from Jamal Clemons, 2025 Environmental Leaders Fellow