Satara M. Cooley is an outdoor educator professional whose work is focused on bridging the gap in representation of Black outdoor educators. She left corporate America by starting a new chapter in her life. Her passion for the outdoors started when she was a young woman running track, playing basketball and volleyball. As her interest in sports grew, so did her love to explore. As a single parent raising two children in the metropolitan area of the District of Columbia her love for the outdoors blossomed. She would discover surrounding areas where she took her children to fish, hike, and camp. Her discoveries continued in her new chapter which brought her to Las Vegas. That discovery led her to Outdoor Afro - where Black people and nature meet.  She has been serving as a leader since her inception to Las Vegas and later assumed the role as Regional Lead for the West coast Outdoor Afro leaders. Her role as a Regional Lead consists of coaching and inspiring the west regional network. Satara has busy embracing different aspects of the outdoor community. She works at Recreation Equipment Incorporated (REI) outdoor retail company as a retail specialist. Pre-Covid she was an outdoor instructor for REI. There she learned the ins and outs of outdoor life. She became an active sponge and a beacon to the Black Community. She took what she learned then applied those skills and brought them to her network, and is certified in wilderness first aid. Satara works as an American Canoe Association (ACA) certified kayak and canoe instructor and is a guide at “Desert Adventures” in Boulder City. She has had the honor of working on a project “Outdoor Recreation Leader Program” as the Outreach Program Coordinator. She was responsible for building relationships with agency partners Department of Wildlife, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, US Forestry, and National Park Service. She partnered with agencies to teach outdoor skills to community leaders. She served as a Project Manager for the Navigation curriculum for the program.

 

She proudly served as a Hospital Corpsman in the United States Navy for 9 years. During her tenure, she was a first responder to the 9/11 Pentagon attack.

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In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at the Desert Wildlife Refuge at Corn Creek at the visitor center. When she finds some downtime, she enjoys hiking, running, road biking, mountain biking, backpacking, and kayaking. She values an active lifestyle to maintain her health by escaping to the outdoors both in urban and backcountry environments.