National provider of nature experiences for youth coming to Birmingham in 2024

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Big City Mountaineers (BCM), a leading provider of experiences for youth in the outdoors, is expanding into the Birmingham area. Keep reading for all the details.

First Big City Mountaineers program in the South

Established nearly 35 years ago, BCM’s mission is to provide Big City transformative experiences through connections to nature that strengthen life skills and build community for youth from disinvested communities.  BCM does this by offering free, fully outfitted and professionally led backpacking trips and paddling expeditions for young people ages 12 to 18 across the country.

BCM programming focuses on a progressive scaffolded approach that starts as a day trip and culminates in a weeklong backcountry trip.

The new program in The Magic City will be its first in the Southeast.

“We are thrilled to bring our mission of providing transformative experiences for youth outdoors to such a vibrant community. There is so much that makes sense about BCM coming to Birmingham, I am very much looking forward to partnering closely with local youth-serving agencies and providing access to outdoor experiences for youth who might not otherwise have such an opportunity. Outdoor experiences such as the ones BCM provides foster a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors and opportunities to build social-emotional skills that will serve participants for life.” 

~ David Taus, Executive Director, Big City Mountaineers

Birmingham is perfect location for Big City Mountaineers

Birmingham is an ideal location for BCM.  For example, three nationally designated wilderness areas, the Sipsey Wilderness, Cheaha Wilderness and Dugger Mountain Wilderness are each about an hour and half from the Birmingham metro area.

Local preserves (totaling about 17,000 acres) that are less than 30 minutes from downtown Birmingham include:

• Ruffner Mountain 
• Turkey Creek Nature Preserve
• Red Mountain Park
• Oak Mountain State Park
• Cahaba River Park

Local outdoor educators welcome Big City Mountaineers

Longtime Birmingham outdoor educators are thrilled to see Big City Mountaineers introduce their life-changing programs to Birmingham, Alabama and the South.

“We are delighted to welcome BCM to Birmingham!  The bright future that Alabama needs will only be possible when people of all backgrounds can enjoy the benefits of experiencing the outdoors. Introducing youth from underserved backgrounds to Alabama’s stunning natural landscapes will create life-changing moments, and this is an investment in everyone’s future.” 

~ Dr. Scot Duncan, Executive Director, Alabama Audubon 

Getting young people outdoors and giving them a chance to experience Alabama’s natural wonders also excites  Southern Environmental Center’s  Executive Director Roald Hazelhoff.

“BCM’s free backpacking programs for young people will provide a perfect complement to Birmingham’s existing outdoor education field trip opportunities. Alabama’s amazing biodiversity is the perfect prescription with which to treat nature deficit disorder, and we’re pleased that BCM has chosen to expand its transformative programming to the Birmingham area.” 

Proven national program that is growing

In 2023, BCM spent 4,622 program hours outdoors with young people across the country, delivering a total of 28,312 trail hours (a 27% increase from 2022). Throughout this time, BCM staff led 68 trips nationwide.  

“For over 30 years staff, volunteers, and seasonal instructors at BCM have worked tirelessly to give youth from across the country the opportunity to experience the transformative powers of spending time outside. With our expansion into Birmingham, our team is looking forward to bringing our proven methodology to a new part of the country.  Work is already underway, and we are looking forward to becoming a meaningful part of the local community. We have been welcomed with open arms and are confident in our ability to implement BCM’s outdoor programming with new youth agency partners in a new region.” 

~ David Taus, Executive Director at Big City Mountaineers

Big City Mountaineers is Hiring

Coinciding with Big City Mountaineers’ announcement to expand into Birmingham, they are also seeking a Regional Program Manager, and you can view the job listing online.

Interested in supporting the program? Visit the Big City Mountaineers website now.

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