COMMUNITY PROFILE KWEEN WERK (MIDDLE) AND HIKING GROUP HAVING FUN. CREDIT: ADRIAN MICHAEL ENVIRONMENTAL K.W.E.E.N. Challenging the conventional conceptions of an environmentalist one narrative at a time. BY ADRIAN MICHAEL THE SUN RISES OVER THE HORIZON of the Flatiron mountains and a group of seven people, all of whom are of different ethnicities, genders, shapes, and levels of hiking experiences, have come together to enjoy the outdoors and camaraderie while tackling the beaten path of the Flatirons Vista Trail. The organizer of the hike, Parker McMullen Bushman, believes whether you’re a person of color, plus-sized, or new to nature, the outdoors is meant for you. McMullen Bushman is known as K.W.E.E.N. WERK, an stands acronym she developed that for Keep Widening Environmental Engagement Narratives. “I was looking for something to encompass who I am as a person,” said McMullen Bushman. “I love wearing makeup, fun blingy accessories, and very colorful clothing. I saw that those styles did not fit in, and I started thinking about all of my different identities as a fat, Black femme, fashion-loving type of person. I looked for a name that embodied all of those things, and that’s how K.W.E.E.N. WERK was formed.” McMullen Bushman describes herself as a nontraditional environmentalist, who has been in environmental, conservation, KWEEN WERK RECORDING VIDEOS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA AND PROVIDING UPDATES ON HER HIKING ADVENTURES FOR ALL HER FOLLOWERS. CREDIT: ADRIAN MICHAEL and outdoor spaces, where she didn’t fit the mold. “I like hiking because I have the ability to go at my own pace. It is always nice to walk in nature, and I realized that it is really important to have a conversation about who is and is not represented in these spaces.” McMullen Bushman’s conservation efforts began when she was young, but she didn’t realize it at the time. “I was 9 years old, living in the Bronx, and didn’t even know what conservation and environmentalism were, but I knew I cared very deeply about the environment. My dad and I would recycle aluminum cans, and I would notice all the trash that was being left behind, and I worried about it.” After a suggestion from her parents to write a letter to the New York Times, McMullen Bushman’s deep passion for the environment grew even stronger. “I remember writing my letter saying, ‘Dear people, we are killing our planet,’ and this helped me gain my sense of place.” Unsure if her article was ever published, McMullen Bushman learned that it is important for people who are living in urban environments to have a voice “I had a love for the environment but never had an outlet for it and didn’t know that conservationist was a job.” After graduating from college with a degree in Anthropology, McMullen Bushman began working at an environmental education center, which would be her introduction to finding her 6 DENVER VOICE June 2022
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