The Outdoors as a Gateway to Connection

In this episode of Keeping Up with Khmer Maine, co-hosts SreyArt Rathbut and Liz Greason sit down with Chim Lev, Civic and Community Engagement Manager, and Madeleine Weatherhead, Grants and Impact Manager, to talk about how the outdoors has become a meaningful space for connection, healing, and belonging within Maine’s Cambodian community.They share the story of the Land & Justice Outdoor Program, which offers free monthly outdoor activities like hiking, ice skating, camping, and mountain biking, while providing gear, instruction, and transportation support. What began as a way to reduce barriers to outdoor access has grown into something much deeper: a space for intergenerational connection, personal growth, cultural exchange, and shared joy.The conversation also explores Khmer Maine’s partnerships with Wabanaki leaders and organizations such as Nibezun, as well as collaborations with Somali Bantu, MANA, and other immigrant and BIPOC communities. These relationships are rooted in learning, reciprocity, and the shared work of caring for the land and each other.This episode invites listeners to reflect on how nature can help us reconnect—with ourselves, with community, and with the places we call home.