BENITA LAw-DIAO

Adirondack Parks Association / Outdoor Afro

Benita Law-Diao retired in 2019 after serving 32 years with the NYS Dept. of Health as a NYS licensed Dietitian/Public Health Nutritionist, Contract Manager and Program Research Specialist. As a teenager during the oil crisis of the 70s, Benita recognized the need to get involved in environmental justice and she began seeking out opportunities to learn about the environment, how to protect it and live a more sustainable life. Through her passion for the outdoors, she is constantly seeking out opportunities to educate and expose people of color to all that nature has to offer. In 2018, she was trained as an Outdoor Afro Leader in Salsalito, California, which provided her access network of like-minded people of color who ensure that Black people have access, representation, meaningful participation and quality experiences in the outdoors.

Benita has volunteered for a variety of projects with the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, NY Parks & Trails, the Albany Riverfront Collaborative, Cornell Cooperative Extension, AVillage, Inc., the Radix Center, the NYS Canal Corporation, A Taste of African Heritage, etc. throughout her career to provide healthy food, access to affordable recreation and exercise and exposure to nature in communities that are often overlooked.