The Vision
Terra Incognita Media is a completely independent feminist media organization that provides a feminist response to the outdoor industry.
Our content, podcast, and workshops shed light on the ways in which white, cisheteropatriarchy shows up in the outdoor industry, how we can disrupt it, and build something new. We strive to instigate meaningful discourse that leads off the page and catalyzes political action.
We prioritize the wisdom, perspectives, voices, and experiences of women, queer, trans, Black folks, people of color, and Indigenous communities to encourage unlearning Western European, patriarchal models of interacting with the natural world and instead honoring a decolonial approach.
How Will We Sustain Ourselves in the Over-Saturated Market of Magazines and Media?
There is a need for more feminist media outlets, especially geared towards the outdoor industry. Our business model is unique because we do not rely on investors or advertisements. This means that we are completely, 100% funded by our community of dedicated readers, followers, and supporters via our subscriptions, occasional t-shirt sales, workshops, and fundraisers.
Who Makes Up Our Team?
Erin Monahan is the founder, editor, and workshop facilitator of Terra. Her writing focuses disrupting toxic masculinity, environmental justice, and advocating for unions. She’s a bisexual, professional feminist killjoy who’s been climbing for over 10 years. As a survivor she's also on a mission to expose predators, as well as their friends, in the outdoor industry. She holds a BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing and a minor in Philosophy from the University of Missouri-Columbia and is not afraid of a cease and desist. You can follow her on Instagram here.
Christina Torres of Cyclista Zine, was a co-founder from 2022-2025, but has since retired from outdoor media after closing Cyclista Zine in 2025. We wouldn't be where we are without Christina and are so deeply grateful for her dedication and contribution to Terra. Christina has since started her own apothecary, TerraSoma Rituals, as an Herbalist and Somatic Practitioner and we're so excited for her new journey. Stay tuned for a Terra Incognita Media x TerraSoma Rituals collab in the future! Be sure to follow TerraSoma Rituals here.
Since Terra’s beginnings, our team has also consisted of a network of friends and dedicated supporters who are based across Turtle Island and beyond.
Some significant contributors and co-facilitators in the past have been: Jolie Varela, Jordan Merica, Brittney Okabe, Dez Ramirez, Keithlee Spangler, Lorena Jasis-Wallace, Larissa Nez, Nia Abram, Clio Cy, and Alyssa Denay Carter. Without these folks we wouldn’t have the Terra you see today and we are eternally grateful.
What is the long-term vision for Terra?
Oh my goddess, so much! We are just getting started! We have big dreams to become a multi-media platform like our name, Terra Incognita Media, implies. Right now, we are a digital multi-media publication, but we are making moves towards a print zine (hopefully in 2027)!
Where Did the Name "Terra Incognita Media" Come From?
"terra incognita" means "unknown land." This is a phrase cartographers would use to label areas that were "undiscovered." However, this American myth of the land being "undiscovered," led to the ongoing process of European colonization and the continued genocide of Indigenous peoples. We use this phrase to draw attention to this erasure, as well as many other myths that the outdoor industry insists on. We recommend reading more about this in An Indigenous People's History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz.
We encourage our community to not look away from the hard truths, but to constantly uproot them in all of facets of our society, so we can build something nourishing and equitable for all.
We encourage action towards white accountability, sovereignty and #LandBack for Indigenous communities, and reparations for Black folks. We also believe survivors, always.
Thank you for being here.
Erin Monahan, Founder, Terra Incognita Media