Photograph by Estrella Valdez
Being outdoors can be healing, and in many ways, it provides an opportunity for us to prove to ourselves just how strong and capable we are. Just like life, a hike is a reflection of all the overcoming we do, and it proves to ourselves that sí se puede! On our journey through life, we find beautiful waterfalls, valleys, low points, and mountain peaks. This photo represents our shared experience in strength and overcoming.

Photograph by Kevin Argueta
Everyone has their own reasons for finding themselves on the Appalachian trail. Every person comes from a different place, fights their own battles, and finds their own motivation to keep one foot in front of the other. The Appalachian trail is not easy, certainly that’d have made itself more than clear by mile 1482.2 where just outside of the Roanoke, VA, one can exit the green tunnel through which hikers spend weeks up to months on end to an exposed outcrop of stone that looms over the Catawba Valley like a noble throne. From there, overlooking the lush expanse of the George Washington and Thomas Jefferson National forests once native land of the Catawba tribes, the one thing that maintains an almost irksome prominence to mind above the shear beauty of the land and a persistent aching in the legs and feet, is the fact that it took more than one’s self to get there. In my case, I’d the fortune of a trail family, friends of all ages, from different backgrounds, and different corners of the country providing a constant stream of motivation and support. For others, there are friends and family beyond the trail. Then, for those few that occasionally forget, even in a solitude pursuit of revelations, there’s always the consistent love and support of trail communities, volunteers, trail maintainers, and advocates that dedicate tireless efforts to maintain and conserve the trail that we tread on.

Photograph by Rebeca Garcia
I love moving around outside. Something I rarely see reflected in media is fat, happy people taking up space and connecting to the land. For my birthday, I created this picture of me dancing around outside, enjoying the intimacy of being alone con la tierra.

Photograph by Rebeca Garcia
When I visited my pueblo in Oaxaca this summer, we went looking for the right carrizo (reed)– each one is different upon a closer look. As Zapotec Indigenous people, conservation is maintained through an intimate relationship with the land. We tend to the land, as she tends to us. On this day, she let us borrow some carrizo to make the crafts we will continue making for generations: baskets, reusable straws, doors, the list goes on and on.

Photograph by Antonio Varela
I aimed to reflect the diverse cultural aspects of the Mexican American community in the Quad Cities through my photo.

Photograph by Ori Junior
Documento as paisagens e pessoas que habitam a amazonia oriental brasileira e busco retratar a beleza dessa relação através da captura do cotidiano de comunidades.

Photograph by Maria Elvira Ramírez Gonzalez
Esta foto es un abrazo entre generaciones, cultura y naturaleza. Graffiti Pier, en Philadelphia, un espacio abandonado por el Estado, recuperado por la naturaleza, y apropiado por la comunidad local. Ahí una familia latina se reúne a la orilla del río la tarde de un domingo, pescando entre los colores vibrantes de los murales que cuentan nuestras historias. Aquí, la naturaleza y el arte urbano se entrelazan, creando un espacio donde todos cabemos, donde los ecosistemas culturales y naturales se unen para recibirnos. Bajo la sombra de los árboles, el padre enseña a sus hijos no solo a pescar, sino a valorar el tiempo compartido, la paciencia y la conexión con la tierra. Me gusta imaginar que el padre le enseña a sus hijos, lo que sus padres en algún momento le enseñaron. La madre pausa para contemplar, sentada cerca, escucha el río mientras guarda el legado que pasa de una generación a otra, cuidando de que el amor por lo nuestro nunca se pierda. El agua del río que corre es un recordatorio de que somos parte de algo más grande, de una corriente que nos une a nuestras raíces y a nuestra nueva tierra. Es un momento simple pero profundo: una familia disfrutando de un día al aire libre, celebrando su identidad y raíces en un espacio que natural en el corazón de su ciudad. Aquí, en este rincón de la ciudad, se siente la inclusión, el amor a la naturaleza, y el orgullo de pertenecer a una comunidad que, como el río, sigue fluyendo, uniendo el pasado con el futuro. IMPORTANTE: la cara de la niña a sido editada para proteger su identidad y derecho a la privacidad.

Photograph by Dorothy Colón Mecklenburg
On the surface, we see a man pointing in the distance. There’s a deeper story to the subject amidst the abundant vegetation. This land once belonged to his grandfather, Don Bego. After being sold out of the family, the land is now his and will one day hold his future home. Although he did not have access to higher education, he proudly dons a shirt of the Alma Matter of his daughter. This is after escaping poverty, supporting his family from a young age, and immigrating to the United States from Honduras. The heavens opened to smiled down on the blessing of this exact moment in time. This picture represents the gifts that a grandfather gave his grandson and how he went on to give gifts to his own children.

Photograph by Lesly Caballero
Abuelita visitando de México, conectando con los árboles de Yosemite en una visita en familia. Nuestras conexiones con la naturaleza no tienen fronteras.