Director of Programs & Operations

Ruby Rodríguez (she/her/hers)

Ruby was born and raised in Fresno, California, where she was exposed to various forms of the outdoors. Countryside, she ventured into a eucalyptus-lined dirt ditch during the summer months of her childhood. The ditch offered a concrete bridge at one end and pond at the other—perfect for splashing around with tadpoles and water striders. The adjacent open field lent itself to Ruby’s introversion and fondness of plant life, ladybugs, and daydreaming.

Though her conscious connection to nature fell dormant after a move to the city’s Tower District, remnants of it presented itself in her admiration of the front yards she passed during walks to school. In her early adult years, Ruby found her way to the orchards in nearby Sanger, which inspired a trip to Yosemite National Park. There, she became overwhelmed by the reawakening of her biophilia and has since advocated for outdoor recreation, in its varied forms, as an antithesis to oppression.

Ruby’s desire to learn more about where outdoor recreation and self-determination intersect led her to Humboldt State University, where she studied as an undergraduate. During this time in her life and as a Latino Outdoors community member, Ruby enjoyed adding her voice to the conversation about diversifying the outdoor identity. She eventually took the next step from a community member to volunteer and has since grown her role within the organization.

As the Director of Programs & Operations, Ruby is fiercely passionate about elevating and advocating for LO volunteers as leaders worthy of investing in. She provides vision and leadership to staff and a national network of over 200 volunteers, oversees the day to day operations, and continuously seeks out creative and meaningful ways to advance the LO mission, all while maintaining her appetite for learning and personal growth.

Director of Development

Vanessa Herrera (she/her)

Vanessa Herrera is originally from the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles. She grew up playing outside with her primos in her family’s backyard and neighborhood parks. In middle school, she was introduced to the wilderness through her school’s Outdoor Education Program. Outdoor Education gave her access to wild places and adventure sports that she never knew existed. From then on, camping, hiking, and multi-day rafting trips have been a large part of her life. Her passion for rivers led her to work as a river guide on the Kern River in California, the Arkansas River in Colorado, the Río Pescados in Veracruz, Mex, as well as various rivers in Costa Rica. She is happiest when floating downstream and is always excited to introduce new people to the joy of rivers.

Vanessa received her bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Cruz in Latin American Studies and her masters in education from UCLA. She has spent the last 20 years in education and the nonprofit sector. When she is not working, you can find her playing outdoors in and along the Kern River or swimming in the Pacific Ocean with her sons and her dog. She is excited to combine her love of the outdoors with her passion for social justice in her role as Director of Development for Latino Outdoors.

SF Bay Area Regional Coordinator

Aurora Cortés (she/her/hers)

Aurora Cortes was born and raised in Santa Ana, CA. Growing up, she worked with her dad, un jardinero, and helped weed plants, rake debris, and mow the lawn. Aurora went on family camping trips to the Angeles National Forest. She celebrated many birthdays with her family amongst the trees, in the snow, and under the stars. As she grew older, she loved listening to stories that her mom and dad shared from their own experiences back home in Mexico from el ahijadero and la florenia. All the family stories and childhood experiences planted the seed of adventure and love for the outdoors for Aurora.

As the SF Bay Area Regional Coordinator, Aurora will engage and empower people to connect to beautiful natural lands and create a comfortable space for people to share their stories and create new memories. Aurora will continue to organize community-based programs and seek partnerships and collaboration opportunities for the community to come together and celebrate language, traditions, and culture in the outdoors.

Development Associate

Cassandra Castillo (she/ella)

Cassandra Castillo (she/her) is a Chicana with deep connections to the California borderlands of Calexico and San Diego. In 2018, Cassie co-founded the Latino Outdoors chapter in the San Diego Region. As the Program Coordinator, she spearheaded outdoor experiences through a social and environmental justice perspective to reconnect Latinx communities to land and nature. Cassie graduated from the Teton Science Schools Place-based Education graduate program in June of 2021. In August of 2022 she received a Master of Science in concurrent majors of Natural Science Education and Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming. Prior to that she dedicated close to 15 years working for San Diego’s public media station. 

Cassie has been an active organizer within Latinx and queer communities since 2005, amplifying actions and voices through various modes of art, dance, theatre, outdoor experiences, and storytelling. For Cassie family, community, y la naturaleza are motivations for finding joy in life, creating healing spaces, inspiring curiosity in nature, and influencing a better future for the land and the next generations.

As the Development Associate, Cassie maintains and develops LO’s donor stewardship and appreciation program. She provides creativity, vision, and commitment to the mission to support fund development efforts as LO continues to grow.

Colorado Regional Coordinator

Crystal Salvador-Zapote (she/they)

Crystal (she/they) was born and raised in Clearwater, FL and spent most of her summers in Mexico where she fell in love with the mountains and the high desert. After graduating from college she found herself spending more and more time outdoors, meditating and trail running. Unhappy with her corporate job, she decided to volunteer for a crisis line and the National Suicide Hotline. This prompted her to think of the connection between mental wellness and the natural world.

Having only been camping twice before, Crystal decided to move to Utah to pursue a job in wilderness therapy as a backpacking guide and counselor. This work sparked her interest in diversifying the outdoors and engaging Latino communities in the outdoors. Crystal is passionate about breaking down barriers for marginalized communities and continues to be an advocate for mental health.

As the Colorado Regional Coordinator for Latino Outdoors, Crystal is excited to engage with the Colorado community, continue developing strong relationships with community partners, and support the vision of Latino Outdoors’ incredible volunteers. Crystal currently resides in Denver with her two sweet kitties. She enjoys volunteering with queer and Latinx youth and families, and as a Restorative Justice practitioner. In her free time you’ll find her dancing, reading, attending a concert, or spending time with her community.

Program & Operations Associate

Denise Castro (she/her/ella)

Denise Castro was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and split her childhood between Los Angeles and the Mojave Desert. Thanks to her dad’s relentless determination to make an asado every other day, Denise got to spend most of her time as a kid exploring the city parks while her dad grilled away. It’s always been a dream of Denise’s to explore more of the natural world outside of the cities she lived in, but the natural world was far, inaccessible, and daunting to her and her family. Denise’s fascination for plants and nature led her to study Environmental Horticulture at UC Davis. It was there that Denise got to go on her first hike. This was a life changing experience for her and she now spends most of her spare time hiking and fishing/crabbing around her home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

As a Latino Outdoors Programs & Operations Associate, Denise will help provide Latinx communities opportunities to explore the outdoors by ensuring that programs run smoothly. Denise looks forward to helping grow the Latino Outdoors community and is excited to help bring more people out into the kinds of spaces that have been so pivotal to her own life.

Policy Advocate

Jazzari Taylor (she/her(s)/ella)

Jazzari Taylor (Jazz-err-ee) was born in Los Angeles County and raised there and in the San Gabriel Valley. Jazz’s multicultural and racial background helps her bring a unique perspective to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. She has been a community participant and volunteer with Latino Outdoors since 2016 and holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Riverside in Liberal Studies and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

Having started volunteering in her community at 12 years old, Jazzari has had a lifelong passion to advocate for her gente. Her advocacy accomplishments include advocacy at the California State Capital on behalf of higher education funding, securing and implementing a Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program for the City of Baldwin Park, and supporting Latino Outdoors’ ongoing Monumentos public lands protection campaign.

In addition to involvement and participation as an elected California Democratic Party Assembly District Delegate as a representative for assembly district 48, Jazz lends her support towards a solution and action-based efforts for comunidades, Tribal Nations, and various different demographic groups; no matter a person’s economic status or background. As the Advocate For Equity and the Outdoors, Jazzari understands that advocacy starts with community and relationship building. She looks forward to continuing her growing understanding of the landscapes, people, native species, and cultures that utilize green spaces. Jazzari will lead with heart, passion, and the highest moral and ethical principles to support the Latino Community and the public’s needs.

San Antonio & Texas Regional Coordinator

Josie Gutierrez (she/her/hers)

Deeply rooted in the Latino community anchored by her father’s highly visible fame as the first Chicano feature-length filmmaking pioneer, Josie has had a lifelong dedication in celebrating the love of her heritage. Making cameo appearances in just about every film produced since the early age of 5. Josie shares her father’s passion as an activist with a story to tell. She founded the FitFunand blog which has established a significant following. Leveraging her message in this way, Josie is able to share her enthusiasm for outdoor fitness globally.

In her hometown of San Antonio, she keeps busy organizing running groups and outdoor events for her friends and co-workers. She ran her very first marathon at age 40 and she hasn’t stopped running ever since! Her attitude of “anything is possible at any age” is what she hopes to promote.

Josie has spent decades connecting to nature and loves nothing more than to share her love for the outdoors with her family, friends and followers. On any given weekend you will likely find Josie outdoors connecting, learning & exploring. Born and raised In San Antonio, TX Josie has had a wonderful outdoor playground, the Texas Hill Country. Openly sharing each step of her life’s journey, her intention is to awaken the childlike wonderment in all of us.

As the San Antonio Regional Coordinator for Latino Outdoors, Josie will engage, encourage and promote her love for Mother Nature in outdoor adventures and activities.

New Mexico Regional Coordinator

Laura Flores (she/her)

Laura Flores (she/her) has loved the outdoors from a young age. Growing up you would find her riding her bike or climbing the Ash tree in her front yard. She spent many hours outside using her imagination to keep herself entertained. Her love for the outdoors has continued to grow as did her desire to share these outdoor opportunities with her community. She became an educator in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she taught for 14 years. During this time she was able to introduce her students to local outdoors resources and the importance of protecting them. Now as a Latino Outdoors Regional Coordinator for New Mexico, Laura will continue to work with the community to ensure access to local resources, lift up local voices and history, and make sure these spaces are clean and safe for our next generation.

Programs & Operations Manager

Luis Rincón (he/him/él)

Luis Rincon was born and raised in Fresno, CA, where the outdoors meant playing hide and seek, building makeshift goalie nets in the apartment front yard, and knocking down wasp hives from the big front bush with a broom, then running for his life. It meant closing off the parking structure behind the apartments so the neighborhood could come together for quinceañeras, birthdays, and graduations. Madrinas in dresses, padrinos in their tejanas, kids running everywhere, pozole always a staple, ending the night dancing to cumbias with his tíos, tías, primas y primos.

In high school, Luis’s understanding of the outdoors expanded beyond his yard when he joined the Environmental Club and went hiking and kayaking for the first time. In college, a whitewater rafting course deepened his connection to outdoor recreation and led him to pursue a degree in Recreation Administration at Fresno State.

After working in administrative support at the university, the pandemic gave Luis a moment to pause and reflect. He chose to grow in a direction that aligned more closely with his passion for comunidad and the outdoors. He began as a Program & Operations Associate and has since grown into the role of Program & Operations Manager. Today, he supports a national network of leaders, helping strengthen their programming and making things run a little more smoothly behind the scenes.

Communications Coordination Lead

Luisa Vargas (she/her/ella)

Luisa was born in Colombia and immigrated to Florida when she was 6 months old. Her circumstances and parents encouraged a life connected with the outdoors. Before joining Latino Outdoors, she worked with the Texas Conservation Corps.

She will be sharing our comunidad’s stories in hopes of empowering others to experience nature in a way that feels right to them—whether that’s mountaineering or enjoying a book on a park bench—we’re all a part of Latino Outdoors. 

New York & Northeast Regional Coordinator

Melodie Mendez (she/her/ella)

Mel was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. After graduating with a degree in Environmental Anthropology from Davidson College, Mel began a decade-long career in public relations where she represented outdoor clients like REI, Arc’teryx, NAU, and BLACKYAK. Most recently, she served as a Strategic Communications Manager for the Natural Resources Defense Council, supporting portfolios in food, agriculture, toxics, and extreme weather.

Mel joined the Latino Outdoors family back in 2018 as a general member in the New York City chapter and has since volunteered as an Outings Leader and Program Coordinator. As the New York & Northeast Regional Coordinator, Mel is committed to building equitable access for Latine communities in the outdoors, and elevating the metropolitan perspective into the outdoor narrative. She also serves on the Steering Committee for the Outdoors Alliance for Kids and is the Co-Chair for the New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition.

Mel is a licensed New York State Outdoor Guide, specializing in camping and hiking. And, she is currently earning her Yoga Teacher Training and Social-Emotional Learning Facilitator certifications to support comprehensive and trauma-informed healing practices within diverse communities.

Outside of Latino Outdoors, Mel can be found eating her way through the city, surfing, snowboarding, throwing a carne asada, or cozying up with a board game.

Executive Director

Luis Villa (he, his, él)

(he/him/él)

Born in Los Angeles, California, Luis is the oldest of five sons to parents from Mexico’s state of Jalisco. The outdoors has always called out to him, including its more subtle expressions, such as his childhood home’s backyard complete with a beautiful, bountiful Persea americana tree that, at approximately 75 years old, gifts several hundred avocados each season to family, friends, and neighbors. Growing up next to the Los Angeles River offered an odd connection to the outdoors. Its concrete riverbed somewhat absurdly serving as a bike path one summer for 10-year-old Luis to pedal from Lynwood all the way to the river’s mouth in Long Beach. In high school, he participated in urban hikes all over southern California, as a member of the marching band. The summer after graduating high school, Luis took up recreational running, first around the perimeter of a city park, and then around the Princeton and Stanford campuses, where he studied as an undergraduate. While at Stanford, Luis enjoyed one of his most memorable outdoor experiences, an exhilarating hike along a portion of the Skyline-to-the-Sea trail organized for incoming transfer students. Beginning inside the magical coast redwood forests of Big Basin Redwoods State Park, it climbed to a breathtaking vista point of the Santa Cruz Mountains and dropped onto Waddell Beach with the Pacific Ocean as an endless backdrop.

After graduating with a BA in psychology, Luis began a career dedicated to the nonprofit work, first as a youth case manager in south central Los Angeles, then a program manager with Opportunity Fund, a San Jose, CA-based community development financial institution, and a project manager with Charities Housing, a Bay Area nonprofit affordable housing developer. During this time, Luis took his running and hiking to the trails of Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve, part of the complex of preserves under the stewardship of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, and promptly experienced poison oak’s unpleasantness for the first time. Bitten by the travel bug, Luis ventured to Costa Rica to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity for several months and ultimately moved there. While in Central America, Luis worked with Nectandra Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and restoration of tropical cloud forests. (Interestingly, Nectandra, a tree genus emblematic of cloud forests, belongs to the same family, Lauraceae, as the avocado tree from Luis’ childhood.) As Chief Operating Officer, he was responsible for Nectandra’s administrative operations while also managing the Institute’s Eco-Loan Fund, a conservation land acquisition financing program. Wearing rubber boots, Luis found himself running up and down sloping muddy pastures, evaluating eco-loan requests from Nectandra Institute’s community partners looking to acquire important watershed lands, restore the forest on these, and thus improve protection for the mountain springs they depend on for clean drinking water. After twelve years abroad, Luis returned to California with a keener appreciation for nature and the outdoors, whether walking around a city or trekking through a forest.

As Executive Director for Latino Outdoors, Luis continues to run, now alongside LO’s extraordinary staff and powerful network of volunteer leaders, working together to shape, share, and celebrate the experiences of comunidades latinas outdoors.

André Sanchez (he/him/él)

André volunteers with Latino Outdoors as both a Program Coordinator and Advisory Board member.

Growing up in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, André was raised in the agriculturally-fueled and Latine-dominated community of Madera, CA. A community where working the land was the norm and recreating in nature seemed foreign to most members. Fortunately, one of André’s immigrant uncles discovered the joys of getting outdoors and shared the discovery with the family. Through several impactful family trips to the Sierra Nevada mountains and iconic Yosemite National Park, André ultimately developed a passion for conservation and restoration work.

This passion led him to earn his B.S. in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology from UC Davis. Thereafter, André went on to work for several state and federal agencies, where he worked on habitat restoration and wildlife monitoring projects, including conducting amphibian surveys for Yosemite National Park and monitoring trout populations in southern California’s Santa Monica Mountains. After gaining perspective from his work experiences, André returned to school to pursue an M.S. in Natural Resources with a Watershed Management emphasis at Humboldt State University.

Now residing again in the Madera/Fresno area, André serves as the San Joaquin Valley Organizer for CalWild, where he engages, informs and organizes the area’s communities to advocate for and protect public lands, including some of the outdoor places and ecosystems that inspired him. Outside of this, André coaches youth wrestling and loves to backpack, hike, rock climb, and simply observe nature’s raw beauty.

As the Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Sacramento, André works towards inspiring others about the importance of protecting natural resources by sharing his knowledge of rivers, wildlife, and the different environmental services they provide for people, including clean water, clean air, and respite from everyday life. As a member of the Board, he hopes to further this effort and expand his support of LO’s mission.

Volunteer

Zeo Walters (they/them)

Zeo was born and raised a suburb of Chicago. They came to Missoula, Montana to study Environmental Studies at the University of Montana. Zeo believes in the importance of connection to place especially when advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion. They currently are studying Urban and Regional Planning to help be a part of a more equitable and sustainable future for all people. They commute sustainably year-round by bike, walking, and bus. As a Latino Outdoors Ambassador, Zeo will foster community and work towards greater accessibility for BIPOC in the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Zack Magallanez (he/him)

Zack was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas where his love for adventure in the outdoors was first discovered. As a youth, he was always outdoors – from catching fireflies in the summer evenings to helping his grandma maintain her garden year round. While other kids he knew were out on camping trips or visiting state parks, Zack would spend the majority of his time at local municipal parks and pocket parks because they were easily accessible. He is an advocate of the redevelopment and re-beautification of parks in the inner city where he grew up. Zack knows that parks are an outlet for people to build community, create memories, and enjoy nature. Zack has a Bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M – San Antonio and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from University of Texas at San Antonio’s College of Health, Community, and Policy.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer, he wants to help build power in communities by leading nature trail walks and participating in all-inclusive outdoor activities.

Volunteer

Yoana Gonzalez (she/her(s))

Yoana (she/her/hers) was born in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Mexico and raised in the Vail Valley in Colorado where her appreciation for nature first took root. Growing up in the mountains she had many opportunities to explore the outdoors and find the wonders of the natural world. She attended the University of Colorado Denver where she double majored in Psychology and Sociology and got a certificate in the Sociology of Health and Medicine. She currently resides in Dallas, Texas and works for Dallas College.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer in Dallas County, Yoana works to connect local communities with nature, encouraging exploration and appreciation of the region’s natural spaces.

Outings Leader

Yesica Chavez (she/her/ella)

Yesica Chavez (she/her/ella) is a first-generation, proud daughter of Mexican parents. She was raised in Denver in a community called Montbello. Her parents’ garden was my first exposure to nature and open space parks that had a grill for her large Mexican family and their Sunday carne asada ritual. Her love for the outdoors blossomed when she was an urban ranger at her local non-profit Environmental Learning for Kids. There, she really fell in love with camping, hiking, snowboarding, rock-climbing, etc. Now she works as a bridge-builder and community engagement specialist.

As a Latino Outdoors outings leader for Colorado, Yesica will work to continue being a bridge-builder and offer spaces of restoration.

Outings Leader

Xiomara Romero (she/her/ella)

Xiomara (She/Her/Ella) was born in Bogota, Colombia and immigrated to different parts of the United States (Brooklyn, Queens, Los Angeles, and San Diego and is a resident of Orange County, CA). As an immigrant the feeling of home was not defined by the structure rather by the primary support system (her life partner, two children, Bella girl – their dog, and her extended family).

Xiomara has been exposed to nature since early childhood, learning to love and respect Pachamama in all its forms, from the beauty and gifts it offers to the power of its natural disasters. Xiomara loves spending time outdoors through activities such as hiking, kayaking, biking, running, and fully immersing in nature. Xiomara has worked in the behavioral health field for over 15 years and advocating for incorporating holistic and culturally rooted healing practices.

Outings Leader

Wendy García (she/her/ella)

Wendy García was born and raised in San Diego, CA where she developed her passion for the outdoors. Being the daughter of hardworking immigrants, she remembers family beach days at Silver Strand State Beach as well as road trips to el rancho in San Quintin, BCS. Some of her fondest memories include digging for clams and playing in the sand dunes on the beaches of Baja California.  

As a first generation college graduate, Wendy received her M.A. in Math Education from San Diego State University. For the last 14 years, she has worked as a dual immersion teacher in the South Bay Union School District. It was when she began her career as a teacher that her interest in hiking grew. As her love for nature flourished so did her desire to motivate others to get outdoors. It is her belief that you must first teach others to love the earth before you can ask them to protect it. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping and being the leader for the San Diego chapter of the 52 Hike Challenge. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for San Diego, Wendy hopes to empower other people of color to get outdoors and reconnect with nature.

Outings Leader

Victoria Rodríguez (she/her)

Victoria was born in Los Angeles, CA and grew up in both up-state New York and Southern California. Yearly camping trips to Yosemite while living in CA and lake cabins in the summer while in NY, ignited her passion for the outdoors. From there she moved to NorCal to attend San Francisco State University and continued to live in the Bay for over 16 years, while familiarizing herself with the local outdoor activities and cultivating a love for backpacking as the Bay Area is home to numerous backcountry recreation areas. After college, Victoria landed her dream marketing role at The North Face in Alameda and can attribute her love of snowsports and snowy nature adventures to the company’s cultural desire to get their employees outdoors. While she was there, she worked hard as a member of the outdoor community as both a woman and Latinx in the outdoor industry; two groups that are considerably underrepresented in the industry.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer, Victoria aspires to bring more members of Latinx community into the outdoors to share her passion for backpacking and camping, all while educating on best practices for safety and conservation.

Program Coordinator

Victoria Ramírez (she/her)

Victoria has resided in the San Joaquin Valley for over 20 years. Her love of the nature and the outdoors began at her grandparent’s ranch in Corcoran at a young age. Sunrise to sunset, she would be out with her cousins chasing chickens, swimming in the canal, or riding bikes for miles. She continued to foster a love/ connection with the outdoors throughout the years. As a parent, Victoria became passionate about educating others on the importance of protecting and preserving ecosystems and the spaces we visit.

Victoria had a background in nursing and works with under served communities. She is a certified California Naturalist and Leave No Trace trainer. She has served as an outings program leader/ program coordinator with Latino Outdoors Fresno for 2 years and works to provide safe, inclusive spaces in the outdoors. She also serves as vice-president of Kern River Conservancy/ Southern Sierra Conservancy.

When not working or volunteering, she can be found hiking, camping, paddleboarding, or exploring public lands with her son and dog.

Victoria strives to provide equitable access to the outdoors for all, connect with the community and educate on responsible public land use.

Outings Leader

Victoria Parra (she/her/they/them)

Victoria (she/her/they/them) was born and raised in Chicago where she grew up hearing her grandpa tell stories about his journey as a farmworker on his migration from Mexico to Chicago. She also saw him grow tomatoes, chiles, calabazas, and flowers in the front yard. In her youth, she did not feel connected to the outdoors beyond stories but as she got older began visiting the Chicago river on her walks home from work and feeling connected to the trees on her university’s campus. Her connection to nature began as simple observations of the city around her, she did not feel fully immersed in the outdoors until adulthood when she became intentional about gardening and reconnecting to the earth. She has become a consistent cyclist, enjoys kayaking, and volunteers at community gardens. She was able to spend one month in New Mexico through WWOOF’s Future Farmer Program where she learned the process of milking goats, chicken care, and vegetable farming.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for the Great Lakes region, Victoria will help coordinate events around kayaking, cycling, storytelling, and herbalism/gardening to support the Latino community connect to the outdoors and to each other.

Program Coordinator

Victoria Koch (she/ella)

Vicky (she/ella) is a first-generation Mexican American born and raised in Chicago. She is the first in her family to be born in the U.S., and she is also the first to graduate from college, earning a B.A. in Psychology from DePaul University. Currently, she is a full-time IT Proposal Analyst at a prominent nonprofit social science research organization.

Some of her notable outdoor accomplishments include: 

Professional Experiences – 

• ACA Level 2 Essentials of Kayak Touring Instructor
• ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayak Trip Leader
• 10+ years of experience guiding youth and adults in outdoor adventures
• Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification

Personal Experiences – 

• Hiked 1,400 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail
• Adventure travel in over 10 countries
• 25 National Parks and 35 U.S. states visited
• PADI Open Water Diver certification
• Rx Burn certification
• Solo exploration – national and international

Adventure travel and a passion for outdoor exploration are skills Vicky started developing in her early-ish adulthood as she was able to navigate and afford on her own. As her experience grew, her interests evolved from city travel, to guided outdoor adventures, to acquiring the skills to guide/perform activities on her own and as a way of living. Kayaking/surfing, biking, SUP’ing, hiking, climbing, travel, and woodworking are especially important hobbies in her free time… a good nap in nature is always a welcome bonus.

As a woman/leader in the outdoor industry, and a Latino Outdoors volunteer for the Chicago chapter, Vicky is dedicated to sharing her passion for embracing the rugged outdoors, along with the skills and leadership it takes to safely run adventure outings. She is especially excited to give back to our neighborhoods/outdoor spaces, build connections, and create lasting impact through meaningful volunteer opportunities.

Program Coordinator

Verónica Miranda (her/she)

Veronica is a 1st generation Mexican-American who grew up in San Jose, CA. Growing up the outdoors consisted of neighborhood parks and Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, CA. The deep love for the outdoors grew stronger with her later in life while enjoying bird watching, hiking, randomly wandering open spaces, spending the day at the beach and car camping at California’s State Park’s, National Parks and National Forests.

Veronica holds an Associates of Science Degree in Child Development and Liberal Arts with a concentration in Behavioral Sciences from City College of San Francisco. She is currently a Preschool Teacher at a Non-Profit in San Francisco where she includes outdoor exploration, gardening and learning about the earth in her curriculum. Veronica’s interests are car camping, photography, jewelry making, and advocating for children’s rights. Veronica lives in San Francisco, CA with her husband, son and 2 cats.

As Latino Outdoors San Francisco North Bay Program Coordinator, Veronica will bridge the gap between underrepresented communities and the outdoors, bringing people from all walks of life together to explore and enjoy the outdoors while building community in a safe space.

Volunteer

Verónica Bañuelos

Verónica is the daughter of immigrants from Zacatecas, México. Spanish was her first language, and her earliest memories are of living close to the land—wandering parks and beaches in the Los Angeles area, tending a backyard huerta, and spending endless hours climbing and enjoying the fruit of a towering Valencia orange tree with her brother, a memory she holds as the most cherished of her childhood.
Her connection to nature deepened during long stays in her parents’ hometown in México, a rural town in central Mexico, where daily life included walking miles, collecting water in cántaros, exploring the arroyos, accompanying her grandmother to milk cows, and learning to listen to the land as a living teacher. She later lived a full year in México, where daily life required resilience, awareness, and deep respect for the natural world.

These early experiences shaped her belief that the outdoors is sacred space—a place of grounding, healing, and remembrance. As a volunteer with Latino Outdoors’ Los Angeles chapter, Verónica hopes to help cultivate opportunities in Orange and Los Angeles Counties for Latino communities to reconnect with the earth and with one another.

A yogi, long-time meditator, amateur photographer, and professional Spanish–English interpreter, Verónica believes that when we return to nature we remember who we are and where we come from.

Outings Leader

Vanessa Morales (she/ella)

Vanessa E Morales (she/ella) was born in Chicago, IL, and could not be more grateful to have grown up in a city with so much access to nature. From an early age, public city parks and the urban zoo were where her mother would take her and her younger siblings because they were safe, fun and free of charge. She vividly remembers watching the ducks swim in the duck pond, rolling in the grass, and catching lightning bugs as a central part of her upbringing. To this day, Vanessa enjoys experiencing the outdoors in her urban community of southern California, watching the ducks, and hopes to bring others along for the ride. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys birding, hiking, and hanging out with her two dogs, a greyhound and chihuahua.

Outings Leader

Vanessa Bonilla (she/her/ella)

Vané is a proud Honduran American originally from the Bay Area, now rooted in Sacramento, CA. As the first in her family to attend university and having grown up without much exposure to the outdoors, Vané discovered her passion for the environment during her time at UC Santa Cruz, where she attended her first farmers’ market and went on her inaugural hike. All the newfound freedom allowed her to develop a deep connection to nature and the local food movement. She is excited to share her love for Mother Earth and seasonal veggies as an outings leader for Latino Outdoors.

Outside of her professional life – navigating the dynamic world of grantmaking in the nonprofit sector – Vané embraces an active lifestyle that includes yoga, pasta making, mindfulness, gardening, powerlifting, and, of course, hiking.

Outings Leader

Valerie Soto

Valerie recently relocated from Visalia, CA to San Antonio, TX, after years of leading backpacking trips in Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, she is excited about bringing backpacking lessons and adventure opportunities to the San Antonio area. With over a decade of experience in outdoor education and a B.S. in Recreation Administration from CSU Fresno, she’s passionate about sharing the joy of backpacking and connection to nature for everyone.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader, Valerie aims to bring backcountry adventure opportunities to the San Antonio area by creating inclusive, welcoming spaces for all to explore the outdoors with confidence and connection. 

Program Coordinator

Valerie Pasión (she/they/ella/elle)

she/they/ella/elle

Val is the first child in their family to be born in the U.S. Her mother immigrated from México and her father immigrated from the Philippines to the United States where they met and married in California. Valerie was later born and raised on Piscataway land (Baltimore, Maryland). Val’s relationship with the outdoors was deeply influenced by connections with people and places during her service in Peace Corps Paraguay, where she served as an environmental education and conservation volunteer from 2018-2020. Subsequently, Val served their state through AmeriCorps service with the Maryland Conservation Corps. Val holds a M.S. in Geography and Environmental Systems from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, where their field research focused on the relationships between Indigeneity, gender, land rights, and global conservation. Val otherwise serves as a board member for their local BIPOC environmental nonprofit—Backyard Basecamp.

As a Latino Outdoors Program Coordinator for the greater Baltimore area, Val works to foster a sense of belonging for all, and to elevate diasporic latine knowledges in approaches to conservation action.

Volunteer

Valeria Ramos (she/her/ella)

Valeria (she/hers/ella) was born in a vibrant city called Carolina, Puerto Rico and moved to the United States at five years old. Growing up, she didn’t have much access to the outdoors but in the past year she has discovered a love for hiking, climbing, camping, and running. What makes this journey so meaningful is the supportive community that has welcomed and encouraged her along the way.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer, Valeria hopes to inspire others to step outside, explore new experiences and feel that same sense of belonging in outdoor spaces.

Volunteer

Valeria Hernández (she/her)

Valeria was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, a small city on, “the border by the sea”. As a child, she had a combination of experiences that inspired her love for nature. She spent many summers and weekends visiting South Padre Island, riding her bike with her family, and visiting her grandparents’ ranch in Mexico. As an undergraduate, she studied Biology and went on to become a zookeeper for several years. Working with animals reignited her passion for the environment and she is now currently working on her Master’s degree focusing on environmental conservation. As a Latino Outdoors Ambassador for Houston, Valeria will work towards increasing nature access, equity and representation for Latinos in her community.

Outings Leader

Thania Bejarano (she/her)

Thania (she/her) was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, where she gained her enthusiasm and admiration for the outdoors. During her childhood, she loved being outside – creating flower crowns, leaping into haystacks, going on bike rides in the mountains, and organizing treasure hunts with her friends in an attempt to turn every moment into a thrilling adventure.

Post-high school, she moved to San Diego for her studies at the University of California, San Diego. Thania majored in Urban Studies & Planning and Environmental Systems, igniting her passion for contributing to community development programs. Her focus lies in educating and assisting low-income communities grappling with issues such as water quality, water scarcity, access to affordable energy appliances, and food insecurity issues.

In her role as a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Los Angeles, Thania aims to empower diverse youth by providing them with access to the great outdoors and fostering a sense of community and belonging by hosting events for the Latinx communities and others to enjoy.

Volunteer

Thalia Laguna

Thalia was born and raised in the Central Valley of California. Her love for the outdoors began when, growing up, her dad would take her family to the mountains to swim in the river during hot summer days. Also, in high school she joined Adventure Club and was able to further enjoy and appreciate the outdoors from camping to snowboarding. Thalia graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Environmental Science with minors in Environmental Engineering and Spanish. She continues connecting with nature by going on hikes with family and friends. Now she lives in Dallas and is happy to have found Latino Outdoors.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Dallas, Thalia hopes to foster community and appreciation for our natural environment.

Outings Leader

Tatiana Patino Madriaga

Tatiana Patino Madriaga is a passionate advocate for outdoor education and environmental justice, born and raised in Southern California. She pursued her education in environmental studies at Cal Poly Humboldt, where she recognized the importance of connecting underrepresented communities to the outdoors. Her interests include community building, youth education, decolonization, accessibility to outdoor spaces, and food sovereignty.

Currently residing in the Humboldt area, Tatiana is attending graduate school at Cal Poly Humboldt for Environment & Community and serves as the environmental justice educator at the university’s Women’s Resource Center. Her experiences have fueled a commitment to decolonizing environmental education and fostering inclusive spaces for all.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for Humboldt County, Tatiana will empower the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts by supporting programs that celebrate Latino culture and connect people to their environment.

Outings Leader

Sylvia Arredondo

Sylvia is from Wilmington, an industrial neighborhood of Los Angeles. She grew up riding her bike, bailando folklórico, and playing sports at the local park and rec center but breathing in dirty air made it difficult to fully enjoy green space in her community. Sylvia’s love for the outdoors was passed down from her family, as they spent their summers at parks and beaches. She took family camping trips to swim in rivers and lakes. In elementary school, she participated in Catalina Island’s Outdoor Education Program and learned about water and land ecosystems, sustainability, biodiversity, and experienced new activities like snorkeling, night hikes, and stargazing.

Sylvia holds a Master in Public Administration from CSU-Long Beach, BA in Political Science and Minor in Women Gender Studies from San Francisco State. She is the Civic Engagement Director at Communities for a Better Environment and focuses on voter empowerment in environmental justice communities. Sylvia enjoys exploring California’s state, regional and local beaches and parks. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Los Angeles/Long Beach, Sylvia will combine her appreciation, responsibility, and curiosity for the outdoors so more children and families, and curvy, full-figured people experience outdoor adventures and spend time in comunidad.

Outings Leader

Susana Renaud (she/they)

Susana (she/they) was born in 1959 and grew up in the panhandle of North Tejas. She would spend hours outdoors playing in the freshly plowed fields filled with water that her father, who was Indigenous to Tejas would work for others. Her best friends were always the animals that the family would raise for food and that her native Mexican mother would cook for dinner. This early experience allowed her to develop her curiosity and adventurous spirit for the outdoors.

Susana was also influenced by how the social racist systems of Tejas affected her Familia, and how they rebelled and became brilliant despite the brutality that they faced constantly. Her eldest siblings were the most impressive, with their defiance being shaped by the Chicanx movement which taught her to be actively proud and strong in the face of hate.

She chose to migrate to Califas in 1989 to experience some autonomy and begin her lifelong journey of healing from multigenerational trauma. She studied and became an instructor of Yoga, Integrative Health, Feminist Theory and Mindfulness Meditation, usually being the ‘only’ Latine in her classes. She has provided community mental health services in the Xicanx/Latine/Indigenous communities of Oakland and SF for 20 years. She continues to offer her wisdom free to her home communities.

She has always taken the time ‘to listen to the land’ and has explored the outdoor bay area extensively. As a ‘Two Spirit’ they can center outings where we can all find safety and care for one another and return home to our sacred belonging. Susana leads the Queer Caminata outings and her IG handle is: LaIndia.

Volunteer

Susan Lema (she/her(s))

Susan (she/her/hers) was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and at the age of five immigrated to the United States with her parents. She has been living in Astoria for almost 30 years. She studied at CUNY Baruch College and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics. She has over six years of project management experience implementing point of sales systems in the hospitality industry. The challenge of a new environment when Susan immigrated to the United States forced her to step out of her comfort zone and develop a keen sense of adaptation. It was due to this life altering process that she discovered a passion for exploration, particularly through hiking. Wandering through unfamiliar trails allowed Susan to clear her mind and embrace the beauty of the unknown. In the process, hiking became more than just a hobby, and it ignited her passion for discovery, self-reliance, and the joy of overcoming internal and external obstacles. Currently, Susan enjoys exploring NYC parks, hiking and camping in upstate New York and National Parks, and playing volleyball and soccer.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for New York City, Susan will foster a safe and inclusive space where Latino communities can share their knowledge, connect with nature, and build lasting relationships.

Outings Leader

Stephanie Mercado (she/her)

Stephanie was raised in Fresno, CA. As a child she got to visit her first national park, Yosemite, with her family and fell in love with the outdoors ever since. Her love of nature only grew as she got older and now she wants to share her love for the outdoors with the community.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Fresno, Stephanie will spread the word that the Latinx community DOES BELONG outdoors.

Program Coordinator

Stephanie Carvalho (she/her)

Stephanie was born and raised in the Greater Boston area to parents from Brazil and Germany. Her love for the outdoors began on hikes with her grandparents and remembers being amazed at how her grandfather could point to any plant they saw and say its Latin name.

As one of the LO Boston Program Coordinators, Stephanie aims to help bud lasting relationships and strengthen a sense of communal belonging outdoors within the Latine community in Greater Boston.

In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys camping, biking, reading, and learning how to DJ and handpoke tattoo. She currently works as a project manager and is working on her B.A. in Labor Studies at UMass Boston.

Outings Leader

Stephanie Caban (she/her)

Stephanie (she/her) is proud to be a Bronx Boricua. Stephanie became a licensed hiking guide with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation in March 2023 and leads free hikes almost every month. Stephanie’s career is in social services, specifically focusing on volunteerism, food insecurity, and housing insecurity in The Bronx. She often led conversations relating to human dignity, saviorism, and advocacy. Recently, she joined the team of a NYC conservancy, focusing on community engagement, land back, and horticulture. Stephanie regularly holds discussions on inaccessibility in nature, redlining, and health disparities as a part of her work in West Harlem and Washington Heights, engaging volunteers to both bring more love to public spaces and advocate for environmental justice. In her spare time, Stephanie also volunteers with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, trying to pass the NY Health Act which will guarantee healthcare to ALL New Yorkers, as well as fight for community control of the Kingsbridge Armory, the largest armory in the world, or “The Bronx castle.” As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for NYC, Stephanie will share her passion for hiking, dancing, and advocacy, and is excited to celebrate and be in community.

Outings Leader

Stephanie Arce

Stephanie was born and raised in Riverside, California. While she didn’t grow up to explore the wilderness, she was constantly outside on the front porch of her house or running with her cross country team in the orange groves. Running would be the first time she realized that she only needed her own two legs to wander around outside. Her craving to explore further than the city she grew up in led her to flying across the country to earn her Biomedical Engineering degree at WPI in Worcester, MA. She would settle in the suburbs just outside of Boston,MA and continue her running regime on the beautiful bike paths along the Charles River. Her curiosity led her to turn from road running to trail running and then into rock climbing. She now enjoys all the pleasures living on the East Coast has to offer, from outdoor climbing, trail running, hiking, skiing and welcoming each and every season as a breath of fresh air.

As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader for the Boston Chapter, Stephanie will continue to share that curiosity of the outdoors and how we can connect and play in every season and in any capacity that we can.

Outings Leader

Stephania Alexander (she/her/ella)

Stephania was born in Los Angeles, California and lived going back and forth to and from Zacatecas, Mexico, where her family lives. Stephania’s love for nature, connection to Mother Earth, and excitement for the outdoor spaces began very early. Her madrina (or godmother) would take 8-year-old Stephania to the local park in Zacatecas and guide her through a meditation where she was to imagine she was a beautiful tree with long, thick, and healing roots that connected to every living being. Since then, Stephania has gone to follow her passion for nature and her commitment to her Latine community by studying International Relations with a focus on the binational relationship between the US and Mexico, getting an interpretation certification, guiding meditation in Spanish, teaching snowboarding and Standup paddleboarding (SUP), hiking, biking, and camping. Stephania currently lives in Washington, DC, where she works as the People Team Manager for Bat Conservation International, which has a mission to protect bats and their habitats in a way that is just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive to all our communities. As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for the DMV chapter, Stephania will be part of a team that serves its community by ensuring the outdoor space is a place of belonging for everyone and celebrating everyone’s unique experiences, culture, beliefs, and stories.

Outings Leader

Steph Martínez (they/them)

Steph (they/them) is a first-generation working-class scholar, researcher, self-proclaimed “mil usos,” and co-parent from the Harbor Area/Harbor Gateway of Los Angeles County, on the ancestral lands of the Tongva (Tovaangar). Raised between Southern California and Nayarit, Mexico they developed an early love for the Pacific Coast through cross-border movement and multigenerational caregiving. Their deep connection to urban and coastal lands and waters stems from growing up enjoying public access to leisure, traversing under-resourced communities shaped by industrial pollution and environmental racism. Steph is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Ethnic Studies at UC San Diego, with specializations in Critical Gender Studies and the Program for Interdisciplinary Environmental Research. Their academic and community-based work focuses on environmental justice, Indigenous resurgence, and Latinx/Chicanx placemaking in Los Angeles’s South Bay.

As a LO Volunteer Outdoor Leader for Los Angeles, Steph will uplift stories of land, water, and cultural memory while supporting opportunities for intergenerational connection and healing in outdoor spaces. They are passionate about building coalitions rooted in ecological justice and making nature more accessible to communities who have long been excluded from conservation narratives.

Volunteer

Sophia Garcia (she/her(s))

Sophia Garcia (she/her/hers) grew up in Bakersfield California and developed a love of the outdoors when started running for her elementary school track team(Cesar E Chavez Elementary) . Sophia has been active in the social justice community in California Central Valley by volunteering for the UFW and startinh the GIS program at the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Sophia has a B.A in Environmental Studies from Wellesley College and is currently Esri’s (global software mapping company) lead for Equity and Civic Nonprofits.

In her free time, you can find Sophia on the Kern River either as a white water raft guide or kayaking with the Kern River Alliance.  She enjoys spending time in nature with her family, and friends and swimming in the river with her dog Koda. Sophia is excited to be apart of the Bakersfield LO team! 

Program Coordinator

Sophia Bolaños

Sophia Bolaños was born in Quito, Ecuador also known as La Mitad Del Mundo, and migrated to the U.S. with her four older sisters in 2003. Over the years she’s had the privilege to travel back to Ecuador and treasures the days spent by the Pacific Ocean with a bowl of ceviche de concha. In middle school she checked out national geographic books from her local library and dreamed of visiting all the national parks. Sophia holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Psychology and works for a nonprofit that serves the migrant community, specifically unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. Sophia is passionate about advocacy and navigating the world through a decolonization and human rights lens.

As a LO Program Coordinator for the Boston chapter, Sophia hopes to create community, foster relationships, and encourage Latines to take up space in the outdoors.

Program Coordinator

Shley Suarez-Burgos (she/her/hers)

Shley Suarez Burgos (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Miami. At a young age, Shley discovered her passion for conservation-focused digital storytelling. Combining her background of professional salmon fishing, filmmaking and yoga instruction, she’s discovered outlets for creative eco-storytelling by creating authentic conversations and events for diverse communities. She is currently a member of the Oceans Advisory Council, an SFI mentee, and a part of TREESOURCES. As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Miami, Shley will create safe spaces for Latine to explore the outdoors in meaningful and creative ways.

Outings Leader

Shelby Bazan (she/her)

Shelby Bazan was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM and has a great passion for the city, land, and culture. Shelby has a degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology from the University of New Mexico. She is currently an Educator for the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP) in Albuquerque, NM and enjoys teaching students about the bosque ecosystem, how to collect data, and what that data means. In her spare time, she loves crafting, hiking, birding, herping (looking for reptiles/amphibians), and listening to music. As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Albuquerque, NM, Shelby will bring her environmental education experience to students, adults, and families and allow a space for everyone involved to learn and teach.

Program Coordinator

Sebastián Castillo (he/him/él)

Sebastian Castillo is a Latino/Chicano from the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. In the Bay area, Sebastian explored his love for the outdoors as a camp counselor where he saw the excitement it brought to youth when exposed to outdoor open spaces. He started volunteering with local organizations through community engagement. This moment pivoted his life to conservation and advocating for the environment. Serving communities through environmental education and habitat conservation work.

Currently, Sebastian is attending Cal Poly Humboldt as Environmental Science and Management Student. He is representing culture within his major with his involvement in amplifying the science and culture of students in the JEDI committee. Sebastian is focused on bringing back the connections of culture to the outdoors. To eliminate the inequitable access to the outdoors that underrepresented communities face. Establishing the intersectionality of the outdoor spaces through recreation, science, and culture. Sebastian understands the privileges some may have when it comes to access to the outdoors.

As a Latino Outdoors outings leader for Humboldt County, Sebastian will embrace for his surrounding communities to become an outdoor advocate through exposure to the nature around them. Creating an environment where diverse spaces are welcomed to the outdoors.

Volunteer

Sagrario Torres Flores (she/her/ella)

Sagrario (she/her/ella) was raised in suburban Minnesota. Despite having been surrounded by nature enthusiasts all her life – her mother, an avid gardener; her brother, a fishing enthusiast; and her father, a seasonal hammocker and horseback rider – she wouldn’t have considered herself an outdoorsy person growing up.

Ironically, Sagrario first came to connect with nature when she moved out of the suburbs (greenspaces a plenty) and into Minneapolis, where her first apartment was just a few blocks from Lake Bde Maka Ska. As a recent college graduate, she found herself feeling the most grounded amidst all the life changes when she would walk around the lake and around the city.

Presently, Sagrario works in higher education as an advisor to Latine and immigrant students. She enjoys exploring parks and trails with her partner and friends. Some of her favorite outdoor memories include picnics, reading and journaling outdoors, and snowtubing! While she would still consider herself a homebody, Sagrario believes there’s an ‘outdoor activity’ for everyone.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Minneapolis, Sagrario will imagine outdoor activities that are approachable to other homebodies who are seeking to build a relationship with nature.

Outings Leader

Ryan Perez

Ryan Perez is a Minnesota-based facilitator and community organizer, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up, his access to green spaces was defined by the nearby city parks: Portage, Jefferson, and Dunham. During his school years, he found joy in volunteering as a day-camp counselor and supporting park programs. He hoped everyone could share his same love for the urban outdoors!

Since moving to Minnesota, Ryan has gotten to know new city, regional, and state parks; and as a community organizer, he has worked to create opportunities for working families to access the outdoors for exercise, fresh air, and new experiences.

Outings Leader

Rouvaishyana (he/him)

Rouvaishyana was born and raised in Indiana and Michigan, then moved to California as an adult. Hiking at State Parks with his family as a child, he later became a California State Park Interpreter (naturalist), leading hundreds of guided programs, working with volunteers, cataloging natural history specimens, and giving astronomy programs. He has also worked for many years in the private whale and wildlife watching sector in Morro Bay, CA. There he realized how many people in California speak Spanish, so he began learning the language as an adult, in order to be more welcoming to the Latinoamerican community. He plans to help start a chapter of Latino Outdoors in San Luis Obispo county, and lead or co-lead outings. He is an active birder, and is currently learning the names of California birds in Spanish.

Outings Leader

Ronaldo Desiderio (he/him)

Ronaldo was born and raised in New Jersey, where he was exposed to his cultural roots through frequent family trips to South America. His interest in the outdoors began at a young age through camping, which played a major role in his personal development, family bonding, and love for nature. Today, he continues his love for nature through frequent hiking and biking in local county and state parks. Ever since achieving a Bachelor’s in Architecture, Ronaldo has connected his findings and understanding of the natural environment to his architectural work. He believes the body is affected by the environment it occupies, and therefore it’s important to incorporate renewable resources in building applications. Nature is a great influencer of the human mind by providing us with cognitive restoration to keep subsequent stress, anger, and impulsivity at a low level.

As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader for Philadelphia, Ronaldo will help forge a stronger community that recognizes the natural resources and experiences available within city boundaries that go often overlooked.

Outings Leader

Roman Varela (he/him/his)

Roman (he/him/his) was born and raised in Northern New Mexico where his love for the outdoors was first started. As a child, he went on many camping and fishing trips. As an adult, he has continued his love for the outdoors and continues to look for and explore new places to go hiking.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for New Mexico, he will take the many members of Latinx communities on exciting trips to the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Robbin Meneses (él/he/him/his)

Robbin Meneses is a non-profit leader, focusing on racial equity, trust-building, and strengthening community partnerships, particularly with the Metro Denver Partnership for Health.

Previously, Robbin served as a Program Manager at the Latino Leadership Institute, where he launched the Latino Entrepreneur Access Program and led training and outreach initiatives. At The Denver Foundation, he expanded support for communities of color through giving circles and donor engagement. His experience also includes organizing Latinx recruitment for Florida’s Democratic Party.

Robbin holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and an Executive MPA from Florida International University, with certifications in nonprofit management and human resources. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, hiking, and spending time with his dog, Usnavi.

Passionate about dismantling systemic inequities, Robbin believes in rebuilding systems to prioritize racial equity, recognizing the intersecting identities that shape marginalized communities.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Colorado, Robbin will collaborate with organizations, and inform the community about ways to enjoy the outdoors and help creating development opportunities.

Favorite Quote: “A veces la música te dirá a dónde ir...” —Natalia Lafourcade.

Outings Leader

Ricardo Berrios Perez

Ricardo Berrios Perez (He/They) was born in Puerto Rico, where he grew up surrounded by rivers and mountains. As a child, you would often find him chasing chickens and stealing citruses from his grandpa’s farm, acts of juvenile joy which, over time, led to learning the joy of being outdoors and the fruits of his own toil.

Inspired by a long legacy of farmers and an active tendency to get “lost” outdoors, Ricardo decided to venture a college education in Environmental Sciences where he would later focus on Public Health and Environmental Justice due to bearing witness to the increasing health disparities and cases of aggravated environmental issues after Hurricane Maria impacted the island. Currently, he serves as a federal project manager where he helps communities and towns throughout Puerto Rico and the US to acquire, manage, and complete environmental remediation grants.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for New York City, Ricardo will foster a sense of passion and community through volunteering events that help connect the public with their cultural roots/backgrounds and empower people to venture out into nature.

Outings Leader

Rhiannon Regalado-Valdez Herrington (she/her/ella)

Rhiannon was born and raised amongst the orange tree groves and charros of San Fernando Valley, CA. As the granddaughter of a Mexican immigrant and a migrant farmworker, Rhiannon was raised to be proud of her culture and appreciate the land. Growing up, her family spent summers camping in Sequoia and Yosemite. It was during her undergraduate time at the University of California, Santa Cruz, that Rhiannon grew to further appreciate her culture and began to see the lack of diversity in the outdoor community. After undergraduate, Rhiannon went back home and attended the University of Southern California for her Master’s degree in School Counseling. Life then took Rhiannon to El Paso and San Antonio where she got to explore desert camping and hill country hiking. Rhiannon now lives in Colorado Springs where she is a high school counselor and spends her time hiking, camping, kayaking, and paddle boarding with her husband and 2 niños. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Colorado, Rhiannon is passionate about making the outdoors accessible to all. As a previous Branch ambassador and current hike host for Hike it Baby, a national nonprofit working to inspire families with babies to connect with nature, Rhiannon hopes to use her resources and experiences to encourage Latine/x families with young children to get outside and enjoy the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Renee Provencio (she/her(s))

Renee (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Grant County, New Mexico, specifically in Bayard in the heart of the Mining District of Grant county. Renee’s earliest memories are camping, fishing, and picnicking in the Gila with her family and holding her mom’s hand while walking barefoot in the Gila River. Renee’s connection to the Gila grew stronger while running five years of cross country in the Ft. Bayard Trail System within Gila National Forest. Renee is an independent community organizer and is passionate about outdoor equity and getting underserved families and youth outdoors on public lands.

Renee is the former Nuestra Gila campaign Community Organizer, and is a former and one of the first Continental Divide Trail Ambassadors. She is currently the Head Librarian at Bayard Public Library where she is starting an outdoor gear lending library. Renee has a double Bachelors in English and Art, a graduate certificate in Art from Western New Mexico University, and a masters in Multicultural Women and Gender Studies from Texas Woman’s University.

Outings Leader

Renée Camila (she/ella)

Renée (she/ella) is first generation born in Yelamu (San Francisco, CA), the daughter of Nicaraguan immigrants. She comes from a lineage of storytellers, educators, and healers. Her people are mixed Indigenous (Chorotega) and Spanish. She currently lives with her partner and two children at the base of a volcano on Shasta Wintu land in Mt Shasta, CA.

She is a practicing clinical herbalist, traditional birthworker, and folk educator. She is dedicated to the empowerment and healing offered by traditional medicines rooted in a decolonial lens. As a traditional healing practitioner, she recognizes the interconnectivity between the health of the individual, the health of our communities, and the health of the Earth. She is one of the hosts of the radio show and podcast Planting Medicine, co-founder of the Now and Then Herb School, and member of the SOAR collective.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Siskiyou County, California, Renée will collaborate with local organizers to create radical spaces for our comunidad Latina to access a sense of belonging to these sacred lands and to each other. She also dreams of integrating plant medicine into these engagements.

Outings Leader

Remigio Mateo (he/him/él)

Remi, who was born and raised in the Echo Park/Rampart neighborhood of Los Angeles, knew he was serious about hiking and the outdoors when he started spending much of his paycheck at REI. He’s explored Guatemala and visited the Mayan pyramids and plans on visiting ancient pyramids and monuments all over the world.

In the past, Remi was a casual hiker who would visit local trails a handful of times per year. Things changed for him in 2015, however, when he joined the 52 Hike Challenge, a movement that pushed him to explore his vast city more broadly and consistently for 52 consecutive weeks.

Remi graduated from California State University of Northridge with a degree in Sociology. He went on to Presidio Graduate School where he earned a Masters in Public Administration.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Los Angeles, Remi will connect Latino families to the beautiful areas of Southern California.

Volunteer

Raymond Salazar

Raymond was born and raised in Summit County, Colorado. He was fortunate to grow up hiking in the nearby mountains and foolish enough to explore abandoned mining structures and tunnels. Raymond moved to Montana for college and received a B.S. in geology and a M.Sc. in volcano science. Now Raymond works as a geologist, where he spends his summers hiking to create maps of the geology. Outside of work, Raymond enjoys rock climbing, paddle boarding, and camping in the summer as well as ice climbing, skiing, and playing hockey in the winter.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer in New Mexico, Raymond is excited to share his knowledge of how geology helped form the beautiful areas that we love to spend time in.

Outings Leader

Raúl Guadarrama Alonso

Raúl was born in Mexico City where he grew up before eventually moving to Argentina and later landing in New Jersey in 2012. He got his Bachelors in Biology in 2019 and decided to move out to Flagstaff, AZ where he worked for a conversation corps first as a member and later a crew leader. He worked on several different conservation projects in the backcountry and eventually moved out to California to study owls in Sequoia National Forest. He later got a masters degree in Natural Resource and Sustainability and now works as an environmental planner for the US Forest Service. Through his work Raul fell in love with the national forest and lands and hopes to keep being a steward to the places he loves so much.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for Colorado, Raul looks to help other Latinos grow to love the forest and inspire them to protect and conserve our most valuable resource. He hope that through this organization he can increase Latino recreation and their involvement in the forest decision making process.

Volunteer

Raquel Rangel

Raquel Rangel is a student at California State University, Stanislaus, majoring in Biological Science. She has volunteered with different organizations in the Central Valley, planting native shrubs and trees for different restoration projects and water monitoring, as well as banding geese for data collection. Raquel has discovered that her time spent as a volunteer, her involvement with the Geography Club on campus, and her involvement with the non-profit organization Tuolumne River Trust has helped her develop various life skills and has expanded her interest towards the outdoors.

Through her collaboration with LO, she hopes to get individuals and communities involved and interested in (re)connecting to the environment. By organizing different outings, she would like to demonstrate to participants what a beautiful place we live in and inspire them to play a part in conserving our home.

Outings Leader

Priscila Amador (they/them/ella)

Priscila (they/them/ella) was raised in the “Little Mexico” neighborhood of Chicago called “La Villita”. Her primary outdoor activities in childhood were skateboarding and cycling around the city with friends. They were always drawn to the outdoors but it was never accessible to her except for the very occasional family camping trip. Priscila dreams of living in a way that is harmonious with nature and is a big zero/low waste and plant based enthusiast. They currently live in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago where they are a full time nanny. One day she hopes to move somewhere that is bike accessible to forest preserves and hiking trails, but for now they are excited to be part of Latino Outdoors, enabling access to the outdoors to the Latine communities in Chicago and the Great Lakes area.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Great Lakes, Priscila, being part of the Advocacy Team, plans to incorporate advocacy components to LO events, creating a deeper connection between community needs and global issues and the LO community.

Outings Leader

Pricila Flores (she/her)

Pricila Flores (she/her) was born in Los Angeles, CA where she spent her early years before her family moved to Northern California. As a young teenager, she was introduced to the natural outdoors and developed a love and appreciation for spending time in nature. Her favorite pastimes included swimming in nearby lakes and rivers, visiting local parks, and exploring nature around her home new home.

After graduating from high school she joined the California Conservation Corps. Through there she joined the Backcountry Trails program, where she was able to live and work in the Yosemite wilderness maintaining trails within the park. That started her 10 year career in trail construction and maintenance, working for various parks including Lassen National Park, Yosemite, Klamath National Forest, Zion National Park, and Kings Canyon National Park.

Pricila now works and lives in SF as a ranger for the City of San Francisco and continues to spend her time enjoying the abundant natural areas both locally and across the state of California.

Outings Leader

Pearla Romero (she)

Pearla was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, but spent many childhood summers and holidays in her father’s hometown in Mexico. There, in the Chihuahuan desert, is where her interest and love for the outdoors began. In the desert she would hike the bordering cerro, swim in the acequias and local sulphur spring, and explore every edge of the pueblo she could safely reach. With time, this interest turned into appreciation, which ultimately turned into a career path. She is a first-generation college graduate with a B.A. in Biology and M.S. in Environmental Science. Pearla recently returned from South America after serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the environment sector. Now, she’s excited to serve her community as a Latino Outdoors Ambassador, and she hopes to facilitate experiences and conversations that bring diversity to the outdoors while in this role.

Outings Leader

Paula Pelletier (she/her/ella)

Paula (she/her/ella) was born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and now calls Chicago home. She strives to carry the warmth and vibrancy of her Caribbean upbringing into the ever-changing seasons of the Midwest. You can often find her biking through the city, running along the lakefront, reading in a hammock at her local park, or rock climbing with her Latino Outdoors community.

Introduced to traditional outdoor activities later in life, Paula is passionate about creating opportunities for the Latine community to try new outdoor experiences and rediscover the excitement of learning, exploration, and stepping outside our comfort zones. As a Latino Outdoors volunteer, she is committed to helping every community member feel welcomed and supported as they deepen their connection to our natural environment and find rest and joy in the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Paola Casillas

Paola (she/her/ella) was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Spending her childhood summers in her parents’ hometown in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Paola spent much of her outdoor time during her childhood at the beach, lakes, parks, and sports fields with family. Later, in her teens, she began to play soccer and run cross-country. These are hobbies she’s revisited as an adult, and she’s since added hiking, kayaking, outdoor yoga and walking to coffee shops to her outdoor activities of choice.

After completing her studies in psychology and gender studies, Paola embarked on a career in homeless services where she has provided direct services to families and leadership in rehousing-system implementation. Currently, she specializes in the project management of rehousing system refinements and supports the operationalization of the rehousing system’s Policy Council in Los Angeles County.

In and outside of work, Paola has enjoyed participating in first-generation, Latino, and LGBTQIA+ groups that foster community in both treasurer and member capacities. She’s been attending Latino Outdoor events across California (and most recently Boston) since 2023 and is excited to be joining Latino Outdoors as an Outings Leader in Los Angeles in 2025. In this role, Paola aims to encourage Latinos in Los Angeles to make connections with each other and nature to strengthen community.

Outings Leader

Nohemi Mora (she/her/hers)

Nohemi is a first generation Mexican-American from Dallas, TX. Her earliest recollections of connecting with the outdoors involve childhood summers spent with her tíos and primos in ranchos of Guanajuato and Michoacán.

Nohemi often leads intermediate skill-level outings as she believes it is important to build community among participants with intermediate skills to support normalizing our community taking up space and experiencing joy in activities that have been historically exclusive of people of color. Her favorite part of being an outings leader is seeing how people start friendships during outings and end up going on their own adventures later. She enjoys spending time outdoors by backpacking, hiking, camping, fishing, skiing, and golfing.

Outside of LO, she is a civil engineer (proud alumna of Southern Methodist University) who works on water and wastewater infrastructure projects and is an active member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).

Outings Leader

Nikki Hernandez (she/hers/ella)

Nikki grew up in Colorado Springs as the youngest of five in a military family. As a child, she spent her days exploring the creeks and trails on the Air Force Academy and soaking up the sun as much as possible with her friends and family. As an adult, Nikki felt empowered in developing her outdoor skills and took advantage of every opportunity there was to learn. She acquired backcountry leadership skills through her college’s Outdoor Education Program and more recently spent a summer being trained as a whitewater rafting guide on the Arkansas River. Currently, Nikki works in victim services and is passionate about improving support for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking in the state of Colorado.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Colorado, Nikki hopes to create equitable and inclusive spaces for all in the outdoors so that everyone has the opportunity to find joy and healing in nature.

Volunteer

Nicole Israel-Meyer

Born to a Mexican mom and a Chilean dad and having grown up in different parts of the US and Bolivia, Nicole is a proud multicultural Latina. Nicole is lucky to have been brought up in a household that valued nature and enjoyed outdoor recreation—she went on her first camping trip at 3 months old! Visits to her family in Mexico always included several hikes and visits to the hot springs. Nicole fell in love with the outdoors and outdoor recreation as a high schooler living in Vermont. In college, she was a trip leader and led hiking, backpacking, climbing, caving, and canoeing trips.

Nicole’s connection to nature spans beyond her hobbies. Her professional interests are at the intersection of climate adaptation, conservation, and sustainable development, and she has experience working with groups across Latin America, the US (including Alaska), and parts of Africa. She holds a Master of Environmental Management, specializing in ecosystem conservation and management, and is now a program manager at a small initiative focused on capacity development initiatives for the conservation and restoration of tropical forest landscapes.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Connecticut, Nicole is excited to connect with the Latine community and to share her love for and expertise in outdoor recreation. She aims to foster a deeper connection between the Latino community and nature so they can feel confident, safe, and excited to enjoy the wonders of the natural world.

Outings Leader

Nicole Dziubczynski

Meet Nicole Dziubczynski, a Southside Chicago native of Mexican and Polish descent and an accountant at Metra, the commuter rail system serving the Chicagoland area. Growing up, Nicole developed a deep connection with the outdoors through family camping trips, climbing trees in the parks of Chicago, and enjoying sunny days at the beach. An avid rock climber, she now channels her passion into fostering a welcoming space, breaking barriers, and uniting our community through shared outdoor experiences.

As the Adventure Committee Lead for the Great Lakes Chapter at Latino Outdoors, Nicole envisions a future of growth for our community, where each adventure becomes a stepping stone towards building lasting connections and expanding our collective love for the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Nico Alfaro (he/him)

Nico (he/him) grew up in Monterey County. He ran cross country his senior year of high school, which sparked his love for running and planted the seed for his love of spending long hours outside. Directly after high school, he served in the United States Marine Corps. After his enlistment he moved back to California, where he earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from SJSU. There, he was hired for the Outdoor Adventures Program on campus, where he planned, led, and outfitted participants of all levels in backpacking, surfing, kayaking, camping, climbing, hiking, etc.

He’s excited to use what he’s learned over the years to continue sharing these outdoor experiences with the Latinx and other underserved communities. He believes it is important to have representation in outdoor spaces to help pave the way for the next generation to feel comfortable and confident recreating outdoors.

He now lives in Salinas, CA with his wife, daughter, and their two dogs. Always up for a challenge, he is currently trying to figure out how to open a climbing gym + cafe combo, called Colores Climbing. The goal is to create a third space and to help make rock climbing a more diverse/accessible sport.

Outings Leader

Natalia Worman (she/her/ella)

Natalia (she/her/ella) was born and raised in San Diego, CA and is the daughter of immigrant parents from México. Her first impactful experience in nature was by the sea. Whether it was long beach days in Coronado or family road trips down to Baja, the ocean was (and still is) her happy place and a source of wonder. This love for vast natural spaces was expanded even further when she experienced her first camping trip when attending San Diego State University. The peace and deep sense of appreciation she felt on that trip was something she knew she’d want to pursue long-term.

Since then, she’s gone on multi-day backpacking trips, earned an open water diving certification, camped in different countries, and even summited Mount Kilimanjaro. Still residing in San Diego, she is seeking opportunities to become more involved in the conservation space and enhance access to nature for all.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for San Diego, Natalia will help plan engaging outdoor experiences, create a welcoming environment that makes the outdoors less intimidating, and encourage others to connect with nature.

Outings Leader

Natalia Pulido (she/her/ella)

Natalia Pulido (She/Her/Ella) was born in Iquique, Chile, and raised in North Texas since the age of 14. Now, she resides in the beautiful mountains of Manitou Springs, Colorado.

Natalia’s love for the outdoors began with her first mountain bike ride, which eventually led to mountain biking becoming her lifestyle and advocacy tool for representation and diversity in the outdoors. Natalia has worked with several non-profit organizations including Colorado Mountain Biking Association (COMBA) Women’s Program in the front range and helped to co-found the Latina Program to offer accessible MTB skill clinics in Spanish for Latina women. She is also a certified MTB coach and experienced bike ride guide for the community. She has also volunteered with Kids on Bikes to lead kids’ bike skill clinics in Spanish in Colorado Springs.

She earned her B.S in Biology from TWU and then later pursued a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, TX. Aside from her love for the outdoors, Natalia is also an artist who finds inspiration from nature. She also enjoys spending time in the outdoors hiking, fly fishing, snowboarding, and plein air painting.

As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader in the area of Colorado Springs, Natalia will collaborate with organizations and cultivate opportunities to create equitable spaces in the outdoors for our Latine/Latinx community.

Volunteer

Natalia Ospina (she/her/ella)

Natalia (she/her/ella) was born in Bogota, Colombia and was raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. She became exposed to the outdoors when she moved to Denver, Colorado in 2016 where she started to climb and was part of the Latino Outdoors Colorado crew until 2020. Currently, she is based in Milwaukee, WI where you can find her running along the Milwaukee River or along Lake Michigan. She is passionate about having other Latinx folks experience the outdoors as well as building community. She currently works for an environmental organization bridging the gap between public health and conservation and is in the process of launching a curly haired business for outdoor adventurers. She is excited to take familias outside in the Midwest!

Outings Leader

Natalia Gonzalez (she/her(s))

Natalia (she/her/hers) was born in Laredo, Texas and raised in San Antonio. Her love for the outdoors started in college after getting a job doing outreach at an outdoor recreation center. Her experience in the outdoors has always been one with urban undertones. She’s since then continued her exploration of outdoor recreation in Austin. Her experience growing up recreating in urban green spaces drives her initiatives to educate her community about the ways they can connect with nature in an urban setting. She is passionate about water-sports, mainly fishing. Natalia will bring her 7 years of experience in environmental education and outdoor recreation program planning to Latino Outdoors Austin as volunteer outings leader.

Outings Leader

Nancy Mercado (she/her)

Nancy Mercado was born and raised in Fresno, CA. She is currently working on obtaining her teaching credential at Fresno State University. Her love for outdoor activities and the natural world began when she explored her first national park, Yosemite. She wants to ensure that the youth of the Central Valley are able to develop a love for the outdoors. Most importantly, she wants her future students to feel a sense of belonging in all outdoor spaces without compromising their authentic self.

As a Latino Outdoors Leader for Fresno, CA, Nancy will inspire and engage the Latino community in outdoor activities. She will work to foster a connection between people, culture, and the environment. She will promote diversity and inclusivity in outdoor spaces.

Volunteer

Morgan Wordes (she/her/ella)

Morgan was born in Honolulu, Hawai’i, and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. A bicultural Xicana, Morgan discovered her love of the outdoors exploring the natural wonders of California during her childhood. After high school, Morgan relocated to Brooklyn, NY to pursue a degree in Critical & Visual Studies from Pratt Institute, and during the next 11 years felt the lack of access to outdoor spaces (and outdoorsy people!) deeply. While back on the West Coast in 2016, Morgan was excited to find kindred spirits in Latino Outdoors and joined as an active participant. Morgan is currently working in Long Island City as a Development & Communications Associate at the sports based youth development non-profit Urban Dove.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for New York City, Morgan will work together with the rest of the team to engage families in accessing, enjoying, and advocating for outdoor natural spaces– both outside of the city as well as within. She’s excited to use her extensive experience working with multicultural communities and background in Communications to help spread the word about LO!

Volunteer

Monica Vega Latona (they/them)

Monica Vega Latona (they/them) is Tejana/Californian/Xicana currently living in Sacramento, California. Some of their earliest and most significant outdoor memories are of their grandmother’s house in El Paso where the Franklin Mountains rise from the desert, monuments to the dreams of their migrant ancestors. They grew up with a very complicated message about the outdoors: “only rich people take vacation”, “we don’t go camping” and “we don’t go outside,” were messages they received from family. However, their family was always outside at a BBQ, driving through the desert, or starting a garden. Later, Monica found a love of exploring tide pools and California redwoods on a trip with their marine biology class in community college. Since then, Monica has chased sunsets at golden hour on hikes along the west coast, finding healing through writing and painting in the outdoors. They currently have a Masters in Library and Information Science from San José State University and a B.A. from Sacramento State University in Art with a minor in Latinx/Chicanx Studies.

They believe in a love of learning: outdoor programs, activities, and services supports cultural (re)connection, community access, and empowerment for families who experience barriers from preventing them from getting outside (or simply wanting to try something new). In addition to working for equity & social justice, Monica is a life long punkera, loves punk music, vegan ice cream, reading books, visiting record stores, and hanging out with their partner Jaron.

As a Latino Outdoors Ambassador, Monica supports access to opportunities and activities to (re)connect families to the outdoors all over California.

Outings Leader

Modesta McGrath-Martínez (she/her)

Modesta – she/her – was born and raised in Southern Maryland, but her home and heart is in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Her passion for nature first developed during her year abroad in Iceland, where she was immersed in a very unique and remarkable environment. Her experiences in Iceland sparked a lasting curiosity about the natural systems in her own country that followed her to Los Angeles, California, and now Colorado. Modesta graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a degree in Global Studies, with a focus on Environment, Health, and Development and a minor in Geography. She currently works as the Senior Project Manager for Keystone Policy Center in their Center for Natural Resources. Modesta also serves as a Board Member for the Community Roots Art Festival (CRAFt) and the Outdoor Equity Grant Program in Colorado.

Volunteer

Michelle Bernardo

Michelle is a Miami native passionate about urban conservation, increasing access to nature, and all things marine science. Her appreciation for nature and drive to conserve biodiversity is owed to many instances growing up; for example, receiving encouragement from science educators in her early education and visiting family in the Caribbean. Her participation in opportunities for accessible outdoor recreation as an undergraduate opened her up to being more involved outdoors as an adult.

Michelle has supported marsh fieldwork, coral wet lab research, and bilingual (English/Spanish) environmental education in Florida and the Northeast. She has also organized creative community engagements, having led her own “New Wave of Surfistas” and “Make Art, Not Plastic” events. Currently, she facilitates tours and maintenance of the the Voss Marine Invertebrate Collection. As a LO leader, Michelle will continue the community of inclusion and empowerment that the Latino Outdoors Miami chapter fosters via fun, unique, and affordable activities.

Program Coordinator

Miché Lozano (they/he/él)

Miché Lozano (They/he/él) is located in Tucson, Arizona where they serve their community with outdoor recreational and educational opportunities. Miché has a background in Environmental Science and Natural Resource management and has 10 years of experience in conservation where they’ve worn many hats. They’ve served as: a naturalist, scientist, outings leader, instructor, community organizer, program manager, and an advocate. Miché takes an interdisciplinary approach to education and organizing diverse communities. They are passionate about nature conservation and discovering solutions to resolve our society’s problems by working towards strengthening relationships between society, people, and places.

Miché is a first generation Mexican American of transgender experience, with roots in the southwest and northern Mexico. They grew up on the borderlands or Yuma, Arizona where they served as a reptile and fish biologist and volunteered providing humanitarian aid to refugees along the border. They earned their Bachelor of Science from Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, AZ where they gained a passion for hiking, cycling, and where they cut their teeth rock climbing.

Miché lived the #Vanlife for several years and traveled across the west coast as a wildlife biologist and an outdoor science educator. They served the communities of Portland, Oregon as an educator, organizer, and advocate. In 2020, in response to the murder of George Floyd in 2020 – Miché became involved with the collective mutual aid organizing efforts and public protests spearheaded by the the Black Lives Matter movement in the city of Portland, OR. This transformative experience forever changed them into an abolitionist. Their lived experience informs their perspective and as such, Miché sees the world through a unique lens – where everything is a chance to strengthen Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in every possible aspect of their life and career. They see the problems in today’s society as an opportunity to reconnect and inspire others through educational and direct experiences with the benefits of nature.

Miché can usually be found somewhere outside, reading a book, cooking, meditating, dreaming and scheming, but more than likely, probably eating tacos.

Outings Leader

Michael Sanchez

Michael was born and raised in Northern California to two Chicano parents who were also raised in Norte Califas. He was fortunate to be exposed to the abundance of the upper Sacramento river region; which included access to lots of bodies of fresh water and his favorite outdoor activity: gliding on snow, otherwise known as snowboarding. Michael received an undergraduate degree in Environmental studies from San Francisco State University. He now resides in Dunsmuir, CA with his family and has years of experience in the non-profit and clean energy sector.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for LO Siskiyou, Michael will seek to share knowledge and create safe spaces where Latinos and BIPOC individuals feel comfortable and good about being in outdoor environments. Michael is particularly passionate about supporting native led environmental conservation in his home region and working with youth to share his love of snowboarding and board riding culture.

Program Coordinator

Melody Arteaga

Melody Arteaga was born and raised in Southern California. Growing up in Whittier, her outdoor spaces included parks and local trails under the shade of Jacarandas. Yet, barriers to the outdoors were also prominent, and she longed for opportunities to know the ocean, the mountains, and the Joshua trees. Since moving to Minnesota, Melody has been determined to create new outdoor experiences for herself and for her community. As a youth mentor and community organizer, Melody has planned and facilitated dozens of outdoor events for Latine families and new Minnesotans, working to break down barriers for equitable access.

Melody sees the outdoors as a way for people to connect with both nature and neighbors, as well as an opportunity to envision a just environmental future.

Outings Leader

Melissa Mejia (she/her/ella)

Melissa Mejia (she/her/ella) is a first generation Dominican-American born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. She received a BS in Natural Sciences from Temple University in 2020. As a first-generation graduate, it was difficult navigating the balance of her studies and work on her own, she turned to walking outdoors as a way to cope with the stress. She would often trek through the city on what she likes to call city hikes.

Eventually, she learned about a local hiking spot, The Wissahickon, and began hiking there. This is where she developed a newfound love for connecting with la naturaleza. Although she has not found community in these spaces, she took it upon herself to hike on a consistent basis and continues to explore new trails in the tri-state area.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader, Melissa hopes to cultivate comunidad, inspire others to get outdoors, make natural spaces more inclusive and accessible to the Latinx community, and foster collective healing through connection with the land.

Outings Leader

Mayreli García Celedon

Mayreli was born in Guanajuato, Mexico and immigrated with her family to the United States at the age of three. While growing up in Fresno, CA, her connection to the outdoors included playing in the lush grape fields of the countryside and going to Roeding Park for the staple family carne asadas on the weekends. Although Fresno is known for being surrounded by many natural wonders like Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, her family did not have many opportunities to partake in those spaces. It wasn’t until her late twenties when she started finding her own path into those awe-inspiring environments.

Her airline career has given her the opportunity to travel to ten beautiful countries. Taking in the vast environments and cultures during her travels gave her a glimpse of what the world had to offer. She started seeking out other opportunities and groups that would help educate and nurture a sense of belonging. She was able go find that connection with Latino Outdoors.

Thanks to Latino Outdoors she was able to experience her first camping trip at the age of 35 and was introduced to rock climbing, her new favorite sport. Latino Outdoors gave her the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals that shared her story and a sense of belonging to all outdoor spaces.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for Fresno, May hopes to help others feel a sense of connection and belonging to outdoor spaces, by supporting and making LO events memorable. She also wants to encourage others to share their own stories and advocate, it’s never too late to start your own journey.

Outings Leader

Mary Galindo (she/her/ella)

Mary (she/her/ella) was born and raised in Santa Barbara where her love for nature began. She loved playing in parks as a kid and later discovered her passion for hiking through the Santa Barbara mountains in high school. She deepened her connection with the outdoors during her travels in India, Brazil, and Mexico and during her professional career in Los Angeles. She enjoys camping with friends, hiking, going to the beach and park. One of her favorite things is laying on the grass, in the sun, listening to the trees blowing in the wind. She is a Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist that is passionate about sharing how eating more plants and getting outside can prevent illness and support mental and physical health.

As a Latino Outdoor outings leader for Ventura County, Mary will act as a bridge between the Latine community and the existing outdoor spaces to build community, experience joy and enhance overall wellness.

Program Coordinator

Martín Ceja Mejía (he/him/they/them)

Martín, born in Michoacán, México (historically Purepecha land), was raised in Southern California on what was Chumash land. He first encountered nature in México as a kid, where he would play in a forest across his house. In Southern California he learned to appreciate the built environment as well as the mountains and ocean nearby. He completed his B.A.S. at UC Davis where he focused on Chemistry and Spanish. Through chemistry, he discovered his passion for environmental toxicology and environmental health. Spanish brought a unique cultural aspect tying him deeper to his roots, allowed him to venture deeper into literature and philosophy, and ultimately guided his lifestyle and desire to help in the fight for racial and gender equality, among other issues, faced by the society he now finds himself in. Martín focuses on traditional ecological knowledge, environmental sustainability, as well as philosophy pertaining to colonialism, sovereignty, community, and nature and western society. As a LO volunteer he hopes to help bridge distinct world views to better understand the land and help decolonize the mind from the colonial narrative pushed onto “wilderness.”

Program Coordinator

Maritza Palos-López

Martiza’s journey into the wild began in the high cathedrals of Yosemite National Park, where her family’s traditional visits transformed the wilderness from a destination into a home. Those early years shaped her interests: her love of swimming, snowboarding, running, biking, and hiking.

Martiza finds herself captivated by the coast and the mountains. Today, her outdoor identity is a blend of both worlds—carrying the grounded endurance of the mountains into the vast, ever-changing exploration of the deep blue. She started a local run club where she currently reside in Rancho Santa Margarita to encourage others to come out no matter their pace! Community with stunning views is what she’s always aiming for.

Volunteer

Maritza Kritz

Born and raised on the Central Coast of California in the small town of Grover Beach, Maritza is a proud third-generation Mexican American. Growing up in a community where outdoor recreation was not readily accessible to minorities, her first exposure to hiking came when friends from college invited her on a life-changing backpacking trip to Yosemite National Park. There, she summited Half Dome, a transformative experience that sparked a lifelong passion for the outdoors.

Since that first summit, Maritza has backpacked through 25 national parks and counting, forging a deep connection with nature while recognizing the need for conservation. Her experiences have inspired her to become a strong advocate for Leave No Trace principles, helping protect these cherished spaces for future generations.

Now based in Portland, Oregon, Maritza balances her professional career with her dedication to advocacy. She is the Director of Hospital Admissions and Marketing for PACS Healthcare, ensuring patients receive the care and support they need. Maritza also serves as a commissioner for the New Portlanders Policy Commission, where she advocates for immigrant and refugee communities to have a meaningful voice in shaping local policies.

As a current ambassador and volunteer for Latino Outdoors, Maritza is passionate about creating opportunities for underprivileged youth and BIPOC communities to experience the healing and freedom that nature offers. She also contributes to broader systemic change, including work on affordable housing and homelessness in Oregon’s District 3. Maritza’s mission is to empower others while fostering a collective commitment to conservation and equity, ensuring both communities and the natural world can thrive together.

Outings Leader

Mario Martínez (he/him)

Mario (he/him) was born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico and then raised in Dallas before making a big move to Austin, where he currently resides. Mario grew up fishing the piers of White Rock Lake alongside his mother and father (and later on his brother and sister too!). His family loves spending several weekends out of the year at state parks such as Possum Kingdom and Cooper Lake (South Sulphur Unit). His father is the one to credit for Mario’s passion for fishing as he was rarely without a fishing pole during their camping trips. Mario’s father eventually gifted him a great baitcasting fishing rod and thus the hobby began. This hobby has evolved throughout the years and has led Mario to being a certified volunteer Angler Education Instructor for TPWD. Mario proudly works for a rainwater harvesting company called Cqure Water, based in Austin and servicing all over the Texas hill country.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for the Austin chapter, Mario will gladly pass on the knowledge he’s gained over a lifetime to anyone and everyone who wishes to begin a new incredible hobby.

Outings Leader

María Monroy

María is a native of the highlands of Jalisco, México and has spent most of her life in California. María is a social psychologist and an emotion scientist by training. She completed her doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and is currently a Postdoctoral Associate at Yale University. María’s research spans across different facets of emotion science, including expression, experience, and culture. A significant portion of her work is dedicated to investigating the beneficial effects of awe—an emotion experienced when in the presence of vast and beautiful natural landscapes—on mitigating stress, fostering social connections, and promoting health and well-being.

María’s connection to the natural environment is not only present in her research but also in daily life. She is an avid hiker and has experience climbing, backpacking, and camping around the world—from the California Sierras to the Himalayas in Bhutan.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer leader in Connecticut, María will bring her personal and professional expertise to nature outings. She is committed to connecting the Latino community to the resources and benefits of the natural world. As part of LO, María’s goal is to inspire the next generation of nature enthusiasts.

Outings Leader

Maria Llorens (she/her)

Maria Llorens was born and raised in Miami, FL. She has had a deep love of animals and nature since she was a child, and as an adult discovered an intense passion for hiking, kayaking, and nature photography, particularly in the Florida Everglades. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law. Her professional background is in non-profit legal work focused on the rights of immigrants in the workplace. She is currently attempting to thru-hike the 1,100-mile Florida National Scenic Trail.

As part of the Latino Outdoors team in Miami, Maria hopes to serve as a guide and ambassador to other Latinx folks like her who did not grow up exploring the outdoors, but want to connect with and discover their own relationship to nature.

Outings Leader

María Leonor Rodríguez (she/her)

María Leonor was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. Growing up, she was first exposed to outdoor activities through summer camps where she learned how shared outdoor experiences could help build positive and powerful communities. She attended college in NC where she pursued this love working as a trip leader through the outdoor program. María earned a BA in Environmental Studies and grew passionate about creating meaningful and culturally relevant outdoor experiences that can spark interest in long-lasting environmental change. Through her work and experiences in outdoor education, María found her love for backpacking and building communities outdoors that support the personal growth of individuals. María now works at a small environmental nonprofit coordinating ecological education programs and volunteer events in Santa Fe, NM. María is excited to facilitate opportunities for the Latine community to build positive connections to the New Mexican landscape that can support their recharge and solidify their place in the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Maria Gallegos (she/her)

Maria was born in Degollado, Jalisco. Moved to California at the age of 7, and currently lives in Richmond, Virginia. A full time mom of four kids ranging in ages from 2 to 19. In California she lived in a dairy farm and loved getting together with the other kids and going on excursions to explore the lands. Going to a local park and enjoying a carne asada was a weekly tradition. Nothing better than being outdoors and enjoying good food and family. As a mom Maria enjoys taking her kids on walks and hikes to the local parks and letting them explore nature and what it has to offer. Watching them explore and feel curious about nature makes her heart happy.

As an Outings Leader for the DMV area, Maria will engage with the Latinos in her community to encourage the exploration of what nature has to offer around them. She will work to provide information and help to make the outdoors a place where everyone feels safe and included.

Outings Leader

María Belén Luzuriaga Abad

María Belén Luzuriaga Abad was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. She moved to the US at age 12. When María Belén first moved to the US she didn’t have a chance to connect with other individuals that had her path; most immigration topics were very taboo. Going outdoors was not encouraged because her parents did not know this country or knew anyone to guide them through the outdoors. This is why she believes in the mission of Latino Outdoors and being able to share what she has learned with others to enhance their outdoor experience.

Her passions for performing and composing music helps her mind expand and create inwardly, while traveling guides her to explore the outside world and connect with people from different cultures. Sometimes she travels for work as an audio-visual technician, and that has taught her to absorb information about how technology is connecting us in the world.

She’s also an Ayurvedic counselor and LMP, those practices have led María Belén to connect with nature and others in mind & body. Her love for nature grows rapidly with outdoor adventures like hiking, foraging, kayaking, exploring different continents, and more.

Lastly, María Belén enjoys teaching music & art workshops to kids. She says “it has been a beautiful journey across the color palette of how uniquely our minds are shaped by personal experiences in this life.”

Outings Leader

María Ayala Herrera (she/her/ella)

Maria was born in Michoacán, Mexico and immigrated to California with her family when she was five years old. Her curiosity for exploring the outdoors comes from growing up in Reedley, CA where the Sierra Nevada mountain range creates a picture-perfect backdrop to the stone fruit fields where her dad has spent most of his life working. Her earliest memories of outdoor recreation are family trips to Kings Canyon National Park to play in the snow and swimming at the nearby Aguacate (Avocado Lake). More recently, Maria has been fortunate to travel more frequently and has visited State and National Parks throughout California, Nevada, and Utah. These experiences have only brought her closer to home, and she has grown to appreciate the outdoors in her own backyard. As one of the older cousins in her family, she enjoys sharing this appreciation for being outdoors with her younger family members by planning hiking trips and exploring nearby trails.

As an Outings Leader for Latino Outdoors Fresno, Maria looks forward to creating opportunities for the Latine/x community to discover and experience the outdoors in safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces. She is passionate about encouraging everyone to be curious and find a personal connection with nature and advocating for equitable access to the outdoors.

Maria is the proud daughter of agriculture workers and credits their work ethic for her success in being the first person in her family to graduate from college. She attended Fresno State and has a BA in Mass Communication and Journalism with a minor in Chicano and Latin American Studies. She has over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector focused on hunger-relief and equitable food access. She currently works as the Food Recovery Specialist for a local waste hauler, where she collaborates with public and private sectors on food waste solutions and advocating for the donation of food to local hunger-relief organizations.

Program Coordinator

Lynna Caraballo (she/ella)

Lynna was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Surrounded by the beautiful and diverse floral of a tropical island, she would spend countless hours on her father’s coffee farm in the mountains while also exploring the beautiful beaches of the island’s coast. After moving to New England, she continued her connection with nature by visiting some of the National Parks, the White Mountains in New Hampshire, the Berkshires Hill in Western MA, The Appalachian Mountains, the Andes of Peru, and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Carolinas. While always making the most of these amazing experiences, she noticed the many challenges associated with a lack of inclusivity and accessibility of the outdoors to people of color. Motivated by this, Lynna is becoming more active in advocacy projects seeking more accessibility for everyone in the great outdoors.

Lynna has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She served as a clinician in non-profit entities, some of them focused on helping Latino Communities in Massachusetts. She currently provides bilingual services at a private practice. As a Latina Outdoors Program Coordinator, Lynna will create a community to explore nature in an environmentally responsible, welcoming, and inclusive environment.

En español:

Lynna nació y creció en Puerto Rico. Rodeada por la hermosa y diversa flora de una isla tropical, pasaba incontables horas entre la finca cafetalera de su padre en las montañas y las hermosas playas de la isla. Después de mudarse a Nueva Inglaterra, continuó su conexión con la naturaleza al visitando algunos de los Parques Nacionales, las Montañas Blancas en New Hampshire, las Colinas de los Berkshires en el Oeste de MA, Las Montañas Apalaches, los Andes de Perú y la Montaña Blue Ridge en las Carolinas. Mientras aprovechaba al máximo estas increíbles experiencias, notó los muchos desafíos asociados con la falta de inclusión y accesibilidad al aire libre para las personas de color. Motivada por esto, Lynna se está volviendo más activa en proyectos que buscan una mayor accesibilidad para todos en naturaleza.

Lynna tiene un doctorado en Psicología Clínica. Se desempeñó como terapeuta en entidades sin fines de lucro, algunas de ellas enfocadas en ayudar a las comunidades latinas en Massachusetts. Actualmente brinda servicios bilingües en una práctica privada. Como voluntaria latina , Lynna creará comunidad para explorar la naturaleza en un entorno ambientalmente responsable, acogedor e inclusivo.

Outings Leader

Lupe Salmeron Ibarra (she/her(s))

Lupe Salmeron (she/her/hers) was born in Mexico City and immigrated to Madison, WI at age six. Despite growing up around two lakes and various state parks, Lupe didn’t explore much of the outdoors as a child or young adult. Now an adult, Lupe wants to see what’s she’s been missing out on and begin exploring all that the outdoors have to to offer.

Lupe earned a B.S in Political Science and currently works for the City of Madison Department of Civil Rights as a Bilingual Investigator. In her free time she enjoys sewing, hanging out with her dogs (Frijol & Jackson) and partner (Beny), and watching true crime documentaries.

Outings Leader

Lorraine Lawson

Lorraine is a native San Antonian circa mucho tiempo. She followed her adventurous spirit and bounced around the globe to embrace all there was to experience in new places and outdoor spaces. She reveled in traveling the domestic map in an RV for over two years where she learned a home is not limited to just an indoor living space. She embraced the outdoors as the best square footage of her RV home living.

During her travels she traded her corporate world business suits for outdoor world tennis shoes and followed her bliss to become a career health and fitness professional. She spread her passion of bringing wellness to the world in Austin, San Francisco and England. And after a 30-year hiatus, she has followed her heart back to her hometown of San Antonio to honor her culture, community, love for the outdoors and passion for wellness. It is her great honor to be a part of the San Antonio’s Mayor’s Fitness Council and Latino Outdoors to live her dream of bringing wellness to the world. She believes outdoors is the foundation for wellness and she invites everyone to join her Wellness in the Wild series to see how it truly transforms lives.

Program Coordinator

Liz López (she/her)

Liz was born and raised north of Sacramento. Her love for the outdoors was ignited as a child, taking nature walks with her dad in their suburban neighborhood. As a former landscaper, he knew and would point out all the ornamental trees and plant names. Identification of plants and animals became a fascination for this budding biologist. In high school, Liz took her first real weekend hike. The concept of driving somewhere else just to be outside was strange and new to her, but it completely changed how she looked at the possibilities for outdoor recreation. Since then, Liz has discovered many more ways to enjoy the outdoors – her favorites include gardening, hiking, running, and kayaking – and has merged her passion and career, earning a Masters in Marine Science. She currently lives in Sacramento and works her dream job as a wildlife biologist.

As a Latinx Outdoors Outings Leader for Sacramento, Liz will encourage others to see the beauty and miracle of nature all around us, whether it be in an urban or natural setting. She hopes to foster a safe space for our Latinx community, where people can come as they are and build their own unique connection with nature. Fun fact about Liz: she’s also a dancer!

Outings Leader

Liz Hurtado (she/her)

Liz Hurtado (she/her) was born in Lima, Peru, and grew up in Maryland, where weekends often meant family hikes at Great Falls and other state parks. Those early experiences nurtured a lifelong love of nature—a passion she later shared with her own children, carrying them on her back along trails before they could even walk.

Today, Liz works at Moms Clean Air Force as Senior Manager for Field Engagements & Partnerships and directs EcoMadres, the organization’s Latino engagement program. She leads community campaigns that highlight the health impacts of pollution on children and mobilize families in support of clean air and climate solutions. Her professional work is rooted in a personal mission: connecting families, especially in underserved communities, with both the outdoors and the environmental issues that affect their health and well-being.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer leader in Connecticut, Liz brings her experience engaging diverse communities to the organization’s programming. She is committed to championing inclusive outdoor access and creating spaces where Latino families can explore, learn, and connect with nature. Passionate about building community through outdoor adventures, Liz is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards.

Outings Leader

Liz Delgado (she/her/ella)

Liz Delgado (she/her/ella) born and raised in Chicago. She loves the outdoors because of the peace and joy it brings her. Some of her first outdoor experiences were in Mexico in her family’s hometown. She is passionate about all outdoor recreation sports such as biking, climbing, and hiking. She loves bringing her family outside and exposing them to the wonders of the outdoor world. Liz continues to live the city life in Chicago. Liz is a licensed Clinical Social Worker. She earned her Masters of Social Work from the Dominican University. During her studies, Liz was able to study abroad in Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Uganda. Being able to participate in study abroad programs has helped her develop a deeper appreciation for the environment while exploring new landscapes and culture.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for the Great Lakes region, Liz hopes to create more opportunities and a safe space for others that are also passionate about the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Lily Calderón (she/her/ella)

Hija de inmigrantes, Lily’s parents set their roots in the city of Chicago where she was born and raised. While her parents and siblings still live in the Windy City, Lily finds herself far from her childhood home, currently living in the Pacific Northwest. Growing up in Chicago, natural areas were challenging to access. The times Lily’s family did spend outdoors, she fondly remembers her dad’s wonderful ability to connect his Native Mexico to the wildlife around him. His enthusiasm for nature sparked her own admiration for the environment. It wasn’t until Lily was an undergrad, though, that she formally learned about outdoor recreation and public lands. Her passion for the outdoors has since exploded. Lily earned her master’s in 2020 with a degree in Wildlife Ecology studying bird migration at the University of Delaware. She is an avid bird watcher and an ardent advocate for diversifying the outdoors. In her current position as a Wildlife Biologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and as a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Portland, OR, Lily strives to create and support opportunities for Latinx and other BIPOC communities to enjoy nature and find healing in these wonderful places.

Outings Leader

Lilliana Mendoza (she/her)

Lilliana (she/her) was born and raised in The Bronx to Mexican parents from Puebla, Mexico. Taking long walks and observing nature was something she learned to do with her mother. She also enjoyed many picnics and outdoor games with her family.

Lilliana graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY with a B.A in Psychology and a minor in Education. There, she continued to explore the outdoors through hiking, running and kayaking. After graduation, she spent the next few years as a Spanish teacher at the local school district. As an educator, Lilliana’s goal is to share her passion for bilingual education, literacy, history and nature to facilitate conversations on ways to expand our curiosities and knowledge about how we connect with nature. Currently, Lilliana enjoys running, hiking and bird watching as a way to learn more about local green spaces.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer in NYC, Lilliana will participate in the ongoing efforts to facilitate relationship building and connection among people from bilingual and multilingual communities in outdoor spaces. She is hopeful to become more involved in outdoors education and work to foster more involvement across multi-generational spaces.

Outings Leader

Lili Muñoz (she/her(s))

Lili Muñoz is a University of California, Santa Cruz, Banana Slug alumni! Although she grew up in the concrete jungle of Los Angeles, she loves being in the outdoors. Nature has always been a place for her to escape the chaos of city life. She loves learning about the flora and fauna surrounding urban areas. Lili joins Latino Outdoors to encourage more Latinos to explore the outdoors, teach them about biodiversity, and bridge a connection towards nature. She feels that being in the outdoors teaches people to appreciate and protect nature, while also providing better physical and mental health.

As an Outings Leader for Fresno, Lili looks forward to working with the community as a representative of Latino Outdoors.

Outings Leader

Laura Monsreal Sabido (she/hers/they)

Laura Monsreal Sabido (she/hers/they) was born in Merida, Yucatan, and raised in the Southwest side of Chicago, since the age of 5. As an immigrant, Laura understands the first hand struggles in the Latinx community. Laura’s introduction to the outdoors came from her relationship with her dad. As a boy scout in Yucatan, Laura’s papá has shared his passion for plants, animals and the outdoors with her. Laura remembers when her dad would take her and her sisters to the forest preserves. Over time Laura developed her love for the outdoors through gardening programs, going to the beach, and learning about indigenous communities.

Meeting her chosen family in Latino Outdoors was not a coincidence. Laura is a proud member of the communication team for Latino Outdoors in the Great Lakes area. The outdoors has been a space where Laura has been able to de-stress, reflect, and build community. Laura strives to create inclusive and safe spaces for beginner adventurers, to increase representation of BIPOC folks, and to make the outdoors accessible for everyone.

As an educator working in the Little Village and North Lawndale community, Laura is passionate about youth work, community, the environment, and arts. When Laura isn’t rock climbing you will find her channeling her inner warrior through weight training, running, yoga and dancing! She is a local artist and enjoys photography, illustration and earring-making. Other hobbies Laura enjoys are traveling, cooking, reading, traveling, eating and laughing.

Outings Leader

Laura Menendez Navia (she/her/ella)

Laura (she/her/ella) was born and raised in Portoviejo, Ecuador. Her first precious memories of the outdoors were vacations with her family to the beach where she would build sand castles and learned how to dive under the waves with her brothers. Growing up, Laura would spend most weekends visiting her grandparents at their finca (farm), where she would swim in the river by their house and see her grandfather and uncle harvest fruit from coconut, plantain and cacao trees.

Immigrating to California was a huge transition for Laura. The language, the fast-paced lifestyle, and mostly everything at first was a cultural shock for her. It was through outings to Sequoia National Park, Monterey, and other coastal cities that she found peace and a connection to her roots that made coming to the United States feel more like home.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer Laura wants to engage others in the Latino community to explore the outdoors and experience the healing that nature and community can bring into our lives.

Volunteer

Larree Strickland

Larree hails from Bulbancha, colonially known as New Orleans, where powerful traditions stewarding elemental connection to where earth meets water have been held sacred for generations. As a Black, trans-nonbinary, queer person, Larree embodies the inbetween places, where land meets water, where magic lives.

Larree has been part of the Baltimore community for over 4 years and joined LO Baltimore for opportunities to connect to neighbors, human and otherwise, and the land of their new home. Larree values community connection above all and honors that value through purposeful work tending to the grief, joy, and wonder of others as a healer and guide.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Baltimore Larree will continue to steward community connection with land by fostering relationships between indigenous and displaced indigenous community members and the land they occupy.

Outings Leader

Koira Ramirez-Sierra

Koira Ramirez was born in Mexico and raised between cultures, experiences that shaped a deep appreciation for community, resilience, and access to opportunity. Growing up, stability was not always guaranteed, and moving frequently during childhood fostered adaptability and a strong connection to outdoor spaces as places of grounding and belonging. His relationship with the outdoors grew through hiking, cycling, and exploring public lands across the Pacific Northwest, where nature became both refuge and community.

Today, Koira calls Portland, Oregon home, where much of his free time is spent outdoors running, cycling, or exploring new landscapes with friends and community groups. His path has taken many turns, from building a small neighborhood marketplace to volunteering with local organizations, each experience reinforcing his belief that connection happens most naturally outside. The outdoors continues to be a space where he reconnects, reflects, and builds community alongside others.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Portland, Koira will help create welcoming outdoor experiences that center belonging, cultural connection, and accessibility. He aims to expand opportunities for Latino communities to explore outdoor spaces, build confidence outdoors, and foster lasting relationships with nature through community-led events and shared experiences.

Volunteer

Katia Pilar Carranza

Katia Pilar Carranza is a researcher, advocate, and community organizer focused on sustainability, climate justice, and agroecology, and she works on improving the reciprocal interconnections between people and nature while increasing equity and resilience for her multicultural and migrant people. Sustainability became her passion fifteen years ago when she learned that climate change is threatening the health of our people and environment. Since then, Katia became impassioned to take action, and she has collaborated with diverse communities from the local to the international levels to improve our environmental and social conditions.

Katia pursued a Master of Environmental Management at Duke University and obtained a Master of Science in Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska with a focus on equitable social-ecological resilience because she wanted to better prepare for advancing the vision of her communities in environmental and climate solutions. Her passion led her to serve as a UN Global Goals Ambassador for the SDG 15: Life on Land, Young Professional Focal Point with IUCN’s Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy in North America, Social-Ecological Working Group Lead for the Central Grasslands Roadmap, Equitable Engagement Lead for the Indigenous Kinship Circle, Steering Committee Engagement Lead for GYBN USA, and Board Member of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals.

In her work, Katia has widely focused on helping her communities get outdoors to connect with each other and the environment. Five years ago, she formalized her efforts and founded the Together for Nature nonprofit in her hometown that is working on preparing her underserved, youth, and frontline communities to participate and lead in environmental and sustainability leadership. Katia is excited to start her journey as a Latino Outdoors Volunteer and support the San Diego team with the variety of activities they are leading to enrich our communities with diverse outdoor activities and fun. She is especially excited to contribute in connecting Latino communities to nature, our cultures, and each other and healing our social-ecological relationships for a just and sustainable future.

Outings Leader

Kassandra Luna (she/her/ella)

Kassandra Luna (she/her/ella) was born and raised in the Chicagoland area, where she spent most of her childhood riding and training horses at her family ranch. At twelve years old, she joined as the youngest on an Escaramuza team where she would compete for the next decade of her life. This is the bridge that connected her to la cultura charreria and to the outdoors. Her love for the outdoors and nature grew even greater in her early adult life, when she decided to take month long road and backpacking trips throughout the U.S. and through sections of the alps in Europe. Being immersed in nature for days on end brought her to understand the importance of these spaces for others to not only experience, but to also advocate for future generations. Amidst all the adventures, she has made a home in Madison, WI. Over the last decade in Wisconsin, she has gained experience in farming, gardening, animal husbandry, pottery, design, therapeutic bodywork, and cycling.

As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader, Kassandra will create welcoming spaces for her community to reconnect with the land, their roots, and reclaim a sense of belonging in the outdoors. She believes that nature is not only a place of adventure, but also of healing and heritage – a space where stories, identity, and the environment intersect. She strives to inspire others to see themselves reflected in outdoor spaces and to nurture a lifelong relationship with the natural world.

Outings Leader

Karina Juarez (she/her/they/them)

Karina (she/her, they/them) was born and raised in Orange County, CA with familial roots in Oaxaca, Mexico. While growing up in a suburban city, her parents played a role in staying connected to nature through bike rides in local parks and plant identification on their neighborhood walks. Her early childhood visits to Oaxaca nurtured the process of reconnecting to her indigenous roots and also fostered her curiosity for the natural world. Running around her family’s pueblo, immersed in nature and being around animals, gave her a sense of autonomy and life experience not found in the suburbs.

Karina recently graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt (Wiyot Land) with a double major in Fine Arts and Art Education. She has been able to fully immerse herself in the local community and further explore creation through a contemporary lens rooted in colonial resistance. Living in Humboldt County has allowed Karina to volunteer in local community food gardens and learn about food sovereignty, community building, and the importance of our relationship con la Madre Tierra (Mother Earth)

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer in Humboldt County, Karina will play a key role in promoting equity and representation in outdoor spaces. She will bring her cultural perspective to the trails, helping to create a more inclusive environment. Through her involvement, she will gain new experiences by connecting with local community members, making her community presence known, and advocating for greater visibility for diverse groups in outdoor activities. Her efforts will also emphasize the importance of gathering and fostering a sense of belonging while bridging the arts with outdoor experiences, thereby enriching the community’s connection to nature and culture.

Volunteer

Karen Rodas Méndez (they/elle)

Karen (They/Elle) was born and raised in San Rafael, CA. As a child, their parents would take them on walks on the local bay trail and to the park near their apartment, sparking a love and interest in the outdoors. But what solidified their interest in nature was attending an overnight backpacking camp near Mount Whitney, introducing them to a whole new world of outdoors and how one can participate in it.

Throughout the years, they have participated in a number of outdoor-related programs and internships, and continue to go outdoors through hiking, walking, birdwatching, swimming and much more.

Currently, they still live in San Rafael and attends the College of Marin, where they are studying Environmental Science. As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for San Francisco Bay Area, Karen will act as bridge to connect and explore together with Latine families and college students alike to the outdoors and the many fun recreational activities it has to offer.

Volunteer

Justan Torres (he/him/they/them)

Justan Torres grew up and presently lives in the San Fernando Valley. Justan has been involved in community activism all throughout Los Angeles County for more than a decade. Growing Justan took the bus all over to attend workshops, protests, and backyard Punk Rock shows, he began to build relationships with likeminded people that believed underrepresented communities were entitled to a higher quality of life. Attending undergraduate school and then graduate school at Cal State LA Justan majored in the field of social work, where he developed a love for the field of restorative justice, seeing it as a tool for healing and empowering communities. Justan now works with youth who are formally incarcerated. He helps them to re-integrate into their respective communities teaching them life skills, providing counseling, and linking them to programs and resources. Justan uses the outdoors and plant knowledge to engage his students and community in a way that promotes growth, healing, and learning. As a Latino Outdoors Ambassador for Los Angeles, Justan will continue to use his naturalist skills to engage people from diverse communities in the outdoors. Justan is most passionate about expanding his knowledge of native plants to share with others.

Program Coordinator

Julie Pasión (she/her/ella)

Julie is a Mexican-Filipino first-generation immigrant, born and raised in Baltimore, MD. Her love for the outdoors stems from her childhood, where she would spend her recess time climbing trees, observing insects, and collecting leaves, acorn caps and pinecones. From there, her curiosity for the natural world grew as she connected to the land through planting and gardening and joyfully observed squirrels and other wildlife in her backyard. Julie’s university studies have taken her further North and she now lives in Philadelphia, PA where she is forging new paths and reconnecting with the land. She is an architectural designer and is dedicated to using her practice to create greater equity and access through the built environment as a unifier of people, place, and history.

As a Latino Outdoors Program Coordinator for Philadelphia, Julie will work to bring her Latinx community together through forging connections to the land, cultivating an understanding of the shared Latinx the heritage to the land and how the built environment shapes our relationships to each other and the earth.

Outings Leader

Juliana Carvajal Castrillón (she/her(s))

Juliana (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Medellín, Colombia. She has always been in love with sports, particularly basketball during high school and college, and later triathlon. When she wasn’t working at her job in digital marketing coordination, she would probably be riding her bike named Tomasa. Juliana and Tomasa have made many long and unforgettable trips together.

In 2020, she decided to come to the United States to learn English, living as an au pair for two years with her host family in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Three years later, she graduated with her Masters in Education and is currently a high school Spanish teacher. In addition to teaching regular Spanish classes, she also teaches Spanish for Heritage Speakers. She is especially passionate about these classes, where she seeks to connect her young students with their history, roots, and heritage language. In the same school district, she is an interpreter for Spanish-speaking families. Additionally, she is a basketball coach in the winter and a track coach in the spring.

Juliana spends most of her time enjoying outdoor activities such as running (trails and roads), hiking, biking, swimming, doing yoga, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and more. As a Latina Outdoors Volunteer for the Boston chapter, she hopes to spread and share her passion for outdoor activities in a safe and welcoming environment –it has been challenging for her to feel welcomed in groups and clubs that lack diversity and representation. It is a goal that is close to her heart to contribute to the much-needed inclusion and accessibility of these types of spaces for the Latino community. At the same time, she hopes to foster a culture of caring for and advocating for our mother nature.

Volunteer

Juan Telles

A changemaker rooted in the community of West Modesto, Juan Telles has spent over a decade channeling his passion for service and the environment into action. Through his extensive experience in community organizing and youth programming with organizations like Valley Improvement Projects, The Tuolumne River Trust, and Latino Outdoors, he has become a dedicated leader focused on more than just immediate solutions. He is a vocal advocate for his community, emphasizing the power of relationships and being innovative. Juan’s driving belief is in building durable systems that create a truly impactful and lasting legacy.

Program Coordinator

Juan Ramírez (he/him/his)

Juan Ramirez was born and raised in Salinas, CA. Juan grew up visiting la familia en Mexico every winter break where he has fond memories of being connected to land and people. Whether he was helping herd farm animals on his donkey or being in the potrero with his family, he was always aware of the gifts the land gave him and his family. His parents’ experience being farmworkers shaped the kind of relationship he wanted to have with the land. He found the redwood forest being that place that gave him the embrace he needed. Since then, Juan and his family visit the redwoods as a place to connect with each other and the land. Juan stayed local and attended California State University Monterey Bay where his work with service learning led him to education. Now, Juan is the Outreach Coordinator for the Elkhorn Slough Foundation where he is bringing programming that focuses on creating healing relationships with nature and all program participants.

Volunteering as a program coordinator on California’s central coast, Juan will share LO’s different offerings with local families and help the LO Central Coast team with logistics. Juan hopes to collaborate with others and create more access for families in the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Juan Luzuriaga

Juan Luzuriaga is a writer based in Cambria, California. He was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and immigrated to the US at sixteen in 2000. He attended Rutgers University for Neuroscience and has been published in scientific research. He also attended UC Merced, where he studied English and writing. His interest lies in exploring a spiritual connection with his ancestors through prose and poetry. He teaches poetry in prisons and at California Poets in the Schools. He has been published in The Merced County Times (2022), Poetry Breakfast (2023), The Vernal Pool (2021-22), Matchbox Magazine (2023), and Cholla Needles (2023). He is heavily involved in the community, giving free workshops, classes, and talks. In his free time, he enjoys hiking with his dog “Moksha” all over California and connecting with new people.

Outings Leader

Juan Lazo Bautista (he/him)

Juan (he/him) was raised in Southern California after migrating with his family from Oaxaca, Mexico. Growing up, his access to green spaces came mainly through urban parks, only discovering regional, state and national parks in adolescence as they became more accessible to him. One of his family’s favorite activities growing up were weekend sunrise hikes. Juan is curious about nature’s restorative benefits, for personal and collective healing, and has been trained in nature therapy. He is eager to continue growing his relationship with the outdoors and will try any activity at least once, but can most frequently be found out hiking, trail running and bike riding in the Washington, DC area where he now resides.

As a Latino Outdoors outings leader for the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia region, Juan aims to curate accessible outings that offer locals a third space to build community, decompress and enjoy each other and nature’s company.

Volunteer

Josue Piedra-Gomez

Josue was born in Pasadena, California, but life had other plans in store for him when moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 2004. Being in Wisconsin, Josue found a love for the cold winters, humid summers, fresh springs, and crisp falls. Wisconsin has it all from a weather standpoint, and it doesn’t fall far behind other states regarding the opportunities to explore the outdoors. Wisconsin can be known for being flat at times, but there are more hills than one would expect and that’s prevalent in the beautiful state park of Devil’s Lake where Josue visited time after time to hike, have a cookout with friends, and boulder (which led to him meeting the other members of the LO Wisconsin team). Through bouldering at Devils Lake, the founding members of LO Wisconsin began a friendship that has revolved around finding the great food that Madison has to offer and enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Wisconsin, Josue will act as a bridge between Latino communities and the environment in order to create diverse spaces and encourage others to build a special relationship with new friends and the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Josué Coronado

Josué Coronado is an aspiring change maker hailing from Houston, Texas. He recently pivoted from the classroom where he taught high school English for several years supporting students from historically underinvested communities through culturally relevant, data driven instructional design practices. Josue has a Bachelor’s in English and Anthropology from Georgetown University and a Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University.

His role as an educator directly influences his passion toward developing strong, equity focused systems as a means to providing communities with the resources to live a choice filled life. His educational background inspired him to pursue change outside of the classroom, helping young people reconnect with nature as a means to reconnect with their history, culture, and intrinsic resilience. As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Houston, Josué is excited to share his passion towards the outdoors and act as a facilitator to support participants’ unique relationship with themselves, their community, and the natural world around them.

Volunteer

Josh Zamarripa (he/him/his)

Josh (he/him/his) was born in El Paso, Texas to a mother from Texas and a father from Jalisco, Mexico. Joshua moved to Austin when he was 9 years old and it was here where Josh was introduced to Zilker Park, various trails, and Town Lake, sparking his interest for the Outdoors.

Josh moved from Texas to join the U.S Marines Corps in 2009 and lived in North Carolina, Virginia and finally San Diego before moving back to Austin in 2019. During his time in the military, he discovered how much he enjoyed outdoors activities and found how pushing yourself came with a sense of accomplishment and new found confidence. After leaving active duty and moving back to Austin, Josh’s love for the outdoors grew and a found new community in Latino Outdoors.

As a volunteer, Josh is excited to cultivate the community he has become a part of and is looking forward to introducing Latino Outdoors to others.

Beyond His enthusiasm for the outdoors, Josh spends his time being a loving father of three. Josh’s hobbies include rock climbing, camping, hiking, swimming, and canoeing.

Outings Leader

Joseph “Joedy” Yglesias (he/him/his)

Joedy Yglesias was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he grew up visiting Padre Island frequently. He moved to Austin after graduation and became a leader with a gay group called Shaman’s Circle, where he began to hone his connection to nature in a deliberate manner and became an advocate for LGBTQ rights, which led him to join the US Navy during the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, becoming a Department Chief, Diversity Action Officer, Master Linguist, Cryptologist, and Expeditionary Warfare Specialist. During the last decade of his career, he was based in San Antonio and, after returning deployments, used the healing energy of time in natural areas to readjust. He became a docent for Texas Parks & Wildlife and certified as a Texas Master Naturalist & Waters Specialist. He has also served as Co-Chair of the EAC for the San Antonio River Authority, worked at REI, and was a Ranger at Big Bend Ranch State Park. He currently lives in San Antonio and serves and consults with/for the San Antonio River Authority, The National Park Conservation Association, and The Nature Conservancy.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for SATX, Joedy will use his experience, knowledge, and network of partnerships to arrange outings at some of the most pristine and protected natural areas of Texas that many Texans never get to see or visit.

Outings Leader

Jose Díaz (he/him)

Jose Diaz, a native of California’s central valley, traces his affinity for the outdoors back to his childhood summers spent in the foothills of Jalisco, Mexico. There, he accompanied his grandfather on outings into the countryside to tend to crops, cultivating a deep-rooted connection to the land. His passion for nature continued to flourish in the Central Valley, where weekends were spent exploring Woodward and Roeding Parks, as well as the valley lakes with his family. Inspired by these experiences, Jose pursued higher education, earning an associate degree in history and another in Law, Public Policy, and Society.
Currently enrolled at California State University, Fresno, Jose is on track to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a minor in Urban Civic Education. Alongside his academic pursuits, he serves as a Conservation Interpreter at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, where he shares his enthusiasm for wildlife and environmental conservation with visitors.

In his role as a Latino Outdoors volunteer for the Central Valley, Jose is dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in outdoor spaces. He seeks to empower his community to embrace and appreciate the outdoors while advocating for environmental awareness and justice.

Outings Leader

José Calderas (he/him)

José Fernando Calderas (he/him) was born in Boston and raised in Lynn, Massachusetts, where his appreciation for the outdoors was first sparked exploring the local woods with friends during high school. He is a graduate of Lynn English High School and North Shore Community College and is currently majoring in Psychology at Northeastern University. Jose now resides in Nahant and works in the aerospace industry, balancing his time as a photographer and a surf coach.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Boston, Jose will draw on his experience as a volunteer surf coach for therapy clinics to educate, lead, and mentor. He is passionate about providing safe access to nature, helping to connect friends and families to the outdoors with a jovial spirit, and inspiring youth to nurture nature and pass it forward. His goal is to build community, find common ground, and embrace unity through shared experiences in the natural world.

Outings Leader

Jorge Castro

Jorge was born in Perú where he found his love for the ocean. Through majoring in Geology, he discovered the cool world of backpacking and an interest for the stories about earth that can be uncovered from what lies beneath the surface. After college, he taught sailing, marine science, and maritime history at a museum in the Bay Area. Today, he hopes to create space for everyone who wants to enjoy the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Johanna Rivera (she/they)

Johanna Rivera is first generation Salvadoran-American, born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. As a youth living in a concrete jungle, her early interest in the outdoors came from watching television nature shows on PBS. Once an adult, Johanna made the move to live in the redwood forest of Humboldt County and studied at Humboldt State University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Wildlife Conservation & Management. Her love for preserving the outdoors has lead Johanna to aid in conservation projects such as Manu Bird Project in the Andes of Peru, Reintroduction of the Scarlet Macaw in the jungle of Palenque, Mexico and the Wood Boring Beetle Project of Institute for Bird Populations in the Sierra’s of California. Currently, Johanna is working toward graduate school for a Master’s in Biological Sciences. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for the SF Bay Area, Johanna plans to inspire others about the importance of protecting our natural environments by sharing her knowledge on birds, insects, plants, mushrooms and how we are all connected, therefore hoping others find the nature as a resource for healing.

Outings Leader

Jimmy Linares (he/him)

Jimmy was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley just north of Los Angeles, California. It wouldn’t be until his late teens when he would discover his love for the outdoors. It was at this time that small family trips to places like Yosemite and Kings Canyons National Parks sparked in him an interest in outdoor recreation. Later in his teens, after a short summer working for California Conservation Corps, it became clear that outdoor jobs were going to be part of his future. Since then he has worked as an Emergency Medical Technician, Type II Wildland Firefighter, Conservation Corps Crew Lead, Park Ranger, and currently as an Outdoor Recreation Planner for a Federal land management agency. It became evident quite early on that Latinx communities were not well represented in these fields. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Las Vegas, NV, Jimmy will strive to expose many more Latinx community members to varied and vast recreational opportunities that abound not only in southern Nevada but in other parts of the southwest.

Program Coordinator

Jim Lopez Song

Jim was born in Beijing China but spent most of his life in the Inland Empire. The son of a Mexican father and a Chinese mother, his love for the outdoors was nurtured by outings to Mt. Baldy as a child. He enjoys the unique clarity and serenity that only the great outdoors can provide. He believes that only through experiencing the outdoors can the public be motivated to preserve and protect one of our nation’s most valuable resources. Having majored in political science he hopes to attend law school in the future.

As an outings leader for the Inland Empire, he is excited to participate in planning events for the region, particularly those in the desert, a habitat close to his heart.

Volunteer

Jesús Bañuelos (he/him)

Jesús was born in San Bernardino CA but grew in a small town in the mountains of Jalisco, Mexico. Growing up in Amatanejo, Jesús experienced la vida del campo and this cemented the appreciation, respect, admiration, and adventurous spirit to walk the Earth. When moving to Los Angeles Jesús sought out open spaces and eventually discovered the vast opportunities that Southern CA has to offer to get close to nature. Hiking and cycling has allowed him to get to know the land, from the sea to the mountains. Jesús currently lives in Compton and looks forward to expanding horizons through outdoor experiences. As a Latino Outdoors Ambassador for Los Angeles, Jesús will continue to seek community engagement opportunities to get to know the land, the history, and what collaborative efforts can be made to learn from and protect the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Jessica Godinez (she/her/ella)

Jessica is a first-generation Mexicana, passionate about environmental justice. Her educational background is in Global Affairs and the Environment and in her professional career, she works to ensure outdoor access & equity through community engagement, education, & advocacy. She is passionate about reconnecting with her roots in the natural world, as well as helping others connect to their own roots. In her free time, Jess can be found in natural world – climbing, hiking, camping, or simply existing in the outdoors – or cozy in her home, reading, doing yoga, or experimenting in the kitchen. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for the DMV in Richmond, VA, Jessica hopes to help to help rekindle others’ innate connection to the natural world by leading outings and opportunities to connect with comunidad together outdoors.

Outings Leader

Jessica Correa

Jessica Correa is a naturalist, educator, and Community Programs Manager at the Bird School Project. She loves to learn and explore new places and loves teaching about birds, plants, and insects. Jess is passionate about facilitating bilingual experiences for youth and adults to build their connection with nature and develop a love for birds and the natural world right in their own neighborhood. In her free time, she enjoys hammocking, bird watching, and going on hikes with Heidi the chihuahua.

Volunteer

Jennifer Salinas (she/her)

Jen (she/her) was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, where her childhood days were filled with barefoot races, tree climbing, birdwatching, and warm summer evenings spent eating watermelon. Although she drifted away from nature during her teenage years, moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico for college helped her reconnect through hiking, camping, and snowshoeing. With a background in Psychology and Early Childhood Education, Jen brings a deep understanding of how experiences—both joyful and painful—shape us. She now works with the Children & Nature Network, helping communities, organizations, and leaders expand equitable access to nature everywhere children live, learn, and play. She is also currently working toward certification in Forest Bathing.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Santa Fe, Jen will help create spaces where people can rediscover their connection to nature and community. She believes that nature has the power to heal—not just individuals, but the collective—and that we all carry an inherent relationship with the natural world. Her passion lies in ensuring everyone, especially those historically excluded, feels invited to reconnect with that sense of belonging.

Outings Leader

Jennifer Rodriguez (she/her(s))

Jennifer (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Maryland and has spent her life back and forth between Maryland and Nicaragua. Her family back home is from a small rural town and grew up raising cattle, livestock and cultivating the land to live off. That passion and love for the outdoors began as a child as she learned knowledge from her grandfather how to live off the land and the importance of loving and giving back to nature. She’s lived in Maryland her whole life and spends her time looking for new adventures throughout the DMV area.

Jennifer has a passion for helping others and especially giving back to her community. She is a high school social studies teacher and teaches US Government. Teaching and the outdoors are her passions in life. She wants to be a bridge in her community to get more people of color outdoors and show them how beautiful being in mother nature can be.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for the DMV area, Jennifer hopes she can teach and help others learn to love the outdoors and build their own passion for being outside.

Volunteer

Jeff Chavez (he/him/his)

Jeff Chavez lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico and enjoys sharing the outdoors with his family. In his free time, Jeff likes to spend his days with his wife and daughter. Jeff also enjoys skiing during the winter and camping/hiking during the summer. As an ambassador for Albuquerque, Jeff looks forward to having new experiences and sharing the outdoors with everyone.

Outings Leader

Jeanyna Garcia (she/her/ella)

Jeanyna Garcia (she/her/ella) is a born and raised New Yorker, daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants, who calls Washington Heights home. Growing up, her family would take her to Fort Washington Park, which was just a long downhill walk from home, to connect with the rest of the immigrant Ecuadorian community over some ecuavoli, good food, and entertainment. For her, the outdoors marked a sense of freedom and escape from the confines of her cramped apt and the challenges growing up in a low-income, immigrant household. She owes these childhood experiences, along with summer camp trips organized by Christodora, an environmental education program, for fueling her passion for equity and leadership development in the outdoors. Subsequently, she graduated from Amherst College, majoring in Environmental Studies, in 2023. Though her current direct line of work isn’t anything environmental-related, the values of togetherness, advocacy, and social justice framework remain profound in her role as a Tenants’ Rights Paralegal, union delegate, runner, and daughter of immigrants.

As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader for NYC, Jeanyna hopes to continue building upon the work of current LO NYC leaders by planning events that bring people together, spark joy, and push people to new limits.

Program Coordinator

Javier Lozano (he/him)

Javi grew up in Chicago, IL and studied Biology and Natural Resources at Northland College in Northern Wisconsin. It was there that he was introduced to the opportunities of outdoor play and recreation as well as the importance of environmental consciousness and sustainability. He always came home to Chicago and felt alienated by his friends and family for enjoying what was deemed as a “white-dominant lifestyle” and then returned to school as one of the few minorities on campus.

Latino Outdoors provides the blend of culture that he has always craved and would love to continue thinning the gap between his Latine community and the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Javier Lopez Herrera

Javier was born and raised in Delano, CA. Living in the valley gave him the opportunity of having nature all around. From rivers, mountains, and the coast. The beach is one of the places he and his family would visit often. As he was becoming a young adult, his interest for nature started to grow. Later, he not only made adventures with his family, but also created them with friends.

Now as a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Bakersfield CA, he would like to share and make memories with his community. By creating events for the community Javier is hoping that they too can create new memories and have love for the outdoors.

Program Coordinator

Jason Bonet (he/him/his)

A lover of all things nature, Jason Bonet was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and frequently explored El Yunque Rainforest and the many beaches Puerto Rico has to offer, constantly looking for interesting plants and wildlife. After his move to New York City at the age of 6, his search for natural spaces began, leading him to enjoying the many parks New York City has to offer. He’s a naturalist with a passion for birdwatching, edible mushrooms and plants foraging, and backpacking.

He cultivated his love for nature at the High School for Environmental Studies in Manhattan and at the SUNY College for Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. Jason is currently the Sustainability Education Associate at Groundwork Hudson Valley, growing food at a floating urban farm called the Science Barge and teaching classes on climate change, sustainability, botany, and ecology to Yonkers Public schools and the public.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for New York City, Jason will foster a sense of community through volunteering events and help connect the public to the many interesting organisms and natural processes that the city has to offer.

Volunteer

Jaron Latona (he/él)

Jaron Latona grew up in the northern Sierra foothills (ancestral Nisenan lands). A love of the outdoors runs deep in his family – at six months old his first family backpacking trip took him to Tahoe’s Desolation Wilderness (to be fair, he was in the backpack). A CSU Sacramento graduate, Jaron is a historian, writer, photographer and videographer in California’s Central Valley – a region known for incredible biodiversity, outdoor recreation, and conservation leadership. Influenced by the DIY esthetic of punk rock and belief in the power of storytelling to effect positive change, Jaron actively supports others by leading outdoor experiences and offering to create media content to amplify marginalized voices. He believes the outdoors is a place for people to heal, play, and thrive, that access should be a right for all, and recognizes the complexities of Indigenous land rights. In 2017, Jaron co-wrote and directed a backpacking documentary with Luis Ramon Campos-Garcia called “Ostrander Reflections,” and has produced several videos for the channel, “Field Notes from Wild Spaces.” Jaron and his awesome wife, Monica, volunteer for Latino Outdoors together. They share their travels with a small bear named Osito, or Mr. Bear.

As Latino Outdoors Ambassador for California’s Central Valley, Jaron will work to break down barriers that exclude people from experiencing the outdoors, and continue to create media that amplifies diverse lived experiences.

Outings Leader

Jamie Martinez (she/her/ella)

Jamie was born and raised in the Lower Rio Grande Valley which spans the border of Texas and Mexico. Jamie is 3rd-generation Mexican American and grew up closely with a large family that embraced every Mexican Family tradition with so much love and joy.

Jamie discovered her love for the outdoors when she moved to Georgia for graduate school where she experienced mountains for the 1st time and traveled to over 30 national parks all over the world. After graduate school, Jamie decided she wanted to move to the PNW for a lifestyle of adventures – camping, hiking, cycling, backpacking, and skiing. You can find Jamie on weekend adventures with her fiancé, Goldendoodle, and 6-year-old daughter. As a Positive Psychology Practitioner for FranklinCovey, Jamie partners with the top, high-performing organizations in the PNW in creating a positive institution by building exceptional leaders, teams, and creating inclusive, high-trust cultures that achieve their most important goals.

As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader living in Issaquah, WA, Jamie hopes to support the community by empowering families and individuals from all backgrounds to get outside and discover the benefits from finding purpose and connection as they explore the greater outdoors.

Outings Leader

Jacob Acosta

Jacob was born and raised in San Antonio, TX. His love for nature was first ignited as a child when he and his family would go down to the Texas coast to fish and swim at the beach. Jacob graduated with his degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2015 from the University of North Texas and he now calls the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex his home. He’s since continued his exploration of nature by visiting multiple national parks and spending time in outdoor spaces across the DFW metroplex.

As a Latino Outdoors outing leader for the Dallas chapter, Jacob will act as a bridge between the Latinx communities and the environment to create diverse spaces and encourage others to build a special relationship with nature.

Outings Leader

Jacelyn Downey

Jacelyn was born in Santa Clara, California, where her love of family and being outside together began. She spent much of her early days camping, building forts, and boogie boarding at local beaches with her cousins. Her first love was the ocean and after earning her bachelors at UC Santa Barbara, she began her career in marine science. She worked at several aquariums and marine science institutions until finding her home in Wyoming. Together with her husband and two daughters, she lives on a working cattle ranch and is the Director of Community Building for Audubon Rockies. After participating in her first LO event at Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, she is hooked and can’t wait to bring more people together to celebrate Wyomings outdoors and recreation with others.

Program Coordinator

Ivan Castillo

Ivan was born in Houston, but spent much of his youth on his abuelo’s ranch in Tamaulipas. He hiked, biked, and rode horses around the ranch, learning how to fish and work the cattle. Growing up his feelings towards the outdoors took a turn when he started working construction with his family. At the time, the outdoors was labor, sweat, and unenjoyable. His perception changed after he went on a honeymoon camping trip with his wife and fell in love with recreating outdoors. Now as a truck driver and blue collar worker, he splits his time outdoors, working and recreating, striking a balance with it as a space of labor and enrichment.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for Houston, Ivan will help shift people’s perception, who might only see the outdoors as an uncomfortable place to be avoided, into a more fulfilling and enjoyable space.

Outings Leader

Isabel Pichardo (she/they)

Isabel Pichardo (she/they) was born in Puerto Rico and grew up between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. She’s been connected to nature since childhood, whether it was picking mangoes from her grandma’s tree, going on beach trips with family, or feeding their chickens. The beaches were her playground, so moving to the U.S. at 12 was a bit of a shock, and it changed how she interacted with the outdoors. Instead of the beach, it became walks around the neighborhood, biking, or visiting the park.

Later, in college, Isabel studied Studio Arts, pulling inspiration from those childhood experiences. But it wasn’t until senior year, during a research experience in Vermont, that her love for the outdoors really flourished. She spent the summer with new friends, exploring lakes, hiking trails, and immersing herself in the nature that Vermont had to offer. Coming back, she was eager to share those experiences with friends and family. Now, as she continues to grow more comfortable in the outdoor her love of nature only grows, and she’s always excited to try something new!

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader, Isabel hopes to keep sharing her passion for the outdoors and build a sense of community. She wants to inspire others to get outside and enjoy nature, wherever they can find it.

Outings Leader

Isabel Bañuelos

Isa Bañuelos (she/her) was raised in Long Beach by her mother and with her little brother. She spent summers with her aunt and cousins who created a beautiful urban garden in her North Long Beach home. Getting to see the possibilities of such life in urban environments inspired her love for the resilience of nature. She is currently studying Biology at Cypress College. She hopes to transfer into an program to get her Bachelor’s in Ecology. Isa hopes to share her knowledge and joy to create a community that can find the beauty of nature in every corner of the world.

Outings Leader

Isaac Jasper

Isaac was born in New Mexico, where he spent his early years on trips to the Sandia Mountains and running through open stretches of desert with his siblings. After moving to the D.C. area, his interest in the outdoors continued as he explored the creeks and wooded trails around the DMV.

Isaac pursued his degrees focused on the environment and conflict resolution. This is where his passion for environmental justice and civil rights solidified. Isaac believes in the importance of knowing our history to inform how we approach contemporary issues in the environment. And supporting a welcoming space for all in the outdoors.

Volunteer

Iris Zacarías (she/they)

Iris was born and raised in the endlessly sunny Escondido, California. She studied at California State University, Fullerton obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Design and Production with an emphasis in Sound Design and Engineering. Iris’s love for the outdoors sparked at a young age—whether it was sandy beaches or mountains, she spent her time roaming the beautiful Southern California parks. After spending most of her life in California, Iris moved to Washington in search of clouds, rain, and snow. She enjoys riding her bike, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, and organizing outings for Latino Outdoors! 

As the Latino Outdoors Program Coordinator for the PNW, Iris seeks to connect families and young people to nature as well as encourage and empower folks to conserve and protect our lands.

Volunteer

Indira “Indie” Marquez Robles (she/her/ella)

Indie (she/her/ella) was born in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, and was brought at a young age to the United States to call Houston, Texas, her home. Growing up, her parents prioritized going outdoors for family vacations and learning about the history of the land they were on. As children and even as young adults, she and her siblings would swim in the Guadalupe River, go tubing in the Frio River, and camp overnight on the Gulf shores. Now as an adult balancing work in healthcare and pre-med studies, Indie hasn’t lost sight of the healing and rejuvenating power of the outdoors; she engages with nature at any given chance.

While Houston is one of Texas’s largest urban centers, Indie is committed to marrying her love for the outdoors with her love for Houston. She would like to see the diverse makeup of Houston’s residents reflected in the Texas outdoor community and bring down any and all barriers to make it a reality. As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for the Houston chapter, Indie will work with the group to illuminate the city’s green side for fellow Houstonians to admire, engage with, and conserve for future generations.

Program Coordinator

Iliana Alviter

Iliana Alviter was born and raised in Houston, TX. Her childhood memories of the outdoors consist of playing in the gardens of the apartments she lived in, traveling to the beach with her family, and going to the park to ride her bicycle and roller skate. She realized she could find solace in nature and how healing it was. Daily walks with her beagle Cooper and hiking trips reminded her that nature has always been there to bring joy and inspired her to find ways to give back to the natural world.

Iliana graduated from the University of Houston and works at a tech company in the field of Supply Chain Management where she volunteers to drive digital equity and mentors Latinx youth. She is also a Climate Fresk volunteer where she leads and supports workshops that bring awareness on climate change to employees and partners the company works with. In her spare time she enjoys walks at the park with Cooper, hanging out with family and friends, writing, and reading.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for the Houston chapter, Iliana will work towards creating spaces where our comunidad can reconnect with nature, share our stories, and to encourage appreciation and caring for our environment.

Volunteer

Helen Heng

Helen (she/her/hers) was born in Fresno and was raised partially in the Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. She spent her formative years assisting her parents and grandparents at grape vineyards, where she first began to cultivate her deep sense of respect for the environment, and a keen interest in the role it plays on human health. Her interest in nature and its intersections with people led her to pursue a degree studying Human Biology at UC Merced. She has since moved to Riverside County, where she serves as a first responder. She is currently applying to medical school, and hopes to integrate her ideas on One Health – the idea that human, animal, and planetary health are connected – as a future physician.

Program Coordinator

Gustavo Delgado (he/him/his)

Gustavo was born/raised in the small Texas town of Abernathy, which is located in the Texas panhandle. His family relocated to the Dallas/Fort Worth area when he was 12, which was home until he relocated to Los Angeles in 2017. His love for nature began when he was 10 years old during a field trip to Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle. Growing up in a small town and visiting family in Mexico every summer also gave him exposure to the farm/ranch life, which really helped shape his work ethic as an adult.

Relocating to the Los Angeles area further expanded his love for nature. On the weekends, you could find him out on hiking trails or enjoying one of California’s many national parks. During the week, you could find him generally at REI stocking up on supplies. Gustavo graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, currently works in the insurance industry, and has returned to his native Texas.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer Leader in Dallas, he is looking to share his love of the outdoors with the Latino community and to help them discover the nature that surrounds them!

Outings Leader

Gloria González (she/her(s))

Gloria (she/her/hers) was born and raised in South Texas (RGV) where her love for building community and connecting with others was first ignited. As a child, she would travel to México often and grew up loving the beach and playing outside. But it was not until college that she found her love for nature and travel. Over the past few years she’s has continued exploring nature by traveling to different countries, hiking Machu Pichu and exploring the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenes Mountains. Gloria has a background in language education and is passionate about language equity and access. She owns a language school, BetterWorld Languages, and is in graduate school to become a Speech Therapist.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Colorado, Gloria hopes to help bridge the language gap between Latinx communities and the outdoors by providing linguistic support to create diverse spaces and encourage others to build a special relationship with nature.

Volunteer

Geraldine Duque Salazar

Geraldine was born in Colombia, on top of the mighty Andes. She grew up in a small city surrounded by mist and mountains, visiting her grandmother’s coffee farm on vacations, where her love for nature sprouted. She moved to the United States to pursue a career in biotechnology, and currently works in neurobiology research. Moving from one wonderfully biodiverse country to another, her “”American dream”” lies in discovering, sharing and caring for everything Mother Nature has to offer here.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for the Boston chapter, Geraldine hopes to contribute to lowering access barriers to outdoor activities for underrepresented identities and ways of embodiment, actings as a facilitator for others and herself to strengthen community bonds, enjoying nature with awareness of our responsibilities to her.

Volunteer

Georgina Rossel (she/ella)

Georgina Rossel (she/ella) was born in Los Angeles. As a young child, she did not get to experience much of the outdoors due to her parents working long hours. Later in her teenage years, she moved to Sacramento – where she was in awe of all the trees the city had to offer. In her teenage years, she got to explore the rivers of Sacramento.

When Georgina moved to Chico to pursue an undergraduate in Psychology, her spark in nature grew. She explored Bidwell park by riding her bike to the park or driving for beautiful hikes. She became a camp counselor and continued to enjoy the outdoors. Once graduating and pursuing occupations in counseling, she continued to bring the benefits of the outdoors by taking youth to hikes. Now back in Sacramento, Georgina continues to enjoy exploring the outdoors by visiting national parks and cruising on her bike along Old Sac and the river trails. In her current position as an advisor, she shares with youth the power of resetting in nature.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for the Sacramento-Central Valley area, Georgina will share different outdoor experiences that are accessible to the Latinx communities and promote body inclusivity.

Volunteer

Gabriela Hydle

I grew up in Guatemala City, Guatemala, never quite expecting how my life would be transformed later on. I was a city girl through and through and never wanted to leave my country. The city-girl in me followed me for years, even after I married and moved to Los Angeles, but after having our son we moved to Colorado which changed things dramatically for me!

While my husband and I enjoyed camping and backpacking in California the mountains were far so trips only happened a few times a year. In Colorado, everything we wanted was close so we were outdoors all the time! I started hanging out with herbalists and surrounded myself with people who were always outdoors. At first, the winters were a little difficult but over time I even learned to enjoy the snow!

Two years ago I decided to enroll in a Latina women’s mountain bike group run by COMBA. I was always a bit intimidated by biking as it wasn’t something I grew up with. My husband had tried getting me to go biking through the years but I continued to find it intimidating. This COMBA group changed my life! Riding with other Spanish speaking women not only inspired me, but it made me love the sport! I began riding any chance I got and taking every class offered. I have now raced cross-country and have begun downhill mountain biking.

This transformation did not stop with mountain biking as the things I have learned have inspired me in other areas of my life. This year, I even plan to begin skiing/snowboarding which is something I had never considered until a bike took me on a chairlift!

Overall, I cant believe how much these amazing people and amazing programs have helped me and now I aspire to return the favor and help other people as well.

Outings Leader

Francisco Villa (he/him)

Growing up Latino means many things in the United States. For Francisco, it was growing up in an underprivileged neighborhood in WA State with a shortfall of resources to get outside. He was always curious about skiing and snowboarding, especially because the mountains were not that far away. Instead, his family would always discourage him with, “Mijo, ese deporte es caro y no es para nosotros.”

Francisco’s luck changed when he went to Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. It was the perfect storm for someone wanting to get outside. Gonzaga provided the resources, friends, and encouragement to get students outside. Before Francisco knew it, he was skipping class to mountain bike, ditching homework to ski at night, and spending his grocery money on bike parts.

The best part of his college community was his friends, who also got outside. Through his friend David and others, he learned to rock climb, ski, mountain bike, and explore all other sorts of adventures. He then became a Student Outdoor Guide at Gonzaga Outdoors. The leadership and outdoor education were now commencing. There was also something else he started to notice that needed addressing. None of the other outdoorsy people at school looked like him. Most students who got outside were coming from upper-middle-class demographics. He knew that the outdoors needed some coloring.

Francisco left college knowing that his main passion is to be outside and stay active. He also wanted to finesse his outdoor skills by continuing his outdoor education. Through the Mazamas in Portland, OR, Francisco achieved these goals and even became an educator for the Mazamas. Although, there was still something missing from all of this. His initiatives to bring diversity to the organization were not enough. It was time for him to do something drastic about it.

Francisco left the Mazamas after 7 years of teaching mountaineering, ice climbing, rock climbing, and backcountry skiing. Now, as a Latino Outdoors volunteer for Portland, OR, Francisco will use his 12 years of outdoor education and experience to help and encourage the BIPOC community to get outside. He wants to help bridge the gap for other BIPOC folks who want to get outside by creating a safe and welcoming environment.

Program Coordinator

Francis Brotons (she/her)

Taylor Francisca Brotons was born and raised in the agricultural district of Miami known as the Redlands. She began volunteering at the zoo at 13, then local animal rescues and sanctuaries after school and on weekends. In college she studied journalism with the intent of writing for National Geographic one day. On a particular assignment she visited the Galapagos Islands for a story on how tourism was effecting the local sea lion population. That experience made her realize conservation work begins at home. She returned to Miami and focused her passion to learning about the native environment that she was never taught to appreciate, and connecting locals to it as well. After over a decade of environmental education, she began her falconry apprenticeship while working on invasive species management for Florida Fish and Wildlife. Currently, Taylor works at Shark Valley of Everglades National Park, volunteers with various bird rescues and community gardens, and campaigns for climate focused solutions at county commission meetings. As a Latino Outdoors Program Coordinator for Miami, Taylor will help to cultivate a culture of environmental stewardship and give locals a new appreciation for species they may have feared or disliked before. She is most passionate about intersectional environmentalism and working towards a more wildlife-friendly city infrastructure.

Outings Leader

Fernando Ramos (he, him, él)

Growing up by the beaches of Hawaii and Puerto Rico, Fernando (he, him, él) was raised admiring and respecting the outdoors. From kayaking in mangroves to traversing rainforests, he learned at an early age about the transformative and restorative qualities that nature has to offer. Leaving Puerto Rico at eighteen years old for educational and professional opportunities, his journey led him to transition from one big city to the next. Immersing himself in NOLA, D.C., MIA, NYC, and now Philly, he has seen first hand the societal disparities experienced by the Latine community and communities of colors in city centers. One of these major disparities being access to the beautiful natural resources this country has to offer.

Now as a practicing attorney in Philadelphia, he looks forward to supporting LO by advocating for the conservation of our natural resources and improving access to these resources for all communities of color. He is also excited to support the LO Philly chapter in creating inclusive events that focus on community building, mindfulness, and healing.

Volunteer

Fernando Matías Orrego (he/him/el/ello)

Matías (he/him/el/ello) was born in Maryland and raised both there and in Chile where his father’s family was from. While drawn to nature since a child, constantly chasing sheep in el campo in Chile, and obsessing over animals in Maryland, Matías only realized working in the environmental field was his calling after starting work just before the COVID-19 pandemic. He is passionate about engaging Latine and diverse audiences, making conservation accessible, and promoting positive environmental change through education and policy. Now, he works as a Senior Environmental Specialist with Maryland Environmental Service and continues education through the Master of Environmental Studies program at the University of Pennsylvania.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Baltimore, Matías hopes to connect with community through trails, parks, wildlife, and great recreational experiences.

Outings Leader

Faviola González

Raised between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Faviola developed a love for the outdoors through family visits to beaches, local parks, and Red Rock Canyon. These early experiences shaped a lasting appreciation for the desert landscape, mountains, and the ocean—and inspired a deep interest in sharing nature with others.

Faviola earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science and minored in World History in Reno, Nevada. Now based in Los Angeles, she explores the intersection of creativity and the environment, working at the crossroads of community storytelling and outdoor engagement.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Los Angeles, Faviola will lead inclusive, accessible experiences that invite people into outdoor spaces with curiosity and care and create opportunities for meaningful connection.

Outings Leader

Eve Martínez (she/her(s))

Eve (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Orange County, CA. Her love for the outdoors began when she was pursuing her PhD at Purdue University in Indiana. She used the outdoors to disconnect from lab work and the difficulties of pursuing a PhD. She is an avid hiker, backpacker, camper, runner, skier, and dog mom. She currently works as an Analytical Chemist at a carbon capture company with the hopes of saving the planet and the ecosystem humans need to thrive on.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for the San Francisco Bay Area, Eve will bring her love and passion for the outdoors to her Latinx community. She’s excited to adventure and make amazing memories with everyone who would like to join her, humans and fur babies. It’s important to her to make the outdoors accessible to her community so they can fall in love with nature, just as she did.

Volunteer

Esther Flores Bonilla

Esther grew up between Houston and San Luis Potosí, Mexico. From a young age, she loved being outside and exploring the outdoors. She would play hide and seek in corn fields and climb trees in her backyard. A couple of years ago she went camping for the first time and fell in love with it. She wants to visit more state and national parks this year.

Esther studied English Literature at the University of Texas and works at an immigration non-profit. She loves helping her community as much as she is able to. In her free time Esther loves to read, go on trail walks, and spend time with friends and family.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for the Houston chapter, Esther will help people find joy and wonder in the outdoors. She hopes that people of all walks of life can feel safe and welcome exploring Houston and its surrounding areas.

Outings Leader

Esme Plascencia (she/her)

Esme (She/Her/Ella) was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico, and raised in Fort Bragg, CA. She immigrated to California at 11 months old as a first-generation immigrant. She grew up surrounded by the ocean, rivers, and redwood forests. Her family often visited Pudding Creek Beach, her favorite beach in MacKerricher State Park. She moved to Sacramento to pursue higher education and earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreation Administration. Her passion for nature exploration and outdoor adventure inspired her to become an outdoor educator in a variety of recreational settings.

As an outings leader for the Sacramento-Central Valley, Esme inspires people to develop their curiosity for green open spaces, personal connection to nature, and wonder in the outdoors. She enjoys connecting community members through nature-based activities such as nature-guided walks, water-related activities, and ocean/forest bathing. She is knowledgeable of the local botany/ecology/culture of the north coast which she enjoys talking about with others.

Outings Leader

Esme Cabrera (she/her)

Esmeralda “Esme” Cabrera was born and raised in the Bay Area and resides in California’s Central Valley. Her connection to the outdoors has always been felt most palpably through her matriarchal lineage. Food, stories and medicine making by the women of the family always struck her as both the source of her cultural awareness and relationship with our Mother Earth. Watching her mom swim with strength and ease, or her abuelita make remedy teas with silken corn tassels affirmed to her that having a relationship with and awareness of place and plants was not only necessary for a healthy body, but also for filling your soul. This has led her to have a life-long relationship with nature that consists of contemplation, art-making, place-based cultural and historical awareness, and environmental stewardship. She plans on connecting with comunidad through Latino Outdoors to share in the journey that brings us to explore and connect with our surroundings and each other.

Program Coordinator

Erynn Castellanos (she/her/ella)

Erynn was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After graduating from CSU, Northridge with a B.A. in Political Science and Communication. Shortly after she pursued a Master of Science in Environmental Studies with a certificate in Environmental Education from the University of Montana. The core of her work for the program was in designing a curriculum to make outdoor education inclusive to all cultures and backgrounds. Erynn is passionate about exploring cities, forests and literature, alike. She currently lives in Missoula, Montana with her cat Oso and serves as the Program Coordinator for LO in Montana.

Volunteer

Erika Torres (she/ella)

Erika (She/Ella) was born in Michoacán, México, where her love for nature took root early. Inspired by her father—who still runs up mountains with the same joy he had decades ago—she spent her childhood exploring places like Las Charanditas and El Pinalito in her hometown alongside friends and family. Her passion became her own, and to this day, Erika, her dad, and her sister continue their tradition of hiking together, and with close friends.

Her curiosity for the natural world has taken her across the United States, México, Asia, and beyond, immersing herself in national parks and sacred landscapes. Among her most memorable adventures are Glacier National Park, Machu Picchu, the Himalayas, Cerro Tusa, and the Lagos de Siecha in Colombia. Today, Erika lives embraced by nature, with the Pacific Ocean and mountain trails just steps away, and she honors this privilege through daily walks and mindful connection.

Erika is a licensed psychologist in California who trains clinical students and supports adult patients. As a Latino Outdoors volunteer, she integrates healing, mindfulness, and mental health—inviting others into a deeper, more compassionate relationship with themselves and nature.

Volunteer

Erick Cortes (he/him)

Erick Cortes, pronouns he/him, was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. He grew up going camping around the mountains that surrounded him, which is where he learned his love for the outdoors. He got accepted to the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies where he expanded his love and appreciation for nature. When he moved to San Francisco, Erick became a Park Ranger with the National Park Service, a job that enables him to do what he loves. As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for the San Francisco Bay Area, Erick will work on making the road easier for other Latinx people than it was for him by breaking down barriers and creating spaces where people can find their own love for nature, just like he did.

Outings Leader

Erasto Renteria (he/him)

Erasto Renteria (he/him) hails from the deep south of Texas, where his enduring passion for the outdoors was ignited. Growing up on the outskirts of San Benito, he embraced his very own ranchito lifestyle with his parents and three siblings. Cherished memories include caring for farm animals and savoring the sweet fruits from his mother’s garden, like higos and duraznos.

Currently calling Austin, Texas home, Erasto is a proud UT Alum who has cultivated his passion for the environment into a career as a landscaper. His aspiration is to one day work as a conservationist and share nature’s awe-inspiring wonders and its lessons. Accompanied by his partner, Liza, and their two crazy black cats, he loves exploring the outdoors and seeking new adventures to challenge himself. His latest pursuits include mountain biking and kayaking.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader in Austin, Erasto aims to introduce his community to the city’s diverse outdoor activities. Through each outing, he aspires to help create memories and foster appreciation for the natural world around us.

Outings Leader

Emma Galofré García (she/her/ella)

Emma Galofré García (she/her/ella) was raised among the forests and ponds of New England where her connection to the natural world flourished. It was from here that Emma’s personal and professional dedication to the outdoors developed. Her love and appreciation for the natural world deepened and expanded throughout her Bachelor’s in Wildlife Ecology and while working for over 10 years in the conservation realm, including on projects domestically and internationally with an array of species, habitats, and various human communities. Emma is now back in school pursuing her PhD in Environmental Studies at CU Boulder in the Well-Being, Environment, Livelihoods, and Sustainability Group, where she is focused on justice informed conservation action that results in positive social and ecological outcomes.

As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader for Colorado, Emma will work to share her excitement and passion for the natural world and foster the same within our incredible Latine/Latinx community. She is dedicated to helping the Latine/Latinx community reconnect and restore our connection to the land, and to creating a joyful, supportive, and community-based space to do so.

Outings Leader

Emily Jiménez (she/her/ella)

Emily Jiménez (she/her/ella) is a Native New Yorker based in Jamaica, Queens. She wasn’t always a lover of the outdoors but being forced to stay indoors during the pandemic made her body and soul crave being outside and grounding in nature.

She is the eldest child of Dominican immigrants and the first to attend college, obtain a graduate degree and work in a corporate setting. This experience has fueled her passion for being a fierce advocate of equity in education, finding culturally competent mentors and workplace wellness. Her goal is to equip first generation students with tools to thrive in college and corporate environments and encourage them to pay it forward, creating a culture of mutual aid within their communities.

In 2020 she launched The Manifestation Mami, a virtual wellness space. Through this platform, she teaches busy professionals how to prioritize their wellness so they can live abundant, balanced lives through Cacao ceremonies, live courses and Career Clarity coaching.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for New York City, Emily is committed to connecting our communities with the land, incorporating Indigenous wisdom and facilitating fun and engaging culturally relevant activities throughout the boroughs.

Volunteer

Emilio Lerdo de Tejada (he/him/his)

Emilio (he/him/his) was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. As a child he fell in love with environmental literature (his favorite book was/is The Lorax) and spending time outdoors. He was enraged by the unnecessary suburban sprawl seen all over the world. Growing up, his family frequently visited the family vacation home in Florida, and he was always in awe of the state’s unique ecosystems that were under constant threat from that suburban sprawl. His passion led to him obtaining a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Auburn University. After graduation, he began his work career working for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in Tallahassee, with work trips allowing for statewide travel. It was on one of these work trips that he found the opportunity with Miami-Dade County working for the Department of Environmental Resource Management where he felt like he would be able to make more of an impact protecting the natural lands in the area.

Today he hopes to continue to make a positive impact on preserving what remains of Florida’s natural lands, allowing for animals like the Florida panther to not only survive, but flourish. He aims to use the opportunity with Latino Outdoors to share his passion and knowledge of environmental conservation with the Latino community of South Florida.

Outings Leader

Ellalina Emrich Keller

Ellalina (she/her/hers) was born and raised on the beautiful central coast of California. At a young age she found a deep connection with nature often staying out late playing in the creek, hiking the hills surrounding her childhood home, climbing trees, or riding her bike. In 6th grade she had the opportunity to attend outdoor environmental education camp with her elementary school and the passion for learning about the natural world around her was ignited.

It wasn’t long until she was attending the University of Denver, majoring in Environmental Science and Spanish, traveling the world, studying and exploring our magnificent planet. Ellalina has devoted her career to making the outdoors accessible to all students. One of her biggest passions has been teaching English through science to her students new to the English language. She spent much of her career at the high school level supporting the Latinx community helping to create greater accessibility to continue their education through programs like AVID, MESA, CalSOAP, and other local initiatives. She also worked as a director with the UC office of the president, at Cal Poly SLO to provide professional development and support in both science and ELD strategies to teachers and college students.

In later years Ellalina served as a principal of a dual immersion elementary school where creating a rich cultural learning experience for her students and their parents became a driving force for her passion within the Latinx community. Ellalina is thrilled to have returned to the spot where her passion for the outdoors was originally ignited, serving as the administrator for outdoor environmental education for Kern County Superintendent of Schools. As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for the Central Coast in San Luis Obispo County, Ellalina will work to continue to help breakdown barriers for the Latinx communities and help support and nurture opportunities for individuals to find their own unique relationship with the natural world around them.

Outings Leader

Elizabeth Rodarte (she/her/ella)

Elizabeth Rodarte was born and raised in the occupied lands of the Kumeyaay people in San Diego, CA. She is a first generation daughter of Mexican immigrants from Jalisco and Zacatecas. Growing up, Elizabeth has fond memories of visiting her maternal family’s ranch in their hometown of Coralillos; this is where her deep respect and appreciation for the outdoors began. Elizabeth remembers running through the corn fields, chasing frogs near the river, and helping her uncle milk cows. Every visit to the ranch was filled with unforgettable memories that taught her about our Madre Tierra. Elizabeth learned how mother earth provides an abundance of food, medicine and livelihood to those who nurture and protect her.

Later in life Elizabeth attended the University of California, Riverside, where she earned her bachelor’s degree and then went on to graduate school to earn her Master’s of Arts in Special Education. Elizabeth’s most notable experience came from her study abroad experience while attending UCR in Spain. This opportunity strengthened her bond with nature allowing her to explore various countries and their diverse landscapes. Becoming a mother of two boys, allowed Elizabeth to pass on her love and respect for the outdoors to a new generation. Elizabeth strives to cultivate a sense of adventure and open exploration in her children, no matter what country they are traveling in. As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for San Diego County, Elizabeth hopes that through education and community building she can stimulate POC especially parents, children and immigrants to heal, defend, and explore the various terrains that Mother Earth provides for us all.

Volunteer

Elizabeth Dorantes (she/her/ella)

Elizabeth was raised in Goliad, TX where she spent her summers playing hide and seek with her sisters and neighborhood friends. Elizabeth’s favorite memories include being outside catching frogs and chasing fireflies during the family carne asadas and always felt nature was the most exciting museum and playground since she was very little. Elizabeth continued exploring nature as she moved up to Austin, TX to earn her Bachelors of Social Work and now is completing her Master of Science in Social Work at The University Texas at Austin. Hook ‘em! Elizabeth’s interests in the field include immigrant rights, labor organizing, education, ecotherapy, food justice, children, and family mental health and well-being.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer, Elizabeth hopes to promote self-preservation and joy through community building in the outdoors. She understands the impact colonization has on marginalized communities in nature and hopes to connect more people to green spaces.

Outings Leader

Elizabeth Castro Maldonado (she/her)

Elizabeth was raised in south Monterey County with her home life resembling the norms of the rural ranchos of Guanajuato, MX. From an early age, Elizabeth felt a deep connection to the natural world around her. When she looked to the outdoors everything seemed to make sense, from hearing her father say, ‘Agua es vida” during every rainfall or seeing her mother admire bird variations while cleaning up their backyard. While working summers in agricultural labor as a teen, Elizabeth was able to see over 200 sunrises between the CA Ventana Wilderness and Pinnacles National Park illuminating her drive to seek out an outdoor-driven lifestyle. Exploring Yosemite with the Migrant program mobilized Elizabeth to plan a trip for her family to Yosemite as a teen and sparked an enthusiasm to encourage others to explore the natural world around them.

Now residing in Fresno, Elizabeth is a first generation graduate from Fresno State with a B.S. in Public Health. She has a passion for supporting community holistic healing, health awareness, shared joy, and resiliency building for disadvantaged communities. Since then, she has sought out opportunities to incorporate the power of the outdoors with the communities she serves. She has been able to advocate for the outdoors from teaching monolingual students and using nature as an example of the beauty of adapting to new environments, supporting perinatal women by illustrating the use of the outdoors as a stress buster, as well as planning outdoor field trips with school-age children for resiliency and self-esteem building.

As an Outings leader for Latino Outdoors, Elizabeth’s purpose is to foster community, joy, a sense of safety and belonging, resiliency, as well as a deeper connection with the outdoors. She has felt how intimidating outdoor recreation can be due to lack of exposure and a lack of visibility, so she strives to foster a sense of safety, empowerment, and confidence for others to feel that they belong in all places. In her free time, she enjoys storytelling, kayaking, hiking, yoga, picnicking, and rock climbing, as well as always looking for an excuse to explore any outdoor activity. Elizabeth believes it is important to share ideas, life experiences, and convivir with others.

Outings Leader

Eliud Rios (he/him/él)

Eliud Rios (Eh-Li-uud) (he/him/él) was born in Mexico City, Mexico and grew up in Sacramento, California. Eliud’s first generation immigrant experience provides a multicultural approach within the community. His passion for nature and the outdoors stems from his time living near the American River. Some of his proudest accomplishments as a member of Latino Outdoors are organizing nature walks called “Walk with an Arborist” within the Sacramento and Davis area as well as backpacking events in the Tahoe region for teenagers who are new to the outdoors. He is a steward of trees and is always excited to share his mantra, “purpose and passion provide clarity”.

As a Latino Outdoors outings leader for the Sacramento/Central Valley area, Eliud will use his personal and professional experience to teach about the healing qualities and wisdom afforded by nature. He understands the power of community and will continue the legacy of Latino Outdoors wherever his travels take him.

Outings Leader

Elisa Medina O’Neal (she/her(s))

Like many of the birds that nest near her home, Elisa’s migrated to Texas by way of Central America. Her parents worked hard to provide for her and her brother. This meant that Elisa and her brother spent hours exploring the outdoors, riding their bikes everywhere, and building mini-habitats for all the critters they would catch. Elisa’s curiosity of the natural world evolved into seeking answers to life’s big questions. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston in Philosophy with a minor in Religious Studies and Mandarin Chinese. She is also a Chinese Bridge Scholarship recipient which means she lived and studied in China for 2 years, completing her Chinese Language Certification from Renmin University in Beijing China. She now works at the Armand Bayou Nature Center in Pasadena, TX where she does her part to reconnect people with nature. As a member of the LO HTX team, Elisa hopes to create spaces where people can reconnect with each other and the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Elías Naser (he/him/his)

Elías was born and raised in Los Angeles from immigrant working-class parents. Elías is a first-generation college graduate who is currently teaching Special Education at a local High School while residing in Pasadena, CA. Elías’s love for the outdoors begins with his respect for nature since he was a child through hiking, camping, and his love for animals which led him to being a vegan. As a teacher, Elías is passionate about having younger generations positively lead the way for our planet and our ever-growing social world. As a Latinx and Egyptian, Elías is keen on ensuring Latinx communities and people of color are given the opportunities to explore and embrace the outdoors together!

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Los Angeles, Elías will engage with the Latinx communities through empowering education while creating spaces to grow and thrive en nuestra naturaleza con respecto a la madre tierra! Elías is an excited Outing Leader who plans to grow, learn, listen and build an outdoor inclusive Latinx community!

Outings Leader

Elexis Padrón (she/her)

Elexis was born and raised in the small Central Valley town of Sanger, California. Every year, she looked forward to her family’s annual camping trip at Refugio State Beach or Pfeiffer Big Sur– a tradition that started with her grandma’s generation. These camping trips planted the seed of her love of the outdoors, though the seed lay dormant for many years.

It was during her last quarter of studying Art and Community Studies at UC Santa Cruz, during an internship in the campus garden, that the long-dormant seed finally sprouted. After UCSC, Elexis worked in arts education in Los Angeles and devoted her free time to tending her growing love of the outdoors by planning camping trips, hounding for her own gear at affordable prices, hiking, and learning all she could about plants and wildlife through volunteering and community college classes.

Since relocating to the Bay Area in 2019, she has taught in an elementary school classroom garden, worked as an interpreter for California State Parks, and taught nature journaling workshops for a few different organizations. She now works for an awesome non-profit called Saved By Nature, where she gets to help break down barriers to access to the outdoors so that everyone can experience the spiritual, mental, and physical well-being that nature provides.

As a Latino Outdoors outings leader, Elexis hopes to inspire a love of nature and provide a welcoming, inclusive space for other Latine folks who may be entering the outdoor recreation space.

Program Coordinator

Elaine Hernández (ella)

Elaine was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas but spent the weekends and summers at the beach or lakes. There, she was taught by her mother’s aunt to fish and learn about the outdoors. This sparked her love for the outdoors at a very young age. As a young girl, Elaine would go on campouts with the girl scouts, learned to fish, host bike rides in her neighborhood with friends, go boating with her family during the weekends, and enjoy every moment outside. She is a first-generation college graduate with a B.S. in Biology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She loves science!

Her most memorable trips are camping out at Big Bend, Zion National Park, Marfa, and Antelope Canyons. You can find Elaine hiking/exploring new trails, cycling new green belts, outdoor photography, and reading books on travel, plants, and nature on the weekends.

Elaine has been participating in LO outings for almost 5 years. As a Latino Outdoors volunteer leader, she wants to share her passion for the outdoors and reconnect everyone back to nature. She wants to encourage everyone to enjoy and explore the outdoors together.

Outings Leader

Edith Campos (she/her(s))

Edith was born in Guanajuato, Mexico and began residing in Houston, TX at a very young age when her family migrated to the United States in 1990. She graduated from the University of Houston and currently works as a Program Manager at PNC Bank where she focuses on enhancing community development programs that primarily benefit low-to-moderate-income families.

In her spare time she loves spending time with her friends and family, reading, entertaining her beloved pug Filiberto, watching documentaries or planning her next trip. Her love for the outdoors began when she moved to Nevada after graduating college and started exploring hiking opportunities near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area as a way to pass time. Hiking quickly became a hobby that expanded into a love for visiting national and state parks, camping, road-tripping and learning more about the outdoors. She loves bringing friends and family together to explore the beautiful outdoors and is on a mission to visit all U.S. National Parks (She’s one third of the way there!). Her favorite parks include Big Bend, Mt. Rainier and the Smoky Mountains. Now residing in Houston again, she wants to make a conscious effort to explore nearby areas, spread environmental awareness and connect with other Houstonians with common interests.

Joining Latino Outdoors as a Program Coordinator, Edith hopes to continue bringing people of Latino communities together to learn, explore and enjoy the outdoors all while celebrating their heritage. She wants Latinos of all ages to know that the outdoors are accessible by everyone regardless of their background and can be enjoyed and benefited in many different ways.

Program Coordinator

Edgar Iván (Eddy) Aguilasocho (he/him)

Edgar Iván Aguilasocho (he/him) was raised in Riverside, California, with a childhood shaped by regular trips to Sinaloa and Baja California. He and his cousins would explore the outdoors by naming areas like video game levels—his parents still remember his fondness for “Mundo 7,” a sandy field where he spent hours collecting rocks. These roots led to a career in service. A graduate of the inaugural class at UCI Law, Edgar has been a farm worker rights lawyer since 2013. He is a partner at MAL, Inc. (leycampesino.com), General Counsel for the UFW Foundation, and a board member of Sociedad Juarez, a Bakersfield mutual aid society established in 1910.

While he has always appreciated nature, Edgar became an active outdoors enthusiast in 2020 through his partner and fellow volunteer, Sophia Garcia. His travels have since taken him from the jungles of México and Colombia to the expansive urban parks of Tokyo and London. In his free time, he writes and produces music.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for the San Joaquín Valley, Edgar will advocate for equitable access to nature, passionate about ensuring that the communities who work the land also have the space to enjoy it.

Program Coordinator

Diana Ramos (she/hers/ella)

Diana has been a nature enthusiast from a very young age. Whether it was hiking the Blue Hills in Massachusetts where she was raised or exploring waterfalls in El Yunque while visiting family in Puerto Rico, every excursion filled her with wonder. To this day she still thanks birds for singing their songs and stops to give frogs right of way on the trail. As a transplant currently living in Virginia, Diana spends most of her free time in state and national parks. She built a career in anti-hunger programs and is passionate about ensuring everyone has an equitable opportunity to live a happy and healthy life. This includes making outdoor spaces more accessible. As a Latino Outdoors volunteer, Diana hopes to help others find healing, happiness, and community in the outdoors through inclusive and engaging outings.

Volunteer

Diana Muñoz (she/her(s))

Diana Muñoz (she/her(s)) was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. Although she now has an appreciation for the wildlife that is all around us, even in urban environments, growing up she wanted to see the wild places she read about in books or saw in nature documentaries. She was specifically interested in working with birds, which led her to pursue her Bachelor’s degree at UC Davis. She now resides in Sacramento because she loves the various ecosystems that can be visited within a day’s drive.

She is currently working on her PhD in Ecology and works part-time as a wildlife biologist. During her free time, she enjoys hiking, drawing, and teaching her dog, Dante, new tricks. She is interested in all of California’s plants and critters and enjoys teaching others about them.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for California’s Central Valley, Diana will strive to organize opportunities to explore the natural wonders of California.

Volunteer

Denisse Lopez (she/her/ella)

Denisse (she/her/ella), a proud child of Mexican immigrants, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She moved to NYC to pursue an M.A. in English and American Literature from New York University, and now lives in Brooklyn. Her research focused on Postcolonial Studies and BIPOC literature.

Denisse has extensive experience in the nonprofit field and currently works in workforce development for a labor union. She has over a decade of experience as a volunteer for immigrant rights, focusing on helping children and asylum seekers. She has served as a Spanish translator and interpreter, as well as facilitated Know Your Rights trainings for a variety of audiences.

Although Denisse always felt a curiosity about the world around her, it was only as an adult that she came to deepen her connection to the natural world, through birding and nature walks.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for New York City, Denisse will help people experience the wonder of the outdoors through creating a safe space to learn and explore.

Outings Leader

Denise Lopez

Denise was born and raised in Hollister, California. She connected to animals at an early age and knew that was going to be her life’s passion. She earned her BS in Animal Science with a minor Ethnic Studies from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where she began her career working with animals. Her higher education opened her eyes to the importance of paying it forward in our Latinx community. Being part of community service-based student organizations, she was regularly organizing food drives, conferences for high school students and cultural community events.

After graduation, she spent 10 years as a veterinary technician in small animal medicine. During this time, she also carried out internships on the Animal Care team at the Oakland Zoo and Condor Recovery Crew at Pinnacles National Park. She spent time assisting in wetlands management outside of Sacramento before finding her current role with Point Blue Conservation Science as a project manager on their STRAW team (Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed). She recently finished her Professional Science Master’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Administration with Oregon State University.

As a Latino Outdoors outings leader for Central Coast, CA, Denise will strive to share her passion for the outdoors in hopes of inspiring others in her community to find theirs.

Volunteer

David Nolan (he/him)

David (he/him) was born in Ecuador and raised in Vermont. He developed his love for the outdoors in both places — from skiing in the northeast to running in the Andes Mountains. He now works as an English as a Second Language teacher in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he continues to get out and get active.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for New Mexico, David will help the young adults and Latino communities he works with enjoy the state’s world-class nature, developing lifelong hobbies outside.

Outings Leader

David Luis Lopez

Raised between San Diego, CA and Oaxaca, MX, David has built a relationship with his family’s homelands early on in life, appreciating the outdoors. He spent time hiking mountains, visiting ruins, saying hi to the rivers and the coastal regions of Oaxaca. He carries this curiosity for the world around him in Northern California where he is a student at Cal Poly Humboldt.

To David, community forms the backbone of every space, both indoors and outdoors. While he studies Software Engineering, he values the grounding that comes with non academic pursuits. As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader in Humboldt County, David will work as a connection between the Latino community and outdoor spaces that once felt exclusive. He is excited to help make nature feel more welcoming and accessible to all.

Outings Leader

David Delgado (he/him/his)

David (he/him/his) was born in the Dallas, Texas area and moved to Austin for college in 2006. He grew up with parents that loved the outdoors and family in Colorado, where he would spend most summers. Hiking, fishing, and camping were large parts of his childhood, both in Texas and Colorado, and he was an active Boy Scout, achieving Eagle.

As an adult, rock climbing bridged his love of the outdoors with problem solving and community. He works at Apple as a project manager and still spends as much summer as possible in Colorado with his wife and two children, fostering their love of the outdoors and volunteering as a Climbing Ranger for Rocky Mountain National Park.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Austin, David will find more ways to involve the Latinx community in the outdoors, share his passion for and create community around climbing and nature, and advocate for responsible outdoor recreation.

Volunteer

Danny Amaya-Ruiz (he/him)

Born in Los Angeles, California but grew up in Northern Virginia and currently living in Austin, Texas. Danny grew up exploring the blue ridge mountains and fell in love with the outdoors ever since. During his time at Virginia Commonwealth University, he interned at the Insect Ecology lab and enjoyed learning more about insects while also hiking the outdoors. Since then he has received his B.S. in Forensic Biology and incorporated a lot of his outdoor knowledge into his career as a Forensic Scientist. He really enjoys volunteering and helping the community in many different forms.

As a Latino Outdoors Ambassador for Austin, Texas, Danny will be helping spread knowledge of past, current and future events in the area. He is very excited to meet new people through this role and ready to explore more of the Austin outdoor community.

Volunteer

Daniel Vázquez (he/him)

Daniel “Danny” Vázquez, (He/Him) native to Mexico City yet raised on the Southside of Chicago since he was eleven months old. From a young age, he liked to explore and learn about animals and nature. Whenever his parents had an opportunity, they would take him camping. Danny has fond memories in middle school, as his classmates would talk about wrestling and Pokémon, he would talk about what he learned on Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel. In high school, he was the only one pursuing a Zoology degree, but quickly realized how his immigration status would affect his college career. As a DACA recipient, he worked and attended community college to receive a degree in science.

Danny later work in the Education Department in several nature/science institutions with the goal of representing Latinos in Environmental Science and Natural History Education. He would like to be the bridge between the Great Outdoors and black/brown communities to create a place where they can feel accepted and comfortable.

Outings Leader

Daniel Urdialez

Daniel was born and raised in the heart of Texas – San Antonio (GO SPURS GO!). Growing up, he had an absolute love for fishing, camping and hiking. But living in the inner city and being unaware of local resources, he was hindered from exploring.

After studying Communications at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Daniel began his career in the technology industry. He quickly found that sitting at a desk for nine hours a day takes its toll. Because of this, Daniel decided to make a conscious effort to spend more time outdoors and found the gratification of sharing nature’s benefits with family and friends. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for San Antonio, Daniel wants to share his passion for the outdoors with the Latino community and help them discover the accessibility and benefits that come from reconnecting with nature.

Volunteer

Daniel Juarez (he/him/his)

Daniel (he/him/his) was born and raised in the Bronx where being outdoors meant going to the local park to play with friends and the occasional picnic. Growing up, his father took him to Inwood Hill Park and Randall’s Island, where he first experienced being in a forest with very tall trees and taking walks by the water. After graduating from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a bachelor’s in studio art and double minoring in art history and Latin American studies, Daniel gained an interest in the outdoors particularly through hiking. Daniel is currently a teacher in the Bronx after continuing his education and obtaining a masters in education, and has not only continued finding enjoyment through hiking but has since also found a way to explore the parks and community through running.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for New York City, Daniel will participate in planning events as well as co-lead and be a translator for Spanish speakers when able. Daniel will also carry his interest of running into Latino Outdoors and provide ideas on how to incorporate running activities such as collaborating with run clubs, plogging, or trail running.

Outings Leader

Daniel Correa (he/him)

Daniel was born in Colombia, but while he was still young, he and his family immigrated to New Jersey. Daniel always had an interest for the natural world, and a curiosity for all living organisms and the natural processes around him. His strong curiosity and passion for the natural world led him to get a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Latin American Studies from Stockton University in New Jersey. With his new environmental knowledge and understanding, plus his Latino background, Daniel hoped to merge these two personal passions by bringing Latinx communities closer to nature. Soon After graduating college his dream became a reality. He accepted a one year internship with the USFWS through Hispanic Access Foundation. This internship allowed Daniel to lead presentations and nature walks to young students of various backgrounds at the USFWS Wildlife Refuge. Daniel left New Jersey in 2019 and moved to Concord, California to start a new chapter in his life. As a Latino Outdoors Leader for the San Francisco Bay Area, Daniel hopes to introduce new outdoor activities such as camping, hiking and birdwatching to as many Latinx community members as possible.

Program Coordinator

Dagmar Galvan (she/her)

Dagmar was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Between the beautiful landscape and early exposure to both the Discovery and History channels, she developed a strong interest in the outdoors. A particular interest in Egyptian history and the vast unknown of the Amazon ignited her passion in archaeology working in the outdoors. This eventually led her to earn a bachelors degree in Archeology from Baylor University, during which time she was fortunate enough to explore and excavate prehistoric archaeological sites in remote areas of Central Texas. She continued her education at Northern Arizona University and obtained a masters in Anthropology with a focus in Archaeology. Working as an Archaeologist for the Coconino National Forest in Flagstaff, AZ allowed her to experience the beautiful environment of the American Southwest. Dagmar is currently living in Las Vegas, NV and is working with the Bureau of Land Management. As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader, Dagmar will engage with Latinx communities and share her passion for teaching the rich cultural history and archaeology that the Southwest and its environment has to offer. 

Outings Leader

Cynthia J. Román Cabrera (she/ella)

Cynthia (she/ella) was born and raised in New York City to Dominican parents. Her love of the outdoors came later in her life as her passion for traveling grew. She enjoys hiking, cycling along cityscapes, gardening, getting closer to food and herbs for health and wellness, and is curious about camping! She is currently based in Philadelphia, PA as an Evaluation Consultant at Equal Measure. Cynthia has a Masters in Public Health with a specific focus on health and racial equity along with belonging strategy development, facilitation, theories of change, logic modeling, community-based participatory research, and advocacy for racialized and targeted individuals.

As an Outings Leader for Philadelphia, Cynthia plans to create curiosity and excitement towards nature. She envisions creating opportunities for the Latine community to learn and step outside their comfort zone with other likeminded comrades.

Program Coordinator

Cristi Graciano (she/they)

Cristi (she/they) was born in Los Angeles and raised in the San Gabriel Valley. Growing up in a large metropolitan area lead her to study urban planning while the close proximity to the Angeles National Forest ignited a passion for nature and further studies in regenerative and environmental fields. Currently, Cristi lives in San Diego and works for the State of California as an environmental planner.

As the Latino Outdoors prgoram coordinator for San Diego, Cristi will guide the community to explore the outdoors while reconnecting and fostering a passion for nature and a sense of belonging.

Outings Leader

Colleen Pineda (she/her(s))

Colleen’s (she/her/hers) love for the outdoors ignited when she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2017. Her hometown of Columbus, Ohio offers surrounding national and state parks; however, being in the presence of the majestic mountains of Yosemite, the coastal views of Big Sur, and the towering redwood trees of Muir Woods provided a considerable drug-free high not felt in the Ohio. Furthermore, she reconnected with her biking hobby (she used to bike regularly on empty tennis courts with her older brother as a kid) given the abundant biking infrastructure that the Bay Area offered. She continues biking in her new city, Sacramento, where she has lived for the past several years. Feeling fortunate to find an inclusive and welcoming biking community in Saramento, she hopes to enrich the biking community further by encouraging more members of the Latinx community to join group rides and events around the city.

By joining LO as a volunteer, she hopes to lead varying types of group rides (long rides, short rides, bikepaking, themed rides, y mas!) and utilize the platform to inform the local LO community of other biking events in Sacramento.

Outings Leader

Cindy Zacarias

Cindy is from the sunny basin of Escondido, California. Cindy’s love for the outdoors was sparked by her parents, who organized early morning trips to boogie board the frigid waters of Torry Pines Beach, carne asada pinics at local parks and hikes in mountains surrounding North County. Cindy received a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of California, Los Angeles and an Associate of Arts from Saddleback College in Fashion Design.

Currently, Cindy works as a sewing instructor and costume designer for theatre and film.

Outings Leader

Christy Herrera (she/her(s))

Christy (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Kern County. Her dad taught her to love and appreciate the outdoors. Fond memories of her childhood include having an Easter egg hunt at Sequoia National Park, flying kites on the Santa Lucia Range and camping at Lake Success. Those experiences ignited a love for the outdoors. She enjoys exploring new places and is a foodie at heart. She loves working with kids and is pursuing a teaching career. Christy hopes to motivate others to explore and love the outdoors.

Program Coordinator

Christine Riesgo (she/her)

Christine was born and raised in Miami, FL and it wasn’t until her move to Missoula, MT that she discovered her deep connection to the outdoors. While hiking in Montana, she heard a sound she had never quite heard before in her hometown: silence. This silence has helped her connect to herself in unimaginable and special ways. In between the moments of silence on her hikes, she loves the sound of her feet rustling leaves, creek water rushing, and woodpeckers knocking on trees. As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Missoula, Christine will support community members that are feeling intimidated by the outdoors with empathy and encouragement.

Outings Leader

Christina Aguirre

Christina Aguirre, originally from San Antonio now resides in Austin with her husband and three children. Christina, formerly a school nurse, is currently a stay at home momma. She enjoys making and selling jewelry out of polymer clay in her free time, listening to a good podcast, and trying new coffee spots on the weekends.

From an early age Christina recalls enjoying the outdoors with annual camping trips with her family to Uvalde along the Nueces River and always found a way to be outside, whether it was horseback riding, swimming, or running a raspa stand in her front yard for the summer. When Christina’s son was in boy scouts she grew an even deeper admiration and a new understanding of outdoors and conservation.

As a Latino Outdoors ambassador for Austin, Texas, Christina will help LO by engaging and fostering a friendly and welcoming community for all. She will help create a fun platform capturing and sharing content, bringing to life all that LO represents. She is excited to connect with our community and meet like-minded people to help create new and fun experiences.

Outings Leader

Christian Alvarado

Christian is a Puerto Rican born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, whose connection to the outdoors began as a teenager through Sierra Club’s Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) program. What started as a chance to get outside quickly became something more meaningful, shaping his sense of belonging and purpose. Through ICO, Christian grew from a participant into a Certified Outdoor Leader and later led outings for Hartford Public Schools students, creating opportunities for young people in his community to experience the outdoors through hikes and park cleanups.

He later became involved with the Natural Leaders Network at the Children & Nature Network, where he served as Communications Coordinator supporting youth leadership through storytelling, content creation and training. Christian went on to work full-time with the Children & Nature Network as Manager of Peer Learning, supporting community teams across the country advancing equitable access to nature everywhere children live, learn and play. He now continues that work as an Operations and Systems Consultant.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Connecticut, Christian will create welcoming spaces for Latino communities to explore the outdoors, helping children and their families get outside, build community and feel a sense of belonging in nature.

Outings Leader

Chris Vélez (he/him)

Chris Velez was born in New Brunswick, NJ, and raised as a city-dweller in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since the age of six. In his college years, Chris discovered a love for outdoor recreation and the beauty of the Pennsylvania wilderness — all thanks to the founders of PAs 1st LO chapter at Penn State. Chris is motivated to facilitate outings and events for participants of all experience levels so they may benefit from the empowering, challenging, and fun activities that our Earth has to offer. Additionally, he wishes to lead efforts in exposing more of the Latinx community to the activities of rock-climbing, cycling, running, and motorcycling.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for Pennsylvania, Chris strives to apply a philosophy of life-long learning so he may better serve, support, and assist the Latinx community in exploring la Madre Naturaleza.

Outings Leader

Charlyn Rodríguez (she/her)

Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Charlyn spent most of her childhood visiting her Abuelita and was sheltered from the outdoors. She wasn’t allowed to venture further than her porch or backyard but in those limited spaces her creativity for adventure came alive. She would watch the squirrels devour the sunflower seeds, watch bees harvest pollen and learn how to plant seeds with Abuela and would watch them grow into tomatoes.

Later in life, during her adventures studying architecture at Thomas Jefferson University she met many new people and had some of her outdoors firsts; hiking and skiing. With the Wissahickon Valley Park nearby campus, she could hike very close to her college. This access to natural resources was never available to her before in her North Philadelphian neighborhood, where the only outdoor experience might be an abandoned park or public library.

Now as an Architecture Designer, Charlyn has a passion to reconnect with her roots and learn more about Latinx culture and the outdoors. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for the Philadelphia region, Charlyn hopes to encourage others to explore with her and her friends and create a passion for nature and adventure.

Volunteer

César Piñón

Cesar O. Piñon was born and raised in Houston, TX playing sports and spending time in Houston’s Memorial and Bayland parks.

Between 2017 and 2022 he resided in Colorado enjoying all of the outdoor activities that the state has to offer; camping, hiking, paddleboarding, climbing, & more. In his spare time, you can find him spending time with family, cooking, climbing, and planning the next outdoor adventure.

As a member of the LO HTX team, he hopes to inspire more people to explore the outdoors.

Program Coordinator

Celeste Royer (she/her/ella)

Celeste grew up in a small agricultural community in the San Joaquin Valley. She remembers her abuela brewing yerba buena for tummy aches and tending her flowers. Spending time in abuela’s garden led to Celeste’s love of the outdoors. This early childhood introduction into nature, post-college global travel experiences, and several professional opportunities contributed to Celeste having a 35-year career in outdoor and environmental education. At the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education, she directed Rancho El Chorro Outdoor School’s residential, field, and classroom programs. As director of the California Regional Environmental Education Community Network, she built regional and statewide partnerships to support environmental education initiatives. She provided 30 years of leadership to the California Outdoor School Association. As Director of Equity & Inclusion at Ten Strands, she focuses on centering equity in the work to advance environmental literacy. Celeste serves on several boards that promote equity, justice, environmental literacy, and conservation including Justice Outside, Lawrence Hall of Science BEETLES Project, and the Land Conservancy of SLO County. As a Latino Outdoors volunteer, Celeste will promote increased access to outdoor spaces for the Latinos in her community. Celeste holds degrees from UCLA, SFSU, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Outings Leader

Carolina Ruiz (she/her/ella)

Carolina’s roots lie in Bakersfield, CA, where she was born and raised amidst the diverse environments of the central valley. Throughout her upbringing, she developed a profound appreciation for the natural world, constantly questioning the intricacies of life around her and eagerly delving into knowledge about the local wildlife. While pursuing her degrees in Biology and Anthropology at CSU-Bakersfield, she found solace in the soothing background noise of the National Geographic channel during her study sessions.

With her entire young and adult life dedicated to the field of education, Carolina witnessed a stark contrast between traditional and modern teaching approaches, particularly in outdoor education. Driven by her passion, she aspires to introduce a fresh and interpretive style of teaching, one that instills joy and curiosity in the hearts of everyone exploring the great outdoors.

Carolina’s identity as a Latino Outdoors Leader for the Bakersfield Region positions her as a vital bridge between the Latino communities and the vast expanse of nature. Her mission is to foster inclusivity and diversity in outdoor spaces, inspiring others to forge a profound connection with nature while nurturing their own sense of curiosity. Through her efforts, she aims to encourage people from all walks of life to cherish and explore the natural world, fostering a lasting bond with the wonders that surround them.

Outings Leader

Carol Flores

Carol was born and raised in Boston, MA and is the eldest daughter of immigrant parents from Medellin, Colombia. Carol has always loved outdoor adventures, but it was during the COVID pandemic she truly had the opportunity to discover her passion for hiking. It was through hiking communities such as Summits in Solidarity that she learned about Latino Outdoors. Carol currently works as an administrative director for a criminal defense clinic representing indigent clients in Massachusetts District Courts and is a proud mother of Andrew and Elizabeth. Other hobbies include travel, cooking, and tackling New Hampshire 48 4K footers.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for the Boston chapter, Carol seeks to aid the Latino Outdoors mission to build community and share/inspire her passion for the outdoors with other community members.

Program Coordinator

Carlos Villagrana (he)

Carlos Villagrana was born in El Paso, TX, and raised in Cd. Juarez and Duncan, OK. Darting back and forth from these distinct places encouraged him to find beauty and solace in the outdoors. Whether exploring the arroyos of the colonias or swimming in one of the town lakes, the outdoors made him feel free. His family encouraged and modeled this exploration by going on summer camping trips. It was common for family vacations to include stops and detours to visit natural wonders. One of the more memorable family cross-country road trips to the Oregon coast included stops along the pacific coast highway to enjoy the wildlife that lived in the tidal pools. Experiencing the Redwood National Forest with his parents reminded him that sharing nature with others is a great way to strengthen relationships. The outdoors have always provided a respite from the fast pace of life and space to explore his interest and identity.

For the last 24 years, Carlos has called Houston, TX, home. He and his wife have raised three wonderful humans, the Texaricans. He has enjoyed a long career as an educator. He has had the opportunity to serve in several roles, including bilingual teacher, principal, teacher training specialist, and executive director of a teacher certification program. Recently he transitioned to a program officer role with a local philanthropic foundation. When he is not working to improve educational outcomes for students in Houston, he can be found visiting local parks, riding his bike, or taking in the surf breeze in Galveston.

Outings Leader

Carlos Tafolla (he/him/él)

Carlos was born and raised in Kings County, California. The first time he had the opportunity to experience and connect with the outdoors was when he was in sixth grade. He and his entire class went on a class camping trip to Scicon. There he got to learn first hand about different plants, the wildlife living in the area, and experienced his very first hike. This is also the moment where he discovered an interest in entomology. Carlos’ goal is to travel the world and continue to explore and nurture his unique connection to the outdoors. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader, Carlos will work together with the Fresno team to promote and facilitate outdoor experiences that will foster a love for nature.

Program Coordinator

Can Foster

Can Foster’s roots stretch across Mesoamerica, Indonesia, and Turtle Island, grounding a lifelong love for the outdoors and a natural curiosity about the world. A free spirit since childhood, Can has always been happiest outside, camping, gardening, farming, or simply learning from the land. Proudly Brown, Fat and Active, Can embraces both movement and rest, with cooking, art, and creativity shaping daily life.

For 12 years, Can worked as a preschool teacher in Davis CA, then became a Community Engagement Coordinator for Sol Collective in Sacramento, a BIPOC led space where art, culture, and activism come together in community. Can also works with Seeds of Ancestral Renewal (SOAR) in Siskiyou County, a collective of traditional practitioners creating healing spaces rooted in ancestral knowledge. A parent of six and grandparent of three, Can carries joy and responsibility into all community work.

Residing on the lands of the Shasta and Karuk Nations, where the waters of Mt. Shasta flow into the Sacramento River and surrounding waterways, Can stays rooted in place and ensures that she and her family learn the indigenous ways and from the original peoples of the lands in which she lives on.

As a Latino Outdoors Program Coordinator for Northern California, Can will create welcoming spaces where BIPOC families and communities feel at home outdoors. Whether through camping, gardening, art, or ceremony, Can’s vision is simple: the land calls us back, and together, we answer the collective prayer.

Outings Leader

Bryan Rodríguez (he/him)

Bryan was born and raised in Sunnyvale, CA, and currently lives in San Jose. Born to Mexican immigrant parents, his childhood was full of danceable music, delicious food, but unfortunately not exploring nature. Bryan’s first experience with the outdoors was at 9 years old through his 4th grade science camp. It wouldn’t be until nearly 10 years later that he would experience the outdoors consistently, and fall in love with it! Bryan studied Engineering and Music at Cal Poly SLO. Because of his technical background and love of nature and music, in his free time he analyzes the convergence between technology, the outdoors, and music. As someone who grew up in the Bay Area, he loves exploring all of the county/state parks that he didn’t explore as a kid, and observing the natural world through child-like wonder. He believes that curiosity and exposure to nature can open people’s eyes and hearts, and generate more compassion.

As a Latino Outdoors leader for the SF Bay Area, Bryan hopes to teach the Latinx community about the benefits of nature and mindfulness, as well as provide the necessary tools so that those who haven’t explored the outdoors yet, can with confidence.

Program Coordinator

Brian Dominguez (he/him/el)

Brian Dominguez (he/him/el) grew up in the mountains of Western Wyoming, where his uncle introduced him to camping, fishing, and ranch life, sparking a lifelong love for the outdoors. He played hockey, enjoyed cross-country skiing, and embraced snowboarding through generous outdoor programs at his school, which allowed him to choose outdoor adventures over risky alternatives. This connection to nature has shaped his resilience and drive.

After beginning his academic journey as a Vocal Performance and Trombone major, Brian shifted to Chemistry, earning his degree and later becoming a professional Spanish medical interpreter and baker trained by a member of Team USA. Eventually, he moved back to Laramie, Wyoming, where his career in science flourished. Following an internship with the Department of Environmental Quality, he joined the Wyoming Public Health Lab’s COVID-19 Testing and Sequencing Team, which led to his current role in academia as a genomics and bioinformatics specialist.

Outside of work, Brian is a Strongman athlete, embracing functional strength training while crafting nutritious foods and baked goods from his microbakery.

As a Latino Outdoors Program Coordinator for Laramie, WY, Brian will inspire Latine communities to embrace outdoor adventures and build lasting connections with nature. He is passionate about breaking barriers to outdoor access and empowering others to grow through nature’s beauty and the nourishment it provides.

Outings Leader

Brenda Ramírez (she)

Brenda grew up in sunny Norwalk, California. Her family didn’t go to wild spaces very often, so she found connection with nature in the little things, such as her mother’s house plants. When taking walks near a channelized riverbed she wondered how things might be different if the river was healthy and free. With this interest in environmentalism, Brenda pursued a degree at University of California Santa Barbara in Environmental Studies and Feminism. While she still takes joy in all the little things, such as birds and flowers, her main interest is in how nature connects us all. She did not always see someone who shared her identities represented as the “outdoorsy” type, so she is driven to create spaces where folks from underrepresented communities can share stories and be in community with each other and nature. From the skills she has learned as an environmental educator, she has been able to share her love for the outdoors with her family by going on hikes and even leading their first canoe adventure!  As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader, Brenda hopes to help break down barriers to outdoor spaces and help Latinx Youth and families feel confident and welcome outdoors.

Outings Leader

Bianca Madrid Guevara (she/her/hers)

Bianca was born and raised in San Antonio and has traveled to many countries exploring the history and culture of nations while learning from the people in each place. She most recently lived in Spain and uncovered many similarities between Latinx cultures. Through her experiences, she was led down the path of providing positive change by connecting the people and organizations in her community and beyond.

Bianca enjoys guiding, educating, and learning from the community through online and in-person events. During her free time, Bianca enjoys yoga, reading, and steaming hot coffee. She can almost always be found hiking nearby trails or discovering small towns in TX with her Fiancé, Zack, and labrador retriever, Emerson.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for San Antonio, Texas, Bianca will continue to advocate for our parks, collaborate with organizations, and inform the community about ways to enjoy the outdoors and get involved!

Program Coordinator

Bianca Infante De La Cruz (she/her/ella)

Bianca (she/her/ella) was born in León, Guanajuato, Mexico, and migrated to the United States at the age of 9. As a child, her father would take her on long walks in León, often riding in a wheelbarrow to deliver rocks to her parents’ terreno. However, it wasn’t until she moved to Jackson, WY, that Bianca began to understand the significance of the outdoors. She had the opportunity to explore Grand Teton National Park while attending summer camps.

She often heard the phrase, “We want to support parents visiting their beautiful background,” but she realized that for some communities, “our background” — the outdoors — was inaccessible due to language barriers and financial constraints. Bianca continues to explore nature and the outdoors, striving to bring her family along and share the beauty of being outside.

Bianca earned her bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Spanish, with a focus on environmental sustainability and Latin America. She then pursued a master’s degree in American Studies. Currently, she works as a Community Program Coordinator at the University of Wyoming, where she supports the campus community in meeting their basic needs.

As a Program Coordinator, Bianca seeks to create opportunities that make the outdoors more accessible to the Wyoming community.

Volunteer

Bianca Garza

Growing up in rural Florida, Bianca found magic in the outdoors. Days were filled with woods to wander, hunting camps visited with her grandfather, riding ATVs, boating with friends and family, and surfing alongside her dad. Though she spent countless hours outdoors, she didn’t encounter national parks or protected lands until adulthood. Those visits quickly revealed to her the importance of conserving, rather than exploiting, our most vital natural resources.

She went on to earn her B.A. in Communication with a concentration in public advocacy from the University of South Florida, grounding her in the art of amplifying voices and advancing justice. Before entering the conservation field, she devoted her skills to more than a dozen political campaigns across the country. In 2018, Bianca joined the Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center (MSBEC) as Communications & Development Director and now serves as Executive Director. With DEIAJ guiding principles, in this role, she most enjoys steering organizational strategy, weaving strong partnerships, and supporting a talented team.

Grounded in her lived experience of both access and barriers to public lands, Bianca hopes to serve as a guide and ambassador to other Latinx & BIPOC folks who want to connect with and discover their own relationship to nature. Through this work, she aspires to connect on a deeper level with the Latinx community, expand access to the outdoors, and cultivate future generations of environmental stewards.

Program Coordinator

Bianca García (she/her/hers)

Bianca was born in Mexico City, where her love of the outdoors and environment was also born amidst poor air quality when she learned that trees purify the air we breathe. Her family moved to Denver when she was seven and she has lived there since. Her love of exploring the outdoors grew with the opportunities she had in undergrad at the University of Denver, where she double-majored in Environmental Science and International Studies, with a Sustainability minor. During study abroad, she was introduced to her first outdoor community with University of Tasmania’s Bushwalking (hiking) Club. After graduation, Bianca was employed by the City and County of Denver where she still works as an Energy Management Analyst, overseeing energy efficiency projects and renewable energy adoption for Denver’s municipal buildings. Bianca enjoys making the time to travel near and far, finding herself in different countries and cultures, and experiencing these through the outdoors by hiking and camping whenever possible. As a Latino Outdoors Co-Program Coordinator for Colorado, Bianca will work to foster partnerships with surrounding organizations that align with the mission of Latino Outdoors and hopes to diversify Colorado’s programming to better serve the Latinx community with new and exciting opportunities.

Outings Leader

Beny Romo (he/him/his)

Beny Romo (he/him/his) was born in Elgin, IL. He currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his girlfriend (Lupe) and two dogs (Frijol and Jackson). When he isn’t working or volunteering, he likes to go rock climbing (indoors and outdoors), hiking, birdwatching, and eating.

When he was a child, his family would enjoy nature together, having picnics by the Fox river, going on bike rides through the woods, and spending a day on the beaches of Lake Michigan. Beny went to the University of Illinois at Chicago and received a B.S. in Bioengineering. He now works as a project manager for Amtelco.

Since moving to Madison, Wisconsin, his joy for the outdoors has only grown. As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader for the Wisconsin chapter he hopes create opportunities for others in his community to build relationships and enjoy the outdoors.

Volunteer

Balam Mendoza Roldan

He was born and raised in a small town in Hidalgo, Mexico, called San Mateo Tlajomulco. Growing up surrounded by the strength of his mother, the wisdom of his grandmother, and the companionship of his sister, his earliest connection to the outside world was through simple but meaningful tasks: “juntar leña,” carrying water on a burro, and cultivating the land. These experiences gave him a deep respect for nature, hard work, and the quiet rhythm of rural life.

In 2005, driven by dreams larger than his hometown could hold, he packed a backpack and migrated north. His first stop was California, where he began to carve a new path. By 2007, he discovered what would become his home—Colorado. The mountains, the stillness, and the clear night skies reminded him of his roots, while also offering new opportunities to build a life.

Today, he is a full-time builder, a devoted father, son, and husband. He is the proud father of two curious and spirited boys: one is 21, already stepping into adulthood, and the other is 9, full of playful energy. He loves long walks, cycling with his youngest, and cherishing the beauty of everyday life in the mountains.

As a volunteer with Latino Outdoors, he is eager to share his enthusiasm, energy, and ideas. For him, it is about creating community, leaving a positive mark, and most of all belonging.

Program Coordinator

Azalia Rodríguez (she/her/ella)

Azalia was born and raised in Dallas where she was exposed to the outdoors through sports: running and soccer. She always loved the outdoors and had a passion for animals. Her passions intersected and allowed her to continue running cross-country in college. She earned her associate degree in Biology from Western Texas College and later earned a running scholarship to Eastern New Mexico University where she gained her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Production Management. When she was fresh out of college she moved to Boulder, Colorado where her passion for wilderness was ignited by wildlife, hiking, and camping at State and National parks with her husband. Her passion for wildlife and wilderness took her all around the world to Australia where she gained her master’s degree in wildlife biology and conservation from The University of Queensland Australia. She now resides in Austin, Texas as The Texas Representative for Defenders of Wildlife where she advocates for imperiled species found in the Hill Country and the importance of representation in wildlife conservation.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Austin, Azalia fosters a curiosity about wildlife and the coexistence between humans and wildlife. She assists in bringing the Latino community together to explore lands, promote conservation practices, and educate the importance of acknowledging your own story by sharing what it means to be proud of your culture.

Volunteer

Avi Villegas (she/her/ella)

Avi (she/her/ella) was born and raised in Colorado and has called Texas home since 2015. Her passion for social change led her to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work at St. Edward’s University, followed by a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. Avi is deeply passionate about the environment, mental health, and social advocacy, and she believes in the power of community healing through connection with nature. A dedicated traveler and explorer, Avi finds joy in discovering new places and grounding herself in the outdoors.

As a volunteer with Latino Outdoors, she hopes to foster inclusive and healing spaces where others—especially within Latinx communities—can connect with nature and one another.

Outings Leader

Auria Martinez

Auria Martinez was born in Oaxaca, Mexico but grew up in Costa Mesa, CA. Her parents and ancestors hold a deep connection to the land but it took her awhile to find her own connection to the earth. Her love for nature blossomed while living in Washington, D.C., and witnessing the seasons change. She began camping with her queer community in West Virginia, exploring the Shenandoah mountains in the fall and chasing waterfalls in the winter. She is obsessed with flowers and since moving to the bay has started birdwatching. She understand the need for all of us to connect and honor the earth now more than ever. Auria earned a degree in Sociology and Latin American Studies from UC Santa Barbara.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer in the Bay Area, she is passionate about connecting Latinx communities to the outdoors right in their backyard!

Outings Leader

Ashley Ortiz

Ashley Lynn Ortiz was born and raised in Eagle Pass, Texas, where her love for the outdoors began. As a child, she spent countless hours immersed in nature—playing in the dirt, collecting rocks, and swimming in the river. Over time, she lost that connection, but is now rediscovering her roots and embracing the outdoors with the same curiosity and wonder she had as a little girl.

Ashley earned her Associate of Arts degree from Southwest Texas Junior College and currently resides in San Antonio, Texas, where she works as a babysitter and substitute teacher.

As a Latino Outdoors Outing Leader for the San Antonio chapter, Ashley is passionate about creating inclusive, safe spaces for her community to explore nature and express themselves. She hopes to inspire others to see the outdoors as both a playground and a place of peace. By blending her love for art, mindfulness, and nature, Ashley encourages people to tap into their creativity and strengthen their personal connection to the world around them. She believes that through shared experiences in the outdoors, we not only reconnect with nature but also with each other and ourselves.

Program Coordinator

Ariel Barrios Jr. (he/el)

Ariel Barrios Jr. (he/el) is a first-generation Latino born in the vibrant city of Chicago, Illinois. His mother hails from Guerrero, Mexico, and his father from Coatepeque, Guatemala. For Ariel, growing up in the city meant that “the outdoors” was as simple as going to the nearest park or corner store. It wasn’t until his early twenties that he had the opportunity to reimagine what being outdoors truly meant. After hiking part of the Appalachian Trail and ice climbing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, something sparked within him—a calling to build community and help others discover their own connection to nature.

Ariel began his journey with Latino Outdoors as an Outings Leader for the Chicago chapter, where he helped create inclusive outdoor experiences and foster community connections. Now based in Madison, Wisconsin, he has found friends who have become family, and together they co-founded the Wisconsin chapter of Latino Outdoors.

As a Program Coordinator for the Wisconsin chapter, Ariel is dedicated to creating safe, welcoming third spaces where Latino communities can build meaningful relationships with nature and one another—redefining what it means to be “outdoorsy” through culture, connection, and shared experiences.

Program Coordinator

Araceli Hernández (she/they)

Aracelis’ father is from Zacatecas, Mexico and her mother is from Sylmar, CA. Araceli was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She lived here for at least 22 years before venturing out to her local national forest, the Angeles National Forest, a 30-45 minute drive from her house. Araceli had a passion for community organizing and social justice and was quickly introduced to the many issues within the environmental justice field and how that related to her own experiences. Since then, Araceli founded 818hikes, which is an education, advocacy and hiking based community in the San Fernando Valley. She leads a variety of hikes, targeted towards beginners, to connect more Angelenos to the Angeles National Forest, which is in their backyard. In addition, she works as a program organizer for LA Nature for All. Araceli obtained her Bachelor’s in Social Work from California State University, Los Angeles, as well as her California Naturalist Certification.

As a Latino Outdoors Program Coordinator for Los Angeles, Araceli will be supporting hikes, as well as the LA|Latino Outdoors social media. Araceli is also excited to re-connect Angelenos with the outdoors!

Outings Leader

Antonella De La Tore Marcenaro (she/her(s)/ella)

Antonella (she/her/hers/ella) is a nature-lover with a passion for intergenerational experiential education and mentorship. She was born in Lima, Peru, and has found her current home right outside of Watsonville, CA, on land stolen from the Amah Mutsun and Awaswas people. While studying UC Santa Cruz, Antonella developed a deep love, appreciation, and respect for surrounding ecoregions. Though she pursued social sciences, she continued to deepen her relationship with the land, learning natural history and beginning her journey as an outdoor educator. She began working with youth teaching farm and garden education in 2012. Now she works as a teacher and facilitator of natural history, experiential science, sensory awareness, and relationship building with the living earth to folx of all ages. Her passion project, PUENTES, a Spanish-English nature connection program for young adults ages 18-25 that identify as BIPOC and/or LatinX, will pilot in the Spring of 2023 and she is excited to offer this program to her community. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for the Central Coast, Antonella will combine her passion for learning from the outdoors and her strong facilitation skills to co-create memorable outdoor experiences with the Latino Outdoors Community.

Volunteer

Anna Sanchez

Anna was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She has moved around MN all the way from Glencoe to Montgomery and then back to the cities. Living out in the country has given her another perspective of the small town feeling and has made her love for nature stronger. As a kid she was always wild, never an indoor cat. Growing up, her family would go to Wisconsin to camp in the summers and would continue that tradition until today. Modern day Anna lives in Minneapolis and works a full-time job and is trying to go back to school to become an engineer.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Minneapolis, Anna will continue to share her outdoor experience with others and hopefully fulfill other visions of being outdoors and connecting with nature.

Outings Leader

Ángela Tinajero (she/her)

Ángela (she/her) was born and raised in a suburb of Chicago where outdoor activities were limited. Her best memories were on her tio’s farm in rural Illinois, far from the smog of the city. There, they would camp under the stars, and this would ignite a love for the peace only the outdoors can offer.
Ángela pursued a career in massage therapy and moved to Madison, WI to attend Aveda Institute. Through her education, Ángela became closer with the healing powers of plants, furthering her love of the outdoors and how we can combine herbal remedies to heal stress by reconnecting with nature. Being located in the capital of WI, Madison, boasted many outdoor sports as well as the UW Badgers, where Ángela works as a licensed massage therapist.

As a Latino Outdoors Leader for Madison, WI, Ángela will work to provide a safe and open space for the Latinx community and offer activities to those who are both experienced and inexperienced, such as hiking, camping, or arts and crafts nights. Ángela is excited to lead hiking trips and yoga sessions while also providing education on mindfulness and self care through methods of forest baths and plant therapies.

Outings Leader

Andrea Moreno

Andrea is a Xicana public health leader based in Baltimore, MD. Born and raised in San Antonio, TX, she developed a love for exploring rivers and connecting with nature. Her passion for environmental health grew during her Master of Public Health studies, where she became actively involved in climate justice initiatives and efforts to increase access to the Chesapeake Bay.

As the Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Baltimore, Andrea collaborates with communities of the global majority to enhance access, knowledge, and recreational use of local green spaces and rivers. Through her work, she aims to foster stronger connections between people and their natural surroundings.

Outings Leader

Andrea Kurth (she/her/ella)

Andrea is a bicultural community advocate who has worked to increase justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in conservation and on public lands for nearly five years. She was born in Colombia, raised in San Antonio, Texas, has lived on four continents, and has called Colorado home since 2018. Andrea is an active member of the Next 100 Colorado, a coalition of organizations and individuals working to ensure that Colorado’s public lands and waters reflect the face of the state. Professionally, Andrea leverages her bicultural roots and Spanish language skills to increase equitable access to the outdoors as the Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Program Manager. In her free time, Andrea hikes, rafts, skis, and lays in her hamaca around her home in Frisco. She’s excited to join Latino Outdoors to increase LO offerings in the Central Mountains region of Colorado.

André Sanchez (he/him/él)

André volunteers with Latino Outdoors as both a Program Coordinator and Advisory Board member.

Growing up in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, André was raised in the agriculturally-fueled and Latine-dominated community of Madera, CA. A community where working the land was the norm and recreating in nature seemed foreign to most members. Fortunately, one of André’s immigrant uncles discovered the joys of getting outdoors and shared the discovery with the family. Through several impactful family trips to the Sierra Nevada mountains and iconic Yosemite National Park, André ultimately developed a passion for conservation and restoration work.

This passion led him to earn his B.S. in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology from UC Davis. Thereafter, André went on to work for several state and federal agencies, where he worked on habitat restoration and wildlife monitoring projects, including conducting amphibian surveys for Yosemite National Park and monitoring trout populations in southern California’s Santa Monica Mountains. After gaining perspective from his work experiences, André returned to school to pursue an M.S. in Natural Resources with a Watershed Management emphasis at Humboldt State University.

Now residing again in the Madera/Fresno area, André serves as the San Joaquin Valley Organizer for CalWild, where he engages, informs and organizes the area’s communities to advocate for and protect public lands, including some of the outdoor places and ecosystems that inspired him. Outside of this, André coaches youth wrestling and loves to backpack, hike, rock climb, and simply observe nature’s raw beauty.

As the Latino Outdoors Volunteer for Sacramento, André works towards inspiring others about the importance of protecting natural resources by sharing his knowledge of rivers, wildlife, and the different environmental services they provide for people, including clean water, clean air, and respite from everyday life. As a member of the Board, he hopes to further this effort and expand his support of LO’s mission.

Program Coordinator

Anahí Naranjo (she/her/hers)

Anahí is an environmental justice advocate and oral historian born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. She immigrated to New York City in 2002. In those years, she was exposed to stark environmental injustices from living close to a toxic Superfund site and not having access to green spaces to seeing the impacts of climate change firsthand on her agrarian community in Ecuador. This drove her to pursue a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Middlebury College followed by an M.A. in Oral History from Columbia University. She has conducted various oral history projects and drives her non-profit communications work with a mission to elevate stories of BIPOC communities on the frontlines of pollution and the climate crisis. Her current oral history project, the Pachamama Oral History Project, aims to document the impacts of climate change on the physical and cultural landscapes of agrarian communities in Ecuador and beyond. She has been a volunteer with Latino Outdoors since 2017.

Outings Leader

Ana Rojas (she/her(s)/ella)

Ana Rojas (she/her(s)/ella) was born and raised in San Antonio Texas as first generation Mexican American. Her love for the outdoors started when she was a child, her parents always worked hard for the “American Dream” but always made time for family adventures. Scenic drives through the beautiful hill country, swimming in the natural spring waters, and camping on the sea shores of the gulf, core memories that would shape her into the outdoor enthusiasts she is now. Outside of her day to day life, she enjoys outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, biking, swimming, camping and is always open to trying something new. Through visiting the local Texas State Parks she grew a deeper appreciation for the outdoors and quickly grew into a passionate advocate paving her way to giving back to the parks through volunteering opportunities. In 2019 she started volunteering with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Ambassador Program and has been involved ever since. Her involvement with community outreach sparked her interest in providing others with the knowledge and resources needed to enjoy the outdoors, These opportunities opened different avenues to volunteer with other local organizations, one of those being Latino Outdoors.

As a Latino Outdoors Volunteer for San Antonio, Ana will be a guide to her community, facilitating and coordinating events along side other members to ensure equity in the outdoors for the Latinx community, provide access to connect and enjoy the beautiful outdoors while preserving Texas natural resources.

Outings Leader

Amy Hernández (she/ella)

Amy was born in New London, Connecticut and spent her childhood moving between Connecticut and Hawai’i. Amy’s love for the outdoors was passed down from her parents who took her camping, waterfall chasing, and generally encouraged time outside. Although her family had little awareness of the mainstream outdoors community, their deep cultural relationship with the outdoors transferred into Amy’s ongoing aventuras and passion to explore. Amy went on to study and earn a Bachelors of Science in Materials Engineering at the University of Connecticut, where her love for the outdoors was amplified through participation in outdoors activities and clubs. Now Amy is working as an engineer for an aerospace company and also pursuing a Masters of Engineering. She uses her position to encourage confidence in Latinx youth to pursue their dreams, whether it be within STEM fields, the arts, or in their personal lives. Amy identifies her time in the outdoors as a key source of confidence and drive to move forward through obstacles, as a Latino Outdoors outings leader for Connecticut, Amy will provide opportunities for the Latinx community to move into less familiar spaces and allow themselves to grow.

Outings Leader

Amalia Vasquez-Beld

Amalia was born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in Avon, Colorado. Her family spent a great deal of time in nature when she was little, however she lost her connection to the outdoors as time passed. It wasn’t until the birth of her twins that Amalia made it a priority to start getting outside again. Amalia works for a nonprofit with a mission to support single parents on their journey to achieving self-sufficiency. The nonprofit where she works partners with the Wyoming Food Bank, and Amalia has made it her mission to ensure that her nonprofit is food-inclusive while helping those facing food insecurity. Amalia has recently obtained her bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership. She is the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree breaking the generational barrier all while raising a family with five children.
Amalia enjoys reading a variety of genres, cooking, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, and soaking up as much sunshine as possible.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Wyoming, Amalia will connect with her community to share all that Wyoming has to offer throughout the seasons.

Volunteer

Alyssa Saldarriaga

Alyssa Saldarriaga is a South Florida native who is passionate about protecting the diverse ecosystems that exist here and empowering others to do so. Over the last four years in her role as a Science Educator at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, she was responsible for developing Gumbo Limbo’s first celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and overseeing their seasonal events and public and school programs.

In her current role with The Everglades Foundation, Alyssa works to train teachers on how to implement Everglades Literacy in their classrooms to educate and inspire our next generation of leaders.
Overall, Alyssa aspires to always inspire environmental curiosity, critical thinking, and enthusiasm.

As a Latino Outdoors Ambassador for Miami, Alyssa will act as a bridge between the important, diverse ecosystems of South Florida, and the Latinx communities, to ultimately help create a deeper understanding of our environment, so our communities can make informed decisions with representation while fostering healthy relationships with the world around.

Outings Leader

Alma Padilla (she/her/ella)

Alma hails from the west Texas town of El Paso. She and her family recently threw down roots along the banks of the Hudson River in Ossining, NY, a la vuelta de la esquinita from their old stomping grounds in The Bronx. She earned her degree in biology from Cornell University, where she first experienced hiking and camping. After graduating, she worked in conservation field work throughout the western U.S. Alma later returned home to become a public high school science teacher.

Up until recently, she taught middle school science at an all-girls private school in New York City, where she founded the school’s first sustainability team. Always looking to stay a bit feral even in the big city, Alma regularly pursued field work during summer breaks. She twice served as a mentor in The Nature Conservancy’s Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future (LEAF) Program. Most recently, she contributed to projects in México and in NYC in herpetology, the study of amphibians and reptiles. Alma now works as the Community Outreach Coordinator at Teatown Reservation in Ossining, where her efforts focus on connecting with and leveraging local resources to create equitable access to all the nature that Teatown has to offer. Alma also recently earned her New York State Master Naturalist certification, so feel free to quiz her on flora, fauna, and general natural history during hikes to keep her sharp!

Alma just welcomed a new baby, and in addition to her preschooler, looks forward to being a “stay-outside-mom” with them, to quote Shanti Hodges, thus ensuring that communing with nature is second nature to both of her daughters, right from the start.

As an Outings Leader of the NYC team, Alma seeks to use her experiences to help demystify the outdoors to newcomers, and to plant the seed of stewardship in all participants. Above all, she will strive to use her culture and language to demonstrate that we all belong in nature, to nature, and thus share responsibility for it.

Outings Leader

Allen Cárdenas (he/him)

Allen is from Modesto, California. After growing up in the Central Valley, he moved to Washington, D.C. to study at American University where he majored in International Studies and Spanish. It was during this time when he developed his passion for the outdoors. Influential professors, firsthand accounts of environmental injustice, and the love of simply being outside allowed him to see the intersectionality between the outdoors and justice. After traveling and seeing diverse landscapes, Allen was comforted to see how easy it was to connect with so many different people over nature, a fire, or a drink of water on trail.

Allen serves as a Washington Outings Leader and lives in Seattle. He hopes to create and facilitate programming that is inclusive of varying abilities and skill levels. His favorite part about volunteering is taking someone on their very first hike. However, he also hopes to show that nature does not have to be a far-away, romanticized concept, but it can also be as accessible as exploring our own neighborhood.

Allen works for the National Park Service as an Outdoor Recreation Planner – Visitor Use Management Specialist in the Park Planning division. There he helps parks address issues related to capacity and conditions while trying to incorporate mindful and sustainable principles of access and equity into his work In his free time, he enjoys running in his neighborhood, biking to his favorite doughnut or coffeeshop, hiking peaks in the Cascades, and (attempting) rock climbing.

Outings Leader

Ali Garza

Ali was born and raised in Falfurrias, Texas, a small community ninety miles north of the Mexican border, where his love and appreciation for the outdoors began. Summers were spent with his grandparents. He was always curious about the various types of wildlife and plants that filled the property. Early morning walks with his Grandpa started his education of the outdoors. He would ask all kinds of questions: What are we planting today? What kind of critter makes that sound? Simple questions to some, but answers that would last a lifetime.

Eventually, Ali would join Boy Scouts where his curiosity would pivot from his grandparents’ backyard to various summers camps and activities. During this time, he would learn from others but also share the knowledge that he had gained from his grandfather. Now as an adult, Ali continues to learn and share his love for the outdoors with his San Antonio community.

Ali has been volunteering with Latino Outdoors San Antonio for the past two years, helping with various tabling events and making sure things ran smoothly in the background. For the last year he’s taken on the role Social Media Manager, where’s he’s been able to really connect and network with his San Antonio Community. Together with his partner Elaine, he continues to explore all that Texas has to offer. He continues to be that curious scout wanting to learn and he continues to share what his grandfather taught him all those years ago.

Outings Leader

Alexa Ortega Senter (she/her/ella)

Alexa’s roots go back at least seven generations in California, and her mixed-race identity reflects this land’s long, rich, and complicated colonial history. Growing up connected to and with the plants, animals, and geology of Central California was a grounding force during a sometimes chaotic childhood.

For over 15 years, Alexa has worked with farmers, chefs, and nonprofits to develop inclusive marketing and communications campaigns that explore and strengthen the link between the land, the people who cultivate it, the food it produces, and the people it feeds.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for the SF Bay Area, Alexa is excited to be part of outings that allow us all to deepen our relationships with the natural world around us and the people we share it with throughout the seasons of the year and our lives.

Alexa is also a big nerd for weather and climate science, California native plants, wild animals, cooking, pottery, and, if we’re being totally honest, Star Trek.

Program Coordinator

Albert Arévalo (he/him)

A native Texan and lover of BBQ, Albert is a proud alumnus of Texas State University-San Marcos—Eat ‘Em Up, Cats! Albert is passionate about making services accessible to everyone, particular minorities and low income communities. He been fortunate to work alongside colleagues and organizations that align with his moral compass. From connecting youth to their local parks to leading a Regional Litter Campaign in DC Albert is dedicated to improving the quality of life of the individuals he works with. In his free time, Albert loves to play tennis, hike, tweet on behalf of @PetTurtleOliver, and play kickball.

Outings Leader

Aimara Rodriguez (she/her(s))

Aimara Rodriguez is a first-generation Honduran-American who believes movement and outdoor access should be available to everyone. Born in Brooklyn, raised in Birmingham, and having spent a decade in the Bronx before making Colorado her home, she has built a career at the intersection of startups, technology, and nonprofit strategy.

After experiencing burnout early in her career, she realized how essential movement was—not just for physical health, but for longevity, mental resilience, and overall well-being. That realization led her to integrate fitness and the outdoors into her life, ultimately fueling her passion for making movement more accessible, inclusive, and sustainable for others. Now, in addition to her work in business strategy and community impact, she collaborates with organizations such as Denver Parks & Recreation, Special Olympics Colorado, and the Colorado Wildlife Federation to create pathways for historically excluded communities to engage in movement, recreation, and outdoor experiences.

A passionate advocate for inclusive outdoor spaces, Aimara enjoys hiking, mountaineering, and strength training. She is currently on a mission to complete all of Colorado’s 14ers and, as of June 2023, has summited 18 of the 58 peaks. She is also Wilderness First Responder certified, ensuring she is equipped to handle backcountry medical situations and support safe outdoor experiences. As an Outings Leader for LO Colorado, she helps the Latinx community build confidence in the outdoors—whether through beginner 14er ascents, personalized fitness routines, or simply finding joy in movement.

Outings Leader

Aileen Palma (she/her)

Aileen was born and raised in Colorado. She always had an interest in science and the outdoors, but never pursued that interest until college. After completing a couple of classes in Outdoor Leadership/Instruction along with an internship in Grand Canyon, her passion for engaging the public in nature grew. Whether she is working as an educator or an instructor, she is always learning how to best connect her groups to the outdoors. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for Las Vegas, Aileen will be providing a safe space for Latinx communities and supporting her team so that they may facilitate the best experience for each unique group that we work with.

Volunteer

Aidé Villalobos (she/ella)

Aidé (she/ella) was born in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco and raised in Beaumont, California where she played sports with her six brothers at the local parks. She enjoyed family trips in a station wagon to Mexico and remembers the beautiful beaches, green jungles, rugged mountains, and dry deserts. After high school, her brother took her to another type of park – National Parks! This sparked her own road trips to learn firsthand about the natural and cultural histories of the lands.

Aidé graduated from CSU San Marcos and became a bilingual teacher in dual language programs to help heritage speakers of Spanish to maintain their language and take pride in their cultural identity. After learning about the Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program, she spent a summer working and living in Grand Teton National Park and it was here that she noticed that Latinos rarely visited the park. After getting her master’s in education from UCLA, Aidé moved to Washington’s South Puget Sound area where she continues to teach and inspire youth to explore the outdoors and learn from nature.

Aidé loved National Parks so much, that she got married on Jenny Lake in Grand Teton NP. Thirteen years later, she enjoys family road trips, adventures in other countries, endurance races and storytelling to teach her children about their family history as well as about the incredible travesuras of their abuelos and tíos.

As a Latino Outdoors volunteer for Seattle, WA, Aidé will serve as a bilingual facilitator of the outdoors for those who want to access it, but don’t feel confident. She hopes this will inspire others to create their own adventures while learning about ways to protect nature.

Outings Leader

Adriana Becerra (she/her/ella)

Adriana Becerra is a proud resident of Visalia, on Yokuts ancestral land in California’s Central Valley. She is a passionate advocate for youth, community, and the environment, with a deep commitment to equity and connection in outdoor spaces.

Her love for teaching and nature flourished through early work in outdoor science and conservation, where she helped young people connect with the land and understand their role in protecting it. A transformative leadership training with Justice Outside grounded in equity and cultural healing further shaped her belief that everyone deserves access to safe, inclusive outdoor experiences.

Today, Adriana volunteers with Latino Outdoors Fresno, leading bilingual, intergenerational outings that uplift QTBIPOC communities and reconnect people with nature. She also works in community development, helping elevate resident voices in water and land use planning across the region.

In her free time, Adriana enjoys exploring new places, making art, and sharing meals with loved ones. She hopes to continue spreading joy, building community, and helping others find healing and belonging in the outdoors.

Outings Leader

Adrian Ríos (he/him)

Adrian (he/him) is a first-generation Mexican American from the Inland Empire. He enjoys running, biking, rock climbing, traveling, reading, and playing guitar. From a young age, Adrian was drawn to the outdoors and developed a strong connection to nature, desiring to go the local mountains, creeks, parks, and beaches. As a result, this would lead him to deciding to major in Environmental Studies at Cal Poly Pomona. As of 2024, he is now graduated and landed a position with the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District as a Restoration Technician.

As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader for the Inland Empire region, Adrian will lead engaging outdoor activities for the Latino community and educate folks on the local ecology. He seeks to help people connect more with nature and feel empowered to take action against the climate crisis.

Volunteer

Adam Foster

Adam Foster is a passionate outdoor enthusiast and dedicated community member who values family, sustainability, and cultural connection. With experience in organizing community events and teaching sustainable gardening practices, he brings people together through nature, education, and shared values. Adam enjoys hiking, gardening with native plants, and finding meaningful ways to connect with others through local initiatives.