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Category: Introductions to the Outdoors

How Accessible Is Accessible: The Great Outdoors

por Denise Vásquez

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved being outdoors, I’ve always felt a connection to nature, and I’ve always loved traveling. People always seem surprised when they find out that a nature lover like me grew up in New York City. I can assure you that whether I was living in the Bronx, on Roosevelt Island, or in Manhattan…I always had access to gardens, rivers, parks, and more. As a child, during the summer months, my mother would send me from New York City to Puerto Rico for visits with my grandparents. I remember being in awe of the mountains that looked like giant waves frozen in time. I remember being in awe of the color of the ocean that reminded me of turquoise jewelry. I remember being in awe of the wildlife roaming free in the great outdoors. I remember how happy I saw big skies filled with colorful clouds. I remember how I cried tears of joy the first time I saw stars in the sky outside of a planetarium. That feeling of being in awe of nature’s power still resonates with me today! There is something uplifting, healing, and sacred about being outdoors. I’ve always felt a connection with nature’s energy, whether I’m in the ocean, surrounded by trees, near red rocks, or in the sand! Being outdoors, connecting with nature has always made me happy!

My dream job has always been being a traveling photographer, writer, and artist. I left home at the age of seventeen and have been traveling since. Having lived in New York City, Scotland, London, The U.S. Virgin Islands, and California, and traveling to Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Wales, and all over Great Britain…led me to not only discovering sunrises, sunsets, and night skies, it led me to discover myself. I learned many things, including the fact that I am at my happiest whenever I’m outdoors, experiencing new places, connecting with nature and people while photographing colorful moments, creating videos, and writing about my experiences.

“I remember being in awe of the mountains that looked like giant waves frozen in time. I remember being in awe of the color of the ocean that reminded me of turquoise jewelry. I remember being in awe of the wildlife roaming free in the great outdoors. I remember how happy I saw big skies filled with colorful clouds.”

For many years, I worked for different companies as a professional photographer, and I loved my photography jobs because the work I did involved me doing photography outdoors. That was until I got injured at my last job almost 3 years ago. I ended up getting lost in a corrupt system, ended up with achilles tendon injuries, CRPS, chronic pain, anxiety, sleeping disorder, and other issues…which left me being permanently disabled. I have experienced many obstacles in my life, but the last 3 years have been some of my biggest challenges. I went from crutches, wheelchairs (motorized & manual), rolling walker, cane, and walking sticks, to currently being back on my feet for short periods of time.

As I am a positive person, I do everything I can to stay focused on things that make me happy! Every day is a new day, but with each day comes a new challenge, not only with the chronic pain, CRPS, achilles tendon injuries, and my permanent disability but just trying to live in a world where equality does not exist, especially when it comes to accessibility! I refuse to allow the obstacles to stop me from following my passion, my purpose, or living my dream, so I find ways to get outdoors because nature is healing! Over the last three years, having access to nature and the outdoors helped in my recovery mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

“I refuse to allow the obstacles to stop me from following my passion, my purpose, or living my dream, so I find ways to get outdoors because nature is healing!”

While facing many challenges, I also noticed that many barriers placed before me are not only due to my personal limitations. For years, I’ve experienced a lack of accessibility to the outdoors, nature, trails, viewpoints, parks, the ocean, and more! I haven’t been able to photograph popular destinations in many State Parks (like Wave in The Valley Of Fire) and some National parks because at some of the parks; there are no ADA Compliant paved trails. While some parks may have one or two “accessible” trails, I’m discovering that many of these trails are not ADA Compliant! We need more ADA Compliant paved walkways, paved trails, and paved viewpoints! As a disabled photographer, I am frustrated with having to be satisfied with either pulling over on the side of the road, being in a parking lot, or in the middle of a road to take photographs! It is not enough, nor is it safe! ADA is the law, and accessibility is a right! If everything happens for a reason, and I went through my experiences to lead me to my purpose, so be it! I am truly happy something positive has come from it!

I created “The Disabled Photographer Project” to bring awareness of what it’s like being a professional traveling photographer, writer, and artist living with a disability. Having access to the outdoors is a fundamental right, and I know too well, having a lifetime of fighting for equal rights as a woman of Puerto Rican descent, how it feels to constantly have to deal with discrimination because of who I am. My purpose in writing blogs and making Youtube videos for my “How Accessible Is Accessible” series is to demonstrate what is really accessible and what isn’t, what changes need to be made by sharing how things are, in hopes of bringing awareness to what can be improved! We are all human beings, and we all have the right to have equal accessibility to nature and the outdoors, whether it’s to connect, to heal, to create, or to be happy. My mission with my work is to also inspire others to slow down long enough to see what we do have: a beautiful world that already exists, that is waiting to be explored, wanting to be appreciated & hoping to be protected. I hope my work can help bring awareness to our beautiful world that needs to be accessible to everyone.

Denise Vásquez is a Puerto Rican, Disabled Photographer, Writer, and Artist who has been published in National Geographic Yourshot, Canon Photo Plus magazine, IMPACT Books, and more! Her photography has been exhibited by the Southwest Environmental Center (Las Cruces, NM), Cleanwave Movement (cleanwave.org), San Diego Fair Exhibition Of Photography (San Diego, CA), Museum Of Ventura County Smith Pavillion (Ventura, CA), and more. Visit www.DeniseVasquezPhotography.com

My non-traditional pathway to my career as a Conservation Warden

por Lt. Juan Gómez

Greetings! I’m Lt. Juan Gómez with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). I have worked as a conservation warden (law enforcement officer) for the state of Wisconsin since 2008 and would like to tell you about my non-traditional pathway to my career as a conservation warden.

I was born and raised in Chicago and grew up in the Humboldt Park neighborhood known for its crime, drugs and violence during the 80s and 90s. By age 11, I had my fair share of gang exposure and witnessed criminal activity daily. But my family knew one thing; they didn’t want me to get involved with drugs or with local gangs, so they sent me off to a recreational youth camp in northern Wisconsin that summer.

As a city kid, this was my first exposure to the outdoors, where I engaged in fishing, camping, canoeing and hiking activities. My love for the outdoors grew immensely because of that summer camp, and when I turned 16, I even became a camp counselor. These experiences led me to pursue a degree in Recreation Management at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

My summer camp adventures brought about my love for the outdoors. But it was my college days that led me to my career with the Wisconsin DNR.

“My love for the outdoors grew immensely because of that summer camp”

During my freshman year of college, I was heading home to Chicago for Thanksgiving break. At the same time, Wisconsin was holding its traditional 9-day deer firearm hunting season that starts the Saturday before Thanksgiving and ends the Sunday after the holiday.

During my ride home from Wisconsin, I couldn’t help but notice all the deer being transported on or in vehicles. This was an unusual view for a city kid whose only exposure to wildlife was a view from Wisconsin’s Northwoods.

When I returned to school the following week, I met with my advisor at the campus multicultural office. I told him about the surprising sight I saw. and he filled me in on the famed Wisconsin deer hunting tradition. The following spring, I enrolled in a Hunter Safety course and participated in my first deer hunt that fall.

In Wisconsin, Hunter Safety courses are offered and put together by volunteer instructors. Alongside these instructors, conservation wardens are available to answer general questions from the public and provide updates on the rules and regulations.

Following the Hunter Safety course, I began researching conservation warden positions available in Wisconsin and found myself more and more passionate about the career. After participating in ride-alongs with various conservation wardens to learn more about their day-to-day work educating people and enforcing laws, I began applying for warden jobs.

In 2008, I was hired fulltime as a Wisconsin DNR conservation warden and have loved every minute of it. Conservation wardens are responsible for protecting natural resources and ensuring the safety of everyone who enjoys the outdoors. Conservation wardens investigate hunting, fishing, environmental, and recreational vehicle violations and rely heavily on the relationships they build in their communities to successfully fulfill their duties.

“Following the Hunter Safety course, I began researching conservation warden positions available in Wisconsin and found myself more and more passionate about the career”.

Throughout my career, I have made it a point to work with others who have had limited exposure to the outdoors. I have organized several Learn to Hunt events exposing families to new hunting traditions. These events have been a great way for me to connect with those who are new to hunting or other outdoor sports.

Conservation wardens are the face of the Wisconsin DNR within the communities they serve. We typically open our hiring process in April each year, and 2021 is no exception. We are looking for great candidates and hope you are able to relate to my experiences and consider applying for a position with the Wisconsin DNR.

  • There are many skills and abilities we look for in warden applicants, such as:
  • A passion for helping people and protecting our natural resources
  • Honesty, integrity, self-motivation, curiosity, confidence and professionalism
  • An ability to self-direct daily work activities in an efficient and accountable manner
  • An interest in community-involvement and problem-solving
  • A desire to communicate with and serve the diverse people of Wisconsin

Explore our warden recruitment website to learn more and sign up for hiring updates! https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/WardenRecruitment

It’s amazing to know that all it takes is an experience or two to help guide us through our life journeys. Had I not reached out to my mentor about my experience that freshman year I would have never been exposed to the “local warden”. My interaction with the local warden that day sparked my interest in the career of natural resource protection and has led me to creating many outdoor memories with my family. I am truly blessed to spend time with my family enjoying the resources I protect.

Abre Los Ojos

por Margarita Vargas Patrón

My mamá immigrated here when she was 20 years old, leaving her home, dreams, and loved ones behind on a questionable promise that she would return. Roughly 40 years later, she is in her home in San Diego talking to me on the phone. We call each other at least three times a week to talk about everything. It almost always ends with my questions about her childhood, my abuelitos, her hometown, and her life before us, her kids. On this particular call, I ask why she thinks I love the outdoors; was there a history of camping in our family?

From her perspective, this question was like most of my probing ones- random and filled with curiosity. This time, there was a purpose because I had never shared my love of the outdoors with her. Now I did, to make up for lost time. I’ve told her about my small hikes, the parks around my neighborhood, and the beaches we’ll explore when she comes to visit me. Before getting to this point, she helped me heal first.

“Allí, tu abuelita hacía de cenar y nos contaba historias bajo las estrellas.”

I considered a biology camping trip my first real encounter with nature. It required all the supplies I thought made it official: a tent (I rented), a sleeping bag (I borrowed), and no indoor plumbing for miles. I loved everything: the fresh air, the campfire, and sleeping under the stars. After that experience, I didn’t question my love for the outdoors. Except for the fact that amongst my friends it was considered a white people thing; it was something that required money- something my family and I didn’t have. Growing up, the common phrase was “no tenemos dinero.” Whenever I overheard a classmate share their upcoming family camping trip or their annual skiing trip, to me there was an unspoken barrier of access and a common thread that only white people had access. That classist and racial distinction made it easier to shrug those experiences as white people things. Internalizing whiteness prevented me from connecting with my mom on something that I didn’t know we both loved- the outdoors.

Because my idea of the outdoors was remarkably limited, I chose not to share my experiences with my mamá. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings; I didn’t want her to say that she wished she could do more. So, I buried this experience and thought I was doing both of us a favor. What I really did was give whiteness all the power to erase my experiences and define the outdoors. Returning to that phone call, her answer was a dose of healing:

“Claro. Íbamos a una casita más allá de la milpa. Allí, tu abuelita hacía de cenar y nos contaba historias bajo las estrellas. Íbamos para ayudarle con las cosechas de frijoles. No mas no le decíamos ‘camping’. Y aunque nosotros no tengamos mucho aquí, sí los llevaba al parque, a la playa, y caminar para tomar aire fresco. Eres libre y la naturaleza está a tu alrededor. Nada más abre tus ojitos, mijita.”

Thanks, mamá.

Margarita is a first-generation immigrant and the first in her family to graduate college. She enjoys reading, cycling, and learning new things. She honors the folks who came before her, who paved the way for any success that has come her way.