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Rooted in Nature: Finding Belonging with Latino Outdoors

por Ashley Ortiz

Making friends and finding a community can be challenging, especially as we get older. For a long time, I struggled to find a group where I felt like I truly belonged. That changed when I took a leap of faith and joined Latino Outdoors for a park walk. I was incredibly nervous and almost backed out, but once I arrived, I was warmly welcomed despite the group already being familiar with one another. They greeted me enthusiastically, offered snacks and drinks, and made sure I felt comfortable.

We started with a guided nature meditation, which I found very enjoyable. From there, I had the chance to connect with everyone. I never felt like an outsider; instead, I was genuinely included and got to know some fantastic people. They were funny, engaging, and kind. At the end of the walk, we gathered for a closing session with mini raffles. To my surprise, I won a meditation pillow that I still use regularly.

Since then, I’ve stayed connected through social media and continued to participate in more hikes, campouts, and events. Josie, Elaine, and Daniel have become particularly significant to me. They’ve been incredibly supportive, offering advice and information about camping and keeping me updated on upcoming events. Their help and encouragement have been invaluable.

Joining Latino Outdoors has been a transformative experience. I finally feel like I’ve found a community that accepts me and shares my love for the outdoors. They’ve never made me feel self-conscious about my Spanish, and their warmth and inclusivity have made me feel truly at home. Being part of this group is a blessing, and I’m excited to keep learning and growing with them. Having this community to turn to is a wonderful feeling.

Ashely is a 27-year-old Latino woman with a deep love for art, from painting, and drawing to pottery. Crafting beverages like coffee, smoothies, and teas is another passion. She thrives in the great outdoors, enjoying activities such as hiking, swimming, and biking. Known for being friendly and caring, Ashely takes pleasure in helping others and building connections. Art, nature, and community are central to her life, shaping how she expresses herself and engaging with the world around her.

A Conversation with Una Semillita

por Luisa Vargas

Semillitas Outdoors is Latino Outdoors’ annual celebration of Latine children in the outdoors. From April 20 to April 28, we’ll be hosting virtual and in-person events that center the experience of Latine children and their families. 

This week is important to LO for many reasons. We understand that kids are the foundation of a vibrant future. Fostering a love for the outdoors early in life provides life-long benefits to individuals and the community. It’s also a way of honoring our raíces and our culturas which have always emphasized the importance of maintaining a connection between generations. 

Last year at a LO campout I met Maddie, a middle schooler and fellow Texan who enjoys being out in nature and has been uniquely touched by the magic of the LO comunidad from a very young age. Her grandma, Josie Gutierrez, happens to be LO’s Texas Regional Coordinator and has been fostering Maddie’s love for the outdoors since she was only four years old. 

This is the transcript of segments of a conversation held on April 3, 2024, between Luisa Vargas and Maddie. Portions of this transcript have been edited for clarity and accuracy.

Interview Transcript:

What is your favorite thing about being outdoors? 

My favorite thing about being outdoors is seeing different plants and getting to learn more about them and different animals. I like all plants, and sometimes my favorite varies depending on how I feel. It’s kind of like whenever somebody asks me what my favorite song is. 

Do you have a favorite plant of the day?

I feel like bluebonnets are my favorite plant today. They have been blooming everywhere. 

What is your favorite memory of being outdoors? 

My favorite memory of being outdoors is probably my first campout with Latino Outdoors when I was four years old at Garner State Park. My grandma took me, my grandpa, my aunt, and my mom, and we went swimming in the Frio River and hiked a little bit. 

Have you gotten to go back since? 

Yes, many, many times. Not this year so far, but hopefully I will be able to. 

What’s your favorite place to camp in Texas? 

There are so many. It’s very hard to choose. I’m very indecisive about that. 

Can you tell us about when you started going to LO events and the person who started taking you? 

I started going to LO events when I was around five and my grandma started taking me. At LO events, we would table and we would help show kids about being in the outdoors and what’s fun about it. 

What is your favorite Semillitas Outdoors memory?

Probably tabling with my grandma. We get to help kids make little rocks, and they get to put their favorite thing about nature on them. I usually draw butterflies and ladybugs and flowers.

What advice would you give a person your age about going hiking or camping? 

I would probably say to bring comfy shoes and shoes that you don’t mind, to get a little bit messy and to not be nervous about it because it’s really fun. 

What is something that you’ve gotten better at or have overcome since you started going outdoors? 

Pack less when I go camping!

What do you want to be when you grow up and why? 

Right now, I’m indecisive about what I want to do, but I just know that I want to go to college in New York at NYU and just travel. I’m a city girl who still enjoys being outside.

Cinema conquers the heart of Mexico

por Alejandro Santillán

Cinema has given many of us fortunate ones valuable experiences, yet the seventh art is not universally accessible. In Durango, México considered ‘the land of Mexican cinema,’ this is particularly embarrassing.

With 70 years of history as a pioneer and reference in the western genre, Durango has been nothing more than a stopover for major studios, a one-night romance that, at dawn, is abandoned to its fate, under the promise that some other Hollywood giant will come to visit. The sweet taste of this masquerade has become bitter over time, turning a cultural legacy into an obsolete lie that convinces neither foreigners nor the people of Durango.

However, under the shadows, an army has begun to form. A generation of emerging filmmakers who have taken on the commitment to redefine the heritage of their land’s already outdated name, to reclaim cinema, transform it, and make it as communal as it always should have been. Through their unique vision and talent, a movement has emerged in the heart of Mexico that has spread to neighboring states, seeking to take the stories of northern Mexican culture to new horizons.

The very specific social issues of their town and the conditions that embrace it have begun to have a face through its people and traveled to unimaginable corners thanks to the big screen and the new formats of today’s cinema.

But not only that. The hunger to reclaim the title of the land of cinema is such that these young people now lead social projects like ‘Cine Nómada,’ which takes knowledge to rural communities in the state to dignify the stories that happen every day, make them visible, and thus begin to awaken a new feeling, one that promises to bring progress to towns that have remained hidden for a long time.

While the potential of the people of Durango is admirable, to transform their reality, more people need to join, beyond its residents. Our greatest contribution will be to become ambassadors of the movement, give them a voice from where we are, and share their cause with the world.

For me, that is the mission. I will continue writing until my words find eyes eager to discover a new adventure that will elevate the lifestyle of people in vulnerable situations through the nobility of culture. Do you accept the challenge?

Alejandro Santillán is an independent writer, convinced that culture is a path to the progress of communities. Currently, he works as a coordinator and communication strategist within the government of the State of Durango. Through his work, he brings visibility to the diverse culture that the northern territory of Mexico possesses, highlighting its needs.