Growing up in an Indiana City

por Kasandra Richardson

Growing up in an Indiana city near many industrial pollution sources, I did not have much access to nature. However, when family moved to a nearby town that headquarters the Indiana Dunes National Park, I quickly benefited from experiences with the outdoors and environmental education. These experiences influenced my own education and career trajectory in the conservation field. The towns are only 25 miles away, but demographics and experiences in the outdoors vary greatly.

Kasandra in the outdoors

As a kid, my outdoor experiences were connected to family and food. Whether we were in south Texas or northern Indiana, I understood that being outdoors allowed us to connect in a way that not only strengthened our families, but our cultural expression as well. I innately understood the vastness of ecology just by noticing the differences between the sandy soil and cacti at my Grandpa’s house in south Texas and the lushness at my Aunt’s pond in northern Indiana. I was able to build on this understanding when I began participating in a program at my high school where we went camping and hiking in National Parks as part of a summer history course. Exposure to this type of outdoor recreation was so transformative in my formation of identity – it started me on a path of seeing the outdoors as somewhere I belong.

“I’ve since gone on to earn two degrees and work a variety of jobs in the conservation field, and most of these spaces are predominately white. Existing in these spaces leads me to appreciate what’s missing from the conversation about conservation and outdoor recreation and how these practices show up in LatinX culture even more”.


I used to think “how lucky they are” about people whose families grew up camping and doing the kinds of outdoor activities that we see in outdoor magazines. But this time around, at our most recent “Mendoza Family Reunion,” I had the language to describe the land around me in ecological terms. It was then that I realized how lucky I am to have understood the vastness of ecology and biodiversity before I knew the buzzwords of the conservation field.

Mendoza Family Reunion

How I experience nature now is regularly day-hikes, gardening and at least once a year I value spending a few nights camping and exploring a new place alone. These experiences help me keep myself physically and mentally healthy, I struggle with depression and anxiety and being able to put feet to dirt is incredibly helpful for me. Mental illness is at the same time prevalent and stigmatized in the LatinX community. My small way of fighting that stigma is sharing how nature helps me cope with my younger cousins and taking them on hikes when they visit Indiana. By doing this, I’m also able to share the knowledge I’ve built around the ecological world and outdoor recreation to help foster their relationships with nature that can offer them solace in the future. This is why we need more representation in the conservation field, so that people can share these experiences in authentic and meaningful ways and engage their loved ones in new outdoor activities.

“Today, as we spend more time indoors than ever, I’ve found new ways to connect with nature. Planting pollinator gardens for my family and friends has been a welcome outlet for me during the pandemic. Furthermore, witnessing Monarch’s frequent the garden in my family’s yard is a powerful way to connect with my Mexican heritage. The first Monarch that visited after the milkweed flowered, I’m sure was my grandma visiting”.

“I realized the symbolism of how nopal can exist in the Great Lakes, Mexico, and the American Southwest was important to more than just me”

I’ve also started going outdoors with friends more often, as I usually hike by myself, as a way to connect while staying safe. On my most recent meetup, I pointed out the prickly pear growing at the Indiana Dunes to my friend who’s also a Mexican-American living in the Midwest. The joy on her face was palpable, she snapped a picture for her family and I realized the symbolism of how nopal can exist in the Great Lakes, Mexico and the American Southwest was important to more than just me. Familiarity can be so transformative to how people experience nature, whether it’s a familiar plant or butterfly, a family member or friend, or even an affinity group, these connections can help up bring others outdoors in new ways while recognizing our traditional ways of showing up outdoors as equally valid and important. Affinity spaces and groups are what allow me to continue to work in conservation and participate in outdoor recreation, to survive in these predominantly white geographies and workplaces. They offer a space to heal that is necessary to continue to thrive and build networks where the future looks different than our current reality.

Today, Latino Outdoors means many things to me. It’s the joy on my friend’s face when she saw the nopal hiding in the sand. It’s bringing my cousins to my favorite trail as a little break from our loud (and lovable) family. It’s gardening to support pollinators. It’s family reunions with matching t-shirts in a field in South Texas. It’s visiting National Parks. It’s sitting in the yard.


“Yo Cuento Outdoors” The Stories of Latino Outdoors. Part 9

“Vamos afuera” con Nohemi Mora

Latino Outdoors is a beautiful Latino-Led organization. These leaders are working to create a national community of leaders in conservation and outdoor education. Part of this work is focused on expanding and amplifying the Latino experience in the outdoors; providing greater opportunities for leadership, mentorship and professional opportunities and serving as a platform for sharing cultural connections and narratives that are often overlooked by the traditional movement.

“Vamos afuera” con Nohemi Mora who is an Outdoor Leader in Denver, CO and a first generation Mexican-American (and proud Tejana!) from Dallas, TX.

What are the earliest memories of you in the outdoors with a connection to nature?

My earliest memories in the outdoors connecting to nature are in Mexico. When I was in grade school my mom would take my brother and I to visit family in Guanajuato and Michoacan as soon as summer vacation began and we would stay all the way until the new school year started. I think of my visits to the rancho where my tios live. They would pick us up from my grandma’s house in their trucks. My brother and I loved the fact that we would get to ride in the back of the truck. Back then it took us hours to get to the rancho as there was a bumpy, dirt road that led us there. While we rode in the back with my cousins, we would drive past beautiful scenery. We would see green hills, plenty of farmland, and I remember we would count the number of lizards we saw scrambling across the dirt road (it was like a game). And once we got to my uncles rancho, it was a break from the concrete jungle of home. I loved following my aunts and cousins to the farm and playing amongst the cattle (calves are my favorite farm animal!), sugar cane, and rows of corn. These visits to Mexico definitely planted the seed in me to appreciate nature.

What is your story in relation to what you do now in the outdoor space?

I am an Outings Leader for Latino Outdoors in Colorado. It’s been an exciting journey as I had followed LO on Facebook for a couple of years before I became involved. At that time, the closest active LO group was four hours away from me and at the time it wasn’t feasible for me to get involved. However, when I moved to Denver it was one of the first things I got involved in besides grad school. I’ve led hiking and snowshoeing outings through LO, attended conferences and local events, and made connections with all sorts of environmental organizations. I want to provide opportunities for the Latino community to enjoy the outdoors even though some people think that they aren’t “the outdoorsy type”. I still have ties to Dallas and wish to encourage my friends back home to enjoy the pockets of outdoor spaces that we do have. Once I finish grad school, I hope to combine my interests in Student Affairs and outdoor recreation.

What makes the outdoors special to you and how do you keep that connection?

The views definitely always make an outing worth it but there is much more than that. To me the outdoors is special because it keeps me in tune with my physical strength, I can disconnect from the daily grind, have some time to reflect about the things that matter to me (solo hikes are awesome though sometimes scary!), and I can connect and learn new things about my friends when we go out together. I am very fortunate that at this point in my life I have somewhat of a flexible schedule so I can sometimes go hiking on a random weekday or have long weekends. I can just get in my car and drive into the mountains.

What is your favorite outdoor outing to date?

Love this question because it is very recent! Just this past weekend I went to Glacier National Park to celebrate my birthday. It’s my favorite outing because it seemed like such a distant reality from when I first came up with the idea. I saw an image of St. Marys Lake on Facebook about a year ago and told myself, “I’m gonna see that one day”. But I didn’t quite want to put those miles on my vehicle, and a plane ticket is very expensive. This year I turned 25, in a somewhat jokingly manner I wanted to celebrate by renting a car (since the rates are cheaper for 25+), as some kind of rite of passage. I specifically wanted to rent a Jeep Wrangler because I like Jeeps. I think they’re cool and embody the spirit of adventure (Jeep, sponsor me?). The drive up there is about 18 hours, the park being about 30 minutes from the Canadian border. Who would I go with? How will I get there? What if the car breaks down? What if we don’t have the necessary gear? What if all the planning falls through? I don’t know anybody in Montana! But I have amazing friends that simply said, “which weekend, so I can ask for the days off” when I told them about this idea. And slowly, piece by piece the trip formed. We borrowed each others gear, pitched in for new gear, and took off! I had a good group of friends there (shout out to y’all), that rolled with whatever uncertainties we faced when we got there. I really liked this trip because Glacier NP was on all of the group’s list of places to visit, and I loved hearing people’s comments on how amazed they were with the sights, or how different this experience was compared to other outings they have done. And of course the time spent with my friends whether we were filling up at a gas station, eating at Roadhouse Diner, stuffing ourselves with Takis, Cheetos, birthday cake, or struggling to build a campfire.

A sunrise or a sunset?

Sunsets! Mostly because I’m not a morning person. This question reminds me of a time I did a sunset hike in Acadia National Park. One of the most magical things I’ve seen.

Any advice you would offer to a person of color in the outdoor space?

Whether in a group or on a solo adventure, my advice is to take ownership of the space. These are public lands and the resources available are for your use. Whether you’re walking an urban trail or primitive camping. Go into the ranger station and ask questions, greet your neighbors at the campgrounds, say hi to people on the trail, get a state parks pass or National Parks pass. We got to let them know that we’re here and that we enjoy the outdoors too #YoCuento. And more importantly encourage other POC to join you as well.

What is on your outdoor bucket list?

My outdoor bucket list includes many faraway places. However high on the priority list is taking my parents, brother, and cuñada camping. My parents have a different view of the outdoors than I do. Growing up their families worked the land, depended on good rain, had spotty potable water supply, and they navigated rugged roads without hiking boots. In my generation, spending time recreating outdoors is more optional and our livelihood doesn’t depend on it like it did for our parents. I would like for them to have an opportunity where they can sit back, enjoy trails, and landscapes that they are unfamiliar with.

Thank you so much Nohemi for sharing your story with us.

I am so honored to be surrounded by ladies leading the way into the wild. This Texas girl in particular is not letting the fear of the unknown hold her back. She is slowly becoming a fearless leader representing her community and making sure her cultura is never lost on the trails. Every time I see her it’s a little bit of sunshine that just gets brighter every time. 

“She is where she is meant to be”.

This summer the Colorado team had the pleasure of camping with TIME to show them how they have found sisterhood in not only each other but in the outdoors. Check out the link “Camping in Colorado with the Women of Latino Outdoors“~ Time.


New Years Resolutions: Outdoors Edition by Cynthia

Happy New Years! It is 2016 and many people are ready to start the new year with resolutions to either be healthy, share time with the loves ones, or go onto a new adventure. I am very excited to share that I made not one resolution, but six resolutions that are all focused in the outdoors in some way or the other. Here I share my resolutions with descriptions and fun images!

  1. Growing food!

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    Image taken at my former job in New Hampshire as we put the garden beds to ‘bed’ for the winter. I will be doing the same this year at my new job with Growing Places in Leominster, Massachusetts.

    Growing up in the warm, tropical island of Puerto Rico, I had the privilege to learn how to grow vegetables, herbs, fruits, and other delicious food. Gardening has been part of a family tradition for many generations and I find gardening to be my zen! I get to plant a seed, tend for it and later on harvest the fruits of my labor. I hope to garden this year, spend time with family and friends at the garden, and enjoy delicious meals we create with the garden products! My favorite and family tradition dish we make is Sofrito, a delicious sauce that is pretty much the secret ingredient to a lot (if not all) Puerto Rican food dishes. My family and I also save seeds of cilantro and peppers as we LOVE those crops!

  2. Volunteer at a farm!

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Image taken: September 2015 at my friends, Kohei Ishihara’s farm: Movement Ground Farm in Berkley, Massachusetts.

I love farms! My past experience with putting my hands in the dirt, weeding, and of course, meeting new people have been at farms. I have friends who are farmers and I love them for taking on, what I consider, the most important job in the world! Being nurtures, growers, and feeders of their communities, farmers are superheroes on my book. Therefore, I love supporting farms by visiting, volunteering as much as I can during the season, and purchasing their goods!

 

3. Keep on researching Latino/a/x Outdoor and Environmental work!

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LO loves being part of America Latino Eco-Festival! L-R: Jose Gonzalez, LO Founder, me being silly, and Asnoldo, LO Colorado Ambassador. Image taken: October 2015

I love reading, writing, and learning more about my cultural roots and the environment. My resolution is part of my ongoing career as an Environmental Educator. I want to keep learning from Latino Leaders, community members, and other in the Environmental movement their steps, questions, answers, solutions, and much more in regards to Latinos and the Environment. I hope to attend conferences, connect with other human beings that are interested in the work of making the environment an inclusion to all. I want to also learn more and part-take in the conversation about the Afro-Latino(a/x) identity in the Environment in the United States. I can’t wait for what I will discover!

 

4. Keep on walking in the woods…

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Did a morning walk in the small trail next to my work office! Image taken: January 2016

I want to keep on taking walks and hikes in many trails as possible. I enjoy being in the woods, using my learned skills of plant identification, take some time for me in the woods! There is something about being able to walk in the woods, maybe it is the sounds of the wind embracing the trees, the sound of my boots against the snow/ice as I make my way to the magical land called the woods. I am looking forward to many walks and hikes with loved ones, by myself, and new people!

 

5. Discovering more spiritual practices related to the outdoors!

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Altar created during the America Latino Eco-Festival. Image taken: October 2015

As a spiritual being, I enjoy anything related to madre tierra. This year, I want to learn about more spiritual practices which include rituals, writings, and much much more that bring me to the outdoors. I am in the journey of discovering more the spiritual practices of my cultural roots. My family has a mixed ancestral spiritual practices coming from both Africa and the Tainos. I am in the self-discovery phase of these spiritual practices and I am hoping that year I will be  able to tie in the new information with my current spiritual believes. I am very honored, thankful, and excited for this resolution!

 

6. More time with my familia outdoors!

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My family and I got to see the Springfield Christmas Parade and enjoy arts, music, and quality time together! Image taken: December 2015

There is nothing more precious than spending time with your loved ones outdoors. It is fascinating, fun, full of laughs, jokes, and love. I am looking forward to spending time with my family and friends in outdoors activities. Many outdoors activities I have done with my family have been attending outdoors events such as parades, go to the park for a walk, attend the pool during the summer, and create funny looking snow mans during the winter! These are all full of memories for me and have been ideal to get us outdoors, enjoy one another, and experience nature!

 

These are my six new years resolutions which I am extremely proud to put into place for me. They all include the outdoors in many ways! I would love to read/hear your new years resolution and how they include the outdoors by sharing on the comments section!

Happy New Year!