Vamos afuera con Albert Arevalo

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.

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

Growing up in South Texas, I had the opportunity to explore the outdoors in both the US and Mexico. In the US I was able to transform my backyard into an endless landscape for my imagination. My best friend Richie and I would create forts to defend ourselves from attacks from the 90’s Power Ranger villain Rita Repulsa and her army of Putty Patrollers. In Mexico, my grandfather would use his craft as a welder and add bunk beds so we could spend the night sleeping next to the ocean. In the morning, we’d use the sound of the crashing waves and the smell of the sand as our alarm clocks. We’d then prep some breakfast before spending hours fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.

How did you learn about LO and how does this organization play a part in your life?

Coincidentally, I was volunteering at Rock Creek Park in DC and doing what I could to help connect the Latino Community to their local parks. As a volunteer I’d help Park staff by translating materials in Spanish and providing educational programs in Spanish. I was unaware that a network of Latino environmentalist existed through Latino Outdoors. This network was not only interested in connecting our community to the outdoors but interested in restructuring the conversation to include people of color into the dialogue for the future of public lands. Realizing the lack of diversity in green organizations, it was comforting knowing that I wasn’t alone in this fight.