Latino Outdoors Austin Pushes for Equity in Outdoor Recreation
While many spent their childhood camping, visiting national parks or playing recreational sports, Bianca Torres-Velásquez remembers her outdoor experience as visiting her grandpa’s rancho in Mexico and running around the neighborhood with her cousins.
“I think it’s important to let people of color within the Latino community know that this space is theirs and that they belong here, especially when you see more predominantly white faces in the outdoors,” Torres-Velásquez said.
Torres-Velásquez is the program coordinator for Latino Outdoors, a national organization working in over 30 locations to make the outdoors more inclusive and accessible for the Latinx community.
Conchas and other Mexican pastries up for grabs at the Latino Outdoors community hike.
Josh Zamarripa (near) and Manuel Cantu (far) carefully rappel down a climbing wall at a Latino Outdoors indoor rock climbing event
Latino Outdoors member Fabiola Barreto clips into a safety rope before practicing belaying at an indoor rock climbing event in Austin, Texas on Feb. 18, 2024.
“A lot of people don’t feel comfortable being outside or feel like they don’t belong,” Torres-Velásquez said. She also added the outdoors has long been “inaccessible and unaffordable” for many minorities, who often reside in urban areas.
According to the 2023 Outdoor Participation Trends report, white people account for 71% of the total outdoor participants, and Hispanic people account for 13%. To close this gap, Torres-Velásquez brought Latino Outdoors to Austin so the community could participate in activities such as rock climbing, hiking and fly fishing.
“Affording the cost of gear and activities, as well as transportation to green spaces, can be a challenge,” Torres-Velásquez said. “The goal of Latino Outdoors is to break down those barriers.”
Part of the reason Torres-Velásquez wanted to make the outdoors more accessible for others stems from her first recreational outdoor experience, a college-backpacking trip with the Texas State Park Ambassadors.
“I did everything wrong,” Torres-Velásquez said. “I took the wrong backpack. I didn’t wear my shoes beforehand — I wore them the first day there to break them in. I look back now and it was funny how I was so ill-prepared.”
Despite her inexperience and lack of preparation for the trip, she said she was lucky to share the space with encouraging people who helped her learn about the outdoors and necessary gear.
“They never made me feel bad for not being prepared,” Torres-Velásquez said. “They helped teach me instead of looking down on me.”
Members of Latino Outdoors hit the trails in McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, Texas on Feb. 24, 2024.
Latino Outdoors participants grab nature-themed meditation cards before a community hike in McKinney Falls State Park.
Through Latino Outdoors, Torres-Velásquez said she wants others to feel the same support she did.
“The biggest aspect is bringing our culture into the outdoors,” Torres-Velásquez said. “That’s why we have our pan dulce, our cafecito and Hispanic music you grew up listening to while your mom was cleaning or your dad was (making) carne asada.”
Efrain Dragustinovis, an informational technology engineer for YETI, recently attended his first Latino Outdoors event, a hike at McKinney Falls State Park.
Dragustinovis said his job has allowed him to travel around the world and live in new places. Yet, he said he appreciates living in Austin because the weather and the people are the most similar to his home in Mexico, which drove him to participate in Latino Outdoors.
“I like the [diversity] here,” Dragustinovis said. “There are a lot of cultures. There’s a mix of Americans, Mexicans, Latinos and [people] from different places. I think everybody contributes to make it more fun.”
Despite being a newcomer, Dragustinovis said he makes an effort to be friendly and put himself out there, which he said is common in Latinx culture.
“That’s the way it is in Mexico,” Dragustinovis said. “We just go out and talk with everybody. If I have an opportunity, I will have a conversation. I have friends from all cultures.”
A young hiker prepares his name tag for a Latino Outdoors event in McKinney Falls State Park.
A Mesa Rim climbing instructor (left) and Latino Outdoors participant Fabiola Barreto (right) smile up at a belayer at an indoor climbing event.
Latino Outdoors Austin completed its first event in August 2022. Since then, Torres-Velasquez said she has stayed busy with her responsibilities, which includes reaching out to other organizations for partnerships.
Liz Cruz, a co-program coordinator at Latino Outdoors Austin, said every event requires a significant amount of planning and effort outside of her day job to get the Latinx community out into nature.
“We do this all on a volunteer basis,” Cruz said. “I have a greater appreciation for everything Bianca has done to get our chapter started because it can be a full-time job. [The employees at] every other organization we’ve partnered with works for their organization. We’re doing this after hours, on the weekends.”
As the chief operating officer of an oncology firm, Cruz said she spends many days stuck at the computer, which makes her appreciate the opportunities Latino Outdoors provides to be active and in nature.
“Truly, every event I walk away feeling very fulfilled — it fills my cup up for the week,” Cruz said. “My day job is pretty stressful, but having these events on the weekend allows me to reset and recharge.”
Torres-Velásquez said that another aspect of her work as program director is forming connections between people and nature.
“You’d be surprised at how many families and people are just like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know this existed in Austin,’ or ‘I didn’t know I could do this, I didn't know this was available for me,’” Torres-Velásquez said. “Hearing those words and that feedback makes us want to do more. It’s very motivating to be there for our community and to help our community access these spaces.”
This story initially appeared in the Spring 2024 Issue, Biophilia
Photography by Jenna Wilson