SAN DIEGO — Guiding hikes has a deeper purpose for Wendy Garcia. She works with the San Diego chapter of Latino Outdoors, a national organization working to connect Latino communities to the outdoors and each other.
Garcia said her goal is to introduce Latinos like her to nature in a positive way, making the outside feel safe and welcoming for all people.
“We provide opportunities for families to go out into nature and visit places they might not normally visit on their own,” Garcia said.
Garcia said she had tried to join other hiking groups but always felt like an outsider.
“Nobody really shared my culture or was brown like me even,” she said. “We want to make everyone feel comfortable and safe, that you’re not going to be judged for eating weird food or you have music playing.”
Latino Outdoors promotes the unspoken bond in their communities, getting people involved in outdoor activities like hiking, biking, bird watching, paddle boarding and kayaking.
Garcia said historical barriers have kept many Latinos from feeling comfortable in the outdoors.
“We got outside to work, not really to relax and recreate,” she said. “My grandma, for example, went to the river every day, but it was to, you know, wash your clothes, to take a bath, things like that.”
Salvador Macias joined Latino Outdoors so his kids will learn that there is a place for them in the outdoor recreation community.
“I myself was never an outdoor person,” Macias said. “Growing up in Tijuana, there’s not a lot of trails and stuff to go out there.” “We always want to give our kids things that we never had.”
Latino Outdoors has helped thousands of Latinos experience the outdoors for the first time and discover a new connection with the community they all love.
“We’re really trying to find a sense of home in a place where we often don’t feel like is our home, even if we were born here, like I was,” Garcia said. “Making you feel safe, like, you’re safe, you’re ok with me, because I’m Latino too.”
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors made a proclamation that Aug. 30 is Latino Outdoors Day in San Diego County.