Justice Outside Vivianette Ortiz is a Latina adventurer, co-founder, and Executive Director of Latinos Aventureros en las Carolinas, an organization that encourages outdoor exploration and community-building. She hails from Patillas, Puerto Rico, a beautiful town nestled between mountains, and beaches. She is also a devoted mother of two kiddos, 1 dog, and over 80 plants. Her advocacy… Continue Reading Vivianette Ortiz
Trevor Taylor (he/they) was born and raised in Chicago, IL where the outdoors were small parks or local forest preserves. In 2019, Trevor joined Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) as a member building trails on mountains over 14,000 feet. Wanting to make conservation more inclusive, they worked with staff in 2021 to develop and lead the… Continue Reading Trevor Taylor
Sydney grew up in Virginia where her love for the nonhuman environment was first developed. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a major in International Social Justice and minor in Environmental Studies. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah as a graduate student in the University of Utah’s Environmental Humanities program. Sydney’s research… Continue Reading Sydney Murray
Sophie Haruna Klimcak (she/her) is a learning experience designer, community-builder, and Bay Area naturalist. As co-founder and program director at Wild Awake, Sophie draws upon her ecstatic wonder for the outdoors and her Japanese + Eastern European roots to design experiences that nurture a deep care for people and the planet. She believes when we… Continue Reading Sophie Haruna Klimcak
Anka is ethnically South Asian but was raised in post-British Hong Kong. As a result, she is a hodgepodge of several cultures, many of which are underrepresented in the outdoors community. As someone who loved nature her entire life but lacked people to share that with, Anka is enthusiastic about exposing folks to the outdoors… Continue Reading Anka Rashed
Nieves Vazquez has interned with the National Park Service (Grand Canyon) and the NPS-RTCA (Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Programs – Inter-Mountain Region) to develop strategy plans that encompass difficult dialogues on engaging local Tribal Nations, Indigenous youth broadly, and rural community / communities of color with public lands. Nieves previously worked on urban farms… Continue Reading Nieves Vazquez
Nick Fowlks (he/him) was born and raised in the San Francisco-Bay Area. He earned a B.A. in History from San Jose State University and an M.A. in Global History from the Freie University Berlin. Currently, he works for California State Parks at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area as a Community Engagement Interpreter, where he makes… Continue Reading Nicholas Tristan Fowlks
Negina is a Black and Native Hawaiian person who is currently based in Maine. They developed her passion for environmental justice through friends and colleagues, and exploring and appreciating the outdoor spaces around them. Having access to these spaces and this knowledge lit a flame in them to preserve them for generations to come. Living… Continue Reading Negina Lowe
Hello! My name is Monica. My pronouns are she/her/ella. I am a lover of the sun and the moon. I enjoy cooking, hiking, camping, rock climbing, and sharing quality time with loved ones.
Lilli Y. Garza is a proud Mexican-American from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Various life experiences have led her to believe in grassroots led movements, environmental justice, and the power of storytelling. Lilli is passionate about increasing access to the outdoors for communities of color and ensuring that there is representation in our industry. In her current role… Continue Reading Lilli Y. Garza