Guest Blog: From the Redwood Forest to the Halls of Congress

I have always carried a deep connection to the outdoors. I was born in a rural town in Michoacán, Mexico which is where my indigenous identity is rooted; and I grew up in Fort Bragg, California, a small town nestled between the vastness of the Pacific Ocean and the great Redwood Forest. It wasn’t uncommon for friends and I to walk to the quiet beaches after school or on a weekend morning. In middle school, I joined a climbing and hiking club which would often explore the adjacent streams and rolling hills of Jackson State Forest. In high school, I ran cross country. Through that sport I was lucky enough to spend afternoons running on coastal trails, and at times traveling inland to run through vineyards, and around serene lakes.  I very much enjoyed my time connecting to nature in the area of California that I grew up in. Even today, I find that when life gets a little too hectic, nothing grounds me quite like nature.

As I got older, I began to get involved in my community. I was originally introduced to community work through my local Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs where Beach Cleanup Days were an early part of understanding that maintaining our public lands clean and healthy was our obligation as a community. As time went on, my community work ultimately pulled me out of Fort Bragg, and dropped me in the center of advocacy and policy that is Washington D.C. Moving to Washington was a culture shock for someone of humble beginnings who grew up in a slow-paced town of 10,000 people, but I loved the opportunities to positively impact people’s lives that the city afforded me as a passionate advocate. In time, I realized that Washington D.C. also had much to give in terms of outdoor recreation and connecting to nature through the exploration of public lands. At the very heart of our city, millions of visitors experience the beauty of the national mall, and the various monuments which honor historic figures and events that have defined us as a country. These places also make up our public lands.

The feeling of walking past the Washington Monument, it towering over you as you approach, is not unlike the experience of gazing up at a giant Redwood tree. In fact, chances are that the tree is older. I carry my experiences close to my heart as I walk the halls of Congress, and the historic brick-lined streets as I go about my work in the city. I have advocated and worked on a wide range of topics from immigration to healthcare, and education to climate change. I’ve worked for presidential candidates, and national civil rights organizations. I’ve had the honor of addressing community needs with Members of Congress, and even going to the White House to work with our nation’s leaders to pass meaningful legislation for the betterment of our society. I may be wearing a suit and tie as opposed to hiking shoes, but I recognize the connection.

Truth be told, I love D.C. and consider it home, but I’ll always be a kid from Fort Bragg, and prior to that, native to a small town in Michoacán. I love the beauty and inspiration that the outdoors shares with us, and I am proud to be working on conservation with HECHO as its National Policy and Advocacy Manager today to safeguard our precious public lands, so that our children can enjoy fishing, hiking, hunting, camping, and other outdoor activities for generations to come.