An advocate, an agitator, and a mentor, Rocio Villalobos is inspiring and driving positive change for Austin in terms of social justice and equity. She also has experienced and continues to enjoy the healing power of being in the outdoors.

The convergence of these two passions makes Rocio truly special for our community and invaluable as an advisor to our team at Pease Park Conservancy.

Rocio is an Xicana Indigenous woman from Austin whose transnational childhood shaped her understanding of community, family, migration, inequities, and borders. For over 15 years, Rocio has been involved in social justice work, covering education, immigration, and the environment. In her role as the Immigrant Affairs Coordinator for the City of Austin’s Equity Office, she is creating a more welcoming and inclusive city for Austin’s immigrant residents. She also founded an outdoor adventure group that helps (re)connect women of color to the land and explore the history of the land on which they live and travel.

As Pease Park Conservancy strives to ensure our park is an inclusive and welcoming place for all, we look to Rocio for her knowledge and expertise so we can learn from her and create programming and a space with equity and inclusion at the forefront of our plans. We asked her some questions about her work so we could share some of her knowledge as our latest feature for Women’s History Month.

PPC: Where did you find your passion for nature and being in the outdoors?

RV: My connection to the land has shifted over the years. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but road trips to visit family in Mexico during my childhood provided me with some of my earliest memories of mountains and of being in awe of nature. When I was at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing my undergraduate degree, I began to get involved with community groups like PODER (People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources) and started learning about environmental racism and experienced a growing interest in protecting our environment. However, it took many years after that to develop a more personal connection to the land, which emerged after I started hiking, camping, and running. I turned to the land when I was going through a particularly challenging time and underwent a transformation that opened my eyes to the healing power of the land. After that experience, I’ve been passionate about supporting others to be able to develop that healing relationship for themselves.

PPC: Much of your professional work has been focused on providing and ensuring access to nature for people of color. What are some challenges that people of color face in terms of feeling welcome and encouraged to engage in outdoor activities and public green spaces?

RV: It’s important to be students of history in order to understand present conditions. This country’s legacy of settler colonialism and slavery affected the ways in which BIPOC communities have been able to connect with the land. For some, being in remote and isolated spaces in the outdoors has presented a threat and the very real possibility of racialized violence and death. For others, their forced removal from the land severed a deep connection that already existed. Our current work, in part, must focus on supporting BIPOC communities to heal their relationship with the land on their terms.

In Austin, we still feel the consequences of the east-west divide that was created with the help of the 1928 Master Plan and segregation. Black people had to live, work, and play in the so-called “Negro District” which meant that the natural gems available to white residents, like Barton Springs, were off-limits. It’s understandable that our BIPOC communities feel trepidation about going to certain parts of the city, because to do so before meant the possibility of real harm. Our safety is still not guaranteed, even today.

We also can’t ignore the ways in which certain environmental protections were put in place for West Austin, while toxic industry was zoned to East Austin. All of this has influenced whether or not BIPOC communities have access to clean air, safe drinking water, and green spaces.

I also want to celebrate the ways BIPOC communities are already connecting with the land, whether it’s enjoying the sounds of birds singing, tending to gardens, going fishing, or heading to a park for a big family cookout. Connecting with our natural environment doesn’t have to mean going somewhere far away, it happens in our backyards too.

PPC: What have been some successful solutions you have found or studied that have made progress in terms of equity in nature?

RV: There are powerful initiatives being spearheaded by groups like Outdoor Afro and Latino Outdoors that provide a safe space for BIPOC communities to come together outdoors. These groups and several others are focused on developing leaders from within their organizations who are able to assume leadership roles elsewhere. It’s important to have representation from BIPOC communities within the environmental field so people feel it’s a place for them too.

In addition to representation, it’s crucial for BIPOC communities to have decision-making power at every level of an organization. Organizations must be intentional about racial equity work so their BIPOC members/staff/board don’t end up being tokenized in the process.

We need to have workplaces where creativity and innovation in addressing racial equity can be nurtured and not silenced. This work will feel uncomfortable and challenging, particularly for those who are doing it for the first time, but that’s not an excuse to shy away from it.

PPC: Where can people go to learn more about equity in nature and to become involved in helping to bring about change?

RV: There’s been a huge increase in the number of people on social media who are talking about racial equity with respect to the outdoors. Some of my favorite accounts to follow are Unlikely Hikers, Brown People Camping, Native Women’s Wilderness, Diverse We Run, Black Outside, We Color Outside, Intersectional Environmentalist, and Outdoor Asian. These accounts provide an accessible starting point to diversify your feed and learn about experiences that are different from your own.

A couple of years ago, I also created a Facebook group called Equity Outdoors ATX. The group is intended to be a place to share resources and opportunities for BIPOC communities, as well as a place that people can turn to for continued growth and learning.

I also encourage people to seek out trainings about racial equity and opportunities to have difficult conversations. We will only improve our ability to address racial equity if we have the courage to confront it. Talking about race and confronting this country’s legacy of white supremacy and racism is like a muscle, you have to exercise it and practice in order to improve. It will never be easy, but it can feel less difficult, depending on where you are in your journey.

PPC: You have also worked a great deal with youth development in outdoor spaces. Can you share your perspective about the importance of getting all kids outdoors throughout their development?

RV: The benefits of spending time outside are well-researched and documented. As little as ten minutes a day can yield significant benefits for our physical and mental health. Time outside can help us build our confidence and sense of imagination, which is important for everyone, and especially for young children who are making sense of their place in the world and the role they can play.

Nature does wonders for our mental health, and in the past year under COVID, we’ve all experienced an increased number of stressors. Spending time outside allows us to decompress and can help us become more resilient so that we are able to confront the challenges that we face. This is an important tool for children to have as they navigate the transition to becoming young adults and finding their path.