What Being Outdoors Does and Means to Me

By Jessica Chavarria, HECHO’s Communications Coordinator.

I am an Arizona native raised in the Valley of the Sun. I proudly come from a Hispanic family who migrated from Chihuahua, Mexico. Growing up, I vividly remember playing outside with other kids in a neighborhood in Glendale. Since I was a little girl, I enjoyed being outdoors around our small apartment complex, running in the dirt, playing in the rain, or on the grass with my toys.

Occasionally, we would go to public parks to enjoy family time, but it wasn't until high school that I discovered first-hand that there was so much more to explore in nature. I joined my school's track team, and part of the training included hiking different trails. 

Since then, I haven't stopped looking for new places to discover the outdoors. There is so much that being in nature has done for me. It gives me peace and grounds me at the same time. I feel at ease when I hear birds chirp, water flow, the wind blow, and all the other amazing wonders of Mother Earth. 

My outdoor adventures took another level when I married Manuel, a brave and active man who is a nature lover. We made part of our couple's goal to travel and discover as many beautiful landscapes as possible at home and abroad. We can spend one weekend off-roading in the Arizonan desert and another weekend horseback riding on the family's ranch in La Lagunita, in Durango, Mexico. Regardless of where we are, we have found that being outdoors is our happy place.

Part of my journey to loving the outdoors also has to do with my mental health. Many studies and evidence show how exposure to nature helps lower stress and prevent depression and anxiety, among other conditions.

Spending time outdoors has been my medicine because my connectedness with nature generates positive emotions. Nature has become vital in keeping me physically but also emotionally healthy.

I love off-roading, hiking, and exploring our precious public lands with my family. I recently had a baby, Matteo, who is only nine months old. We took him on his first hike when he was just one month. As parents, it was essential to introduce him from a very early age to the outdoors. We want to teach our son to appreciate, respect, love, and protect Mother Earth.

As a Hispanic woman who loves and benefits from the outdoors, I am passionate about conservation, wildlife, and nature. 

Now as a part of the HECHO team, I am more committed than ever to protecting our public lands for future generations, advocating for environmental justice, and continuing to give a voice to our Hispanic community, which needs to be heard and must be part of the decision-making process in conservation.