Hispanic Heritage Month starts today and Pease Park Conservancy is honored to have cultivated a team with such rich and diverse backgrounds!
Representation matters and thanks to these incredible individuals, we have been able to broaden our community offerings and how we serve Spanish speakers through bilingual communications, programming, and our Ecologist School Field Trips.
Join us in celebrating the value and leadership they bring to the organization and its mission by getting to know them!
Alejandro "Alex" Hernandez (he/him), PPC Docent
Alex was born and raised in Mexico City. In 2021 he moved to Austin to study his Master of Global Policy Studies at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin and loved exploring the city. Alex was a researcher of the Global Disinformation Lab at UT, he currently works at Austin Water as a Content Strategist and serves as docent at Pease Park Conservancy.
What are some of your favorite childhood memories at a park or greenspace?
Going to La Marquesa, which is a very small forest and reserve in the State of Mexico (an hour away from Mexico City), where I could get a break from the concrete. Small communities lived around La Marquesa and their traditions were unbothered by the city, similar to the trees there. I also liked Parque Lincoln near to where my dad lived, because after playing in the grass we could buy a congelada or mango con chamoy from the nearby street vendors.
Camila was born in Cali, Colombia and spent most of her life in New York City before relocating to Austin, Texas. She enjoys applying her background in Horticulture and Education towards cultivating programming and communications that can create a lasting connection with the natural world for everyone. Camila believes that a park can be anything from a playground to a classroom and that when we gather in nature our collective care practice for the natural world improves.
Camila Restrepo, Community Engagement Coordinator
How does your cultural background help inform your work as the Community Engagement Coordinator of Pease Park?
As someone who has lived in highly urbanized landscapes my entire life, I recognize the deep value of public parks and the increasing need for access to greenspaces. My background in education is what informs my work the most, it is the lens through which I approach communications and through which I cultivate community programs. Parks and greenspaces are more than just places to recreate - they are vital hubs for social and environmental connection. Parks are a lifeline to what is possible and it is no coincidence that they play the fundamental role of a classroom for both wildlife and for us, its glorified students.
Merly Gomez-Garcia, Park Operations Tech
Merly is a Latina/Hispanic born in Texas and comes from Mexican parents born in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. In the summer of 2021 Merly completed a 6 month certification in the rigorous Texas Conservation Corps program. This public service work involved heavy duty trail repair and camping out in nature, her favorite part.
What are some of your favorite childhood memories at a park or greenspace?
When I was younger my parents would take my siblings and me to their hometown Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato in December during winter school break. Dolores Hidalgo is a small town, but it’s also a place I call home filled with love, comfort, and support. Having the opportunity to connect with my roots and culture at a young age gave me a sense of understanding and identity of who I am. I’ve always had an interest in green spaces, the arts, the outdoors, or just anything that keeps me active or being creative which runs in my family. Dolores Hidalgo has a beautiful park surrounded with amazing shops of family-owned businesses in their downtown. To this day it has been my favorite park because it has taught me the true meaning of a community and the power a park has to bring people and nature together.
Luis was born in Puerto Rico but has been in Austin most of his life. He has been visiting Pease Park for years and is a recent graduate of UT Austin with degrees in Sustainability Studies and Geography. As the Park Programming Coordinator, he is excited to be working for the organization toward its mission to promote inclusivity, community, and sustainability.
Luis Ortiz-Colon, Park Programming Coordinator
How does your cultural background help inform your work as a member of the Community Engagement Team?
In Puerto Rico, there's an inherent sense of pride in the natural wonders of the archipelago. At its root, the pueblo recognizes the importance and power of the natural environment, and that its gifts are meant to be enjoyed by all. Even in the face of deeply rooted colonial systems and an unstable climate the environment and the pueblo still persevere. Many grassroots and community organizations are being founded to reestablish habitats while public action is continuously taken to ensure that these spaces remain open to the greater community, not just the elite. I believe the understanding that the outdoors is meant to be for all and enjoyed by all, has to be the most fundamental cultural practice that informs my work within the Community Engagement Team at the Conservancy. It's important to ensure equal access to Pease Park and help break down barriers that prevent people from not just enjoying the park, but also taking agency in environmental work/stewardship.
Pease Park Conservancy will be leading a Bilingual Conservation Walk this month, on Saturday September 30 at 9:30am for anyone interested in learning more about the native flora of park as well as the conservation projects taking place. This event is free and open to all!
