Spending time in nature can reduce stress and anxiety, but not everyone has equal access to the outdoors. A 2020 Center for American Progress report found that “communities of color are three times more likely than white communities to live in nature deprived places.” Latino Outdoors is working to change that statistic, with support from the Capital One Foundation, REI Cooperative Action Fund, and outdoor retailer REI Co-Op, to help future generations of color experience more access to nature.  

Everyone Belongs Outdoors

As an organization dedicated to engaging the Latino and Hispanic community in nature, Latino Outdoors (LO) provides “leadership, mentorship and professional opportunities, and serves as a platform for sharing oft-overlooked cultural connections and narratives that will bolster the collective outdoor movement.” 

“We want to make sure more people have a good relationship with the natural places that we want to protect,” said Luis Villa, Executive Director of Latino Outdoors. “For example, we had an immigrant father who was resistant to nature due to a negative association of the outdoors from his home country. Once he and his family gained a sense of comfort, confidence, and community by participating in Latino Outdoors outings, the outdoors became a happier space for them. They’re now avid outdoor enthusiasts!” 

Latino Outdoors describes its three programmatic pillars as follows: 

• Vamos Outdoors (Let’s Go Outdoors): A program that fosters outdoor engagement with Hispanic, Latino and other underrepresented communities through LO-led group outings, outdoor activities  with other organizations, initiatives that encourage independent outdoor participation, and best practices in outdoor engagement shared through LO’s online communications channels. Activities range from day hikes and fishing to campouts and kayaking. 

• Yo Cuento Outdoors (I Count/I Matter/Tell a Story Outdoors): A program to expand the collective narrative of outdoor engagement so that it is a more rich and complete story of the diverse outdoorist community. 

• Crecemos Outdoors (We Grow Outdoors): A program that supports volunteers (and members of the greater LO community) with training and leadership development opportunities, networking spaces, and resources for professional development. 

The organization plans to use the grant money provided by the Capital One Foundation to continue building its Vamos Outdoors programming to improve outdoor access for Latino communities across the country and address access barriers such as cost, transportation, know-how, lack of specialized gear and a perception of not belonging. The grant funds will support outdoor outings such as day hikes, campouts, bike rides, birding, picnics, stewardship events, and other outdoor activities. Recently, the New York City chapter of Latino Outdoors offered free transportation for community members living in the city to spend the day hiking and exploring the state's tallest waterfall in Kaaterskill Wild Forest State Park in the Catskills Mountains.  Although this park is only two hours outside New York City, it is not accessible by public transportation. The Capital One funds made it possible for the organization to charter a bus and provide 34 community members an outdoor experience to which they would otherwise not have access. 

“Everyone belongs outdoors,” said Villa. “When we are able to get a diversity of stakeholders— including practitioners, philanthropic foundations and corporations— to help achieve that goal, then we’re able to create more equitable access for everyone to have better health and wellness as well.” 

In addition to commitments to organizations connecting people to the outdoors such as Latino Outdoors, Capital One and REI have partnered together on the REI Co-op Mastercard, which offers cardmembers a compelling set of benefits and inspires members' daily pursuit of a life outside by rewarding everyday purchases to support their outdoor adventures. Alongside the investment from the Capital One Foundation, Capital One also supports the REI Cooperative Action Fund through an annual donation.