Leo Hernandez and Chris Grenier
No bathroom, no wi-fi. No problem. This is how Leo Hernandez starts off his spiel for prospective Chicago Inspiring Connections Outdoors participants.
“People are always tripped up by that, but you have to get over it.”
Leo, a self-described “city kid”, admits that he, too, was once hesitant about leaving his comfort zone. You would never know it, talking with him now. He hikes as often as possible, rides his bike in search of Chicago’s green spaces, and frequently encourages others to do the same. To understand what changed his perspective, you need to take a few steps back.
Six years ago Leo’s high school environmental science teachers extended the opportunity to get involved with Inspiring Connections Outdoors. “Our teachers worked with ICO to coordinate outings for us. We went on field trips to state parks, took retreats, went hiking in Lake Geneva and Starved Rock.”
At present, Chicago’s volunteer-run program works with 6 different youth groups (from schools, community groups, etc.) to take over 300 kids on 15 or so outings in a given year. Some of those outdoor adventures include paddling, camping, hiking, and environmental service work.
After his first few excursions, Leo was hooked. Part of the draw, he says, is learning about, well, everything. “Before, I never got to see how things like climate change are affecting the world. We would be walking through the woods and the ICO leaders would stop to point out endangered species or they’d tell us about how to take care of the land. [In the city] sometimes you don’t really care about [environmental issues] because you’re just too busy with what’s going on in your own life. But the outings make you more conscious of these things. It’s all about exposure. It just opens your eyes to what’s going on and what you can do to support it.”
For many, this awareness could be overwhelming or intimidating. Understanding and owning one’s role in the lives of others (human, animal, and plant alike) is no small thing. But Leo describes it as “breathtaking.”
It’s no wonder, then, that throughout high school he was always asked to encourage other students to participate. His passion for getting people outside is palpable.
“It’s an important program for kids in Chicago and in all major cities, definitely. I feel bad because a lot of kids aren’t exposed to a different reality.”
The different reality to which he refers isn’t extraordinary or extravagant. Access to green space and to outdoor equipment (hiking gear, camping gear, kayaks and paddles, etc.), encouragement to pursue environmental careers, open invitations to engage in discussions and policy-making--these are basic things that, in theory, everyone should have. After all, the benefits of this “different reality” are many: improved physical and mental health, opportunities for community-building, etc. Unfortunately, in urban environments like Chicago, unevenly-distributed green space, financial pressure, safety issues, access to transportation and a lack of leisure time make this access a challenge for many, as it was for Leo before joining ICO.
“It’s essential that everyone gets that [access though] because you miss out on a lot if you don’t.”
It is for this reason ICO groups across the country work to provide opportunities for outdoor engagement. It is for this reason that Leo shares his story.
“I tell people about my experience and about how much fun it was. I tell them how I have been able to meet wonderful people and I’ve gotten a chance to do things that I never thought I would do. And that normally gets their attention.”
One of those experiences that he draws on was a Sierra Club-sponsored trip to California. There he and one other student from his school joined hikers in a trek along the John Muir Trail.
“That was my favorite. It’s a long, long hike to the top, but you get to see all of these different layers and mini habitats as you climb.” The journey was challenging, but past trips with ICO prepared Leo well. “I was the first one to make it up there!”
The surroundings were stunning, but for Leo the experience offered much more than just the ability to explore a beautiful new environment. He says that the best part was becoming part of a community along the way. “Meeting people from every country, every background--and knowing you wouldn’t have met them any other way--that’s incredible. On that trip I met some people who were 80 years old hiking these trails. It makes you think ‘These people have made this their whole lives. And they did it for a reason.’”
You have to wonder what would draw these life-long devotees out to parks, to trails, and to shorelines day after day and year after year. There are so many reasons to go outdoors, so many reasons to seek out these experiences. Peace, recreation, beauty, wellness. After speaking with Leo one reason stands out from the rest for its power and impact: connection.
John Muir, the man who founded Sierra Club nearly 125 years ago and the conservationist for whom Leo’s favorite trail is named, wrote that “Most people are on the world, not in it -- have no [...] relationship to anything about them -- [...] like marbles of polished stone, touching but separate.” Muir worried about the lack of connection between people and between humans and their environments.
His observations are still relevant today--perhaps even more so. He and Leo, a century apart, share many concerns.
“You have to get out there,” Leo insists. “It’s so easy to live in the little bubble. I would still be there if it weren’t for opportunities to think outside of it.”
ICO works toward building these opportunities, relationships, and connections. Connections to other participants, staff, and volunteers, to the wider world, to the land, to generations past and present. Leo believes this was the best thing that came from his participation.
Now a sophomore in college he is well on his way to completing a double major in accounting and theological studies. His path is still being paved, but he is sure of one thing: “I’m going to keep learning and I want to pass this on. Sierra Club will stick with me, absolutely.”
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Inspiring Connections Outdoors contributes to the creation of more equitable outdoor environments by connecting youth from communities historically marginalized in the outdoor and environmental movement with outdoor activities that promote wellness, connection, and leadership. If you’d like to be part of the ICO family you can find information about how to get involved here or you can contact the team via email (ChicagoICO@gmail.com). Follow all of the adventures on Instagram or Facebook!