When I first started getting into the outdoors, it was intimidating and challenging for me. I was an east coast gal who grew up near the beach with limited outdoor recreation beyond playing sports at the park and hiking on vacation. Hiking was my gateway into Colorado-level outdoor recreation. It was the most accessible option with the least amount of equipment necessary, and since I was brand new to the state, I was fortunately comfortable going it on my own initially. After 10 years in this state, you can now find me camping, rock climbing, snowboarding, and more, in large part thanks to the people I met along the way who kindly introduced me to these new adventures.

Now that I feel like a seasoned Colorado recreationist, I feel passionately about offering the opportunities I received to other people like me who, for whatever reason, want to get outside, but do not know how or do not feel comfortable. One way we are trying to do that at Eldorado Canyon State Park (ECSP) is by bringing the outdoors to them. In the past week we have gone out into the community, attending a First Friday event for a BIPOC educational group for kids, tabling at a Cinco de Mayo event, and representing Colorado Parks and Wildlife at a Pride job fair. By being present in the community and meeting people where they are, we hope to show new recreationists that they are welcome in our parks and we will be right there with them along the way. 

Similarly, we are making efforts to invite diverse communities into the park in ways that are inclusive and comfortable. The Colorado chapter of Outdoor Asian reached out to ECSP on social media looking for ways to connect their members to the outdoors. Together we coordinated a guided hike and potluck picnic to kick off AAPI Heritage month with them. Outdoor Asian took the lead in reaching out to their member community, inviting everyone out for a guided hike which touched on local history, indigenous ancestry, flora and fauna education, and entry points into conservation efforts. It felt great to offer up the space at Eldorado to share in this celebration and community gathering with them, and create positive memories for them at the park.  

This was my first ever guided hike, and first co-led event at the park, so I was highly nervous, and heavily invested in creating a welcoming and memorable day for our guests. The nerves quickly washed away once I met everyone gathered at the visitor center and we began our hike together. We immediately felt like a meshing of communities in the beautiful space we shared throughout the day. Most of the folks had never been to Eldorado before, and those who had learned things about the park they had never known before. The ability to connect one on one with most of the members along the hike was a very rewarding and fun piece for me as well, as we each shared a piece of our histories together. 

This week felt like the kickoff for an amazing season at the park and a deep validation for me that I am in the right place and the right field of work. I am so grateful for all of the spaces these communities shared with us, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds.