Vanessa is an environmental sociologist and outdoor educator originally from Medellín, Colombia. She’s also a third culture kid whose childhood was split between Colombia, the U.S. and Mexico where she attended college. Growing up, she connected with her family and friends through mostly indoor activities like cooking, Skype sessions, music, and stories. That changed after she went camping for the first time during a class trip to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons. “When I returned from that trip, I knew I needed to make that a part of my life, no matter what,” said Vanessa, “Afterwards, I took my mom backpacking for the first time. It was a really positive experience that helped our relationship. I was excited to teach her something new and share something that I loved.” Since then, the outdoors has become a major part of her life. Her favorite activities are hiking, trail running, mountaineering, skiing and foraging and swimming in really cold lakes. Vanessa also speaks up against systemic racism, colorism, anti-Blackness and anti-Indigeneity in the Latinx community and beyond. Keep scrolling to check out her work!
Name: Vanessa Chavarriaga
Hometown: Medellín, Colombia
“I focus on self preservation; putting yourself first is not a selfish act although society likes to tell us that it is.”
What kinds of outdoor activities did you do with your family when you were younger?
Mainly stayed indoors with my friends. Towards the end of high school, I started going for walks in the Michigan woods with my friends. We went canoeing once. We mainly would hang out at each other’s houses, cooked together, watched movies, regular teenager stuff. We also went to football games.
My senior year, I took my mom backpacking. We went to South Manitou in Michigan. It’s an island on Lake Michigan. I did all the planning myself, I found gear from different friends. I was working at an outdoor gear shop so I borrowed gear from them.
What kinds of outdoor activities do you enjoy now?
I like hiking, trail running, mountaineering, skiing and foraging and swimming in really cold lakes.
How do you decide between spending your weekends in mostly white outdoor spaces or prioritizing time with other people of color? What if it’s impossible to do both?
The goal is to not have to choose but I haven’t found those spaces yet. I definitely feel that I have to code switch intentionally when I am in white spaces, while also trying to stay safe. Safety includes having to pretend to be white. We think a lot about natural hazards like lightning and bears but one of the largest objective hazards for me is white people. I think that’s something most white people don’t even think about when they spend time outdoors but it’s always on my mind.
I don’t put any stickers on my car and I actually recently got this beautiful t-shirt that reads “No one Is illegal on stolen lands” for Christmas and I’m afraid to wear it. I work extra hard so I try to make sure that I’m not a target and that I don’t stand out. I won’t go off trail if there are white people nearby. I’ve been followed and stalked. At busy trailheads I try to make myself small so people don’t notice me and I don’t spend too much time hanging around. I try to keep moving and not give white people even more reason to question why I’m there.
How do you practice self-care as an outdoor educator and activist?
I focus on self preservation; putting yourself first is not a selfish act although society likes to tell us that it is. Honestly, I think self-care for me is spending an entire day outside focused on connecting with the community I bring with me or interacting with the nonhuman community I visit. Turning off my phone and being outside to simply exist is a good way to take care of myself.
I know that’s not an option for everyone. I think going for walks is underrate and such a powerful thing you can do to take care of yourself. Walking around the block a few times. I suggest looking up at the trees - maybe not while you’re walking - but looking at the trees and listening.
The outdoors, like any other social system we’ve built, runs on ideas of scarcity. Internalizing the narrative that there is not enough for everyone inherently makes BIPOC individuals compete against one another.