Creating community in North Carolina’s outdoors

When Daniel Palacios was a young boy, he would go on adventures with his dad, but only once did they camp. Now 31 years old and the father of two young boys, he wants to take his sons camping more regularly.

“I want my kids to enjoy the outdoors,” he said on a recent outing to Lake James State Park in North Carolina, about 100 miles from where he lives. “To know that they have more to do outside than inside. Learn about how to connect with people, fish, make a fire. There are a lot of things you can learn outside.”

Palacios and his sons joined Latinos Aventureros for Family Camping 101 to learn the basics—setting up a tent, trail etiquette, wildlife education—and to be with other Latino families enjoying the outdoors, some for the first time.  

Latinos Aventureros is a Latino-run, grassroots organization in North Carolina that supports people of color getting outdoors. However, the group welcomes all people to join their outings regardless of background or language.

“Its purpose is for everyone to feel like they have a place outside,” said Vivianette Ortiz, who helped found and leads the group. “Many times, people don’t get outside because they just don’t know where to start.”

Latinos Aventureros supports people at every step in the process. They lead hikes. They give directions to the nearest trailheads. They answer questions about equipment. They provide families with tents and explain how to set them up. The group also engages in advocacy—pushing state and federal agencies for more language-inclusive signage—and promotes the physical and mental benefits of outdoor recreation. 

Since the group’s start in 2021, interest has exploded. In 2023, Latinos Aventureros—a 100% volunteer organization—took out 2,300 people and held more than 100 events in 24 counties, all of which are completely free to participants. Latinos Aventureros eventually applied for and received an outdoor equity grant through North Carolina’s privately funded MadeXMountains program. That money allowed Vivianette and other core volunteers to learn essential skills needed to confidently take others into nature, such as completing a Wilderness First Aid course.

“I learned how to help people in dire situations — if they have a cut, if they fall, break a bone,” said Marlon Almendarez, a volunteer leader with Latinos Aventureros. “It was three days packed of information, and we were just soaking it all in. The main thing was to be prepared to help others… and now I feel better prepared when I’m on the trails.”   

Latinos Aventureros 

For more information on how Latinos Aventureros is promoting physical and mental health, providing environmental education and inspiring love for the outdoors, visit https://www.latinosaventureros.org/. 

Outdoor Equity Funding in North Carolina

Latinos Aventureros, like so many other local organizations and community groups around the country, are not short on participants wanting to spend time outside, only in funding to help make that happen. North Carolina’s MadeXMountains Partnership offers outdoor equity micro-grants to local organizations that break down unnecessary barriers to getting outside. The program is financially supported by the outdoor recreation industry. North Carolina, however, has an opportunity to join a small but growing group of states across the country that are leading in helping more of its residents spend time outdoors by establishing a state-funded outdoor equity grant program to create sustainable and enduring outdoor opportunities for families and youth.