NatureBridge Educator Spotlight: Brenda Ramirez
For some of us, playing near near vast forests and pristine meadows sparked our desire to protect the environment at an early age. For others, like 24-year-old Brenda Ramirez, seeing our natural world in a dismal state instead served as a motivator to inspire and teach others about preserving nature.
“I grew up near the channelized river beds of Los Angeles, so I would go for walks there,” said Brenda Ramirez, NatureBridge environmental science educator. “That was my recreation area growing up. Just seeing all the murky gross water got me interested in litter and pollution."
“I knew that I wanted to protect the environment, but I just didn’t know how I would do it.”Brenda Ramirez, NatureBridge educator
Brenda first came to NatureBridge through the Educator Development Program, a NatureBridge initiative designed for educators from underrepresented communities in the field of environmental education to increase their experience with outdoor teaching and risk management skills.
An East L.A. native of Salvadoran-Mexican descent, Brenda now leads NatureBridge programs in the Santa Monica Mountains, helping her students learn about nature by using shared life experiences as tools to help kids from Latinx communities connect with the natural world.
“There’s the benefit of taking a kid outside to nature,” Brenda said. “But, there’s a greater benefit of getting educators from diverse communities who are able to relate to the students who they’re teaching. It changes the whole experience.”
Brenda is able to relate to some of her students because she shared some of the same experiences as a member of the same minority group. One tendency she noted was some of her Latinx students’ choice to remain layered with sweaters and jackets despite hot, sunny weather.
“They’re so used to being told to stay out of the sun. They’ve had people tell them, just like I’ve had people tell me, ‘stay out of the sun, don’t get any darker.’ ”
Brenda attributed this to issues of colorism within the Latinx community. Those with a darker complexion are often discouraged from spending prolonged periods of time outdoors as a result of the social implications associated with darker skin tones.
“I think that’s the benefit of working with NatureBridge and understanding nuances in student behavior,” Brenda shared. “It’s those little moments of understanding that make me feel like this is where I should be.”
Brenda hopes to translate her desire to provide a safe space for youth like her to another passion she holds dear: birding.
“I’m starting to root for birding in the gay community,” Brenda said. “I want to make a space for myself to enjoy nature with people who share the same identities as me, and share the same passions as me, who I can also relate to on different levels."
“I want to create a space that is more inclusive and understanding.”
Brenda plans on starting her own birding group in the future to help others in the LGBTQ community find their niche in the beauty of the outdoors and among its winged creatures.
“That’s what I’m doing with these kids,” said Brenda. “I’m trying to create a space in nature that is safe, comfortable, and enjoyable."
“Even though I don’t know how much they’ll remember after their NatureBridge trip, for that moment, I know that they felt safe and they felt happy.”
If you’re inspired by Brenda’s story, learn more about how our NatureBridge Educator Development Program is recruiting and shaping outdoor education professionals from underrepresented communities.
Stories
2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz
At NatureBridge, we celebrate the stewards of today and foster the development of the stewards of tomorrow, working to inspire environmental stewardship in all our participants. Our goal is to motivate our students to make waves and be changemakers in their communities and for our planet.
Each year, NatureBridge honors a student who has demonstrated leadership, growth and a commitment to protecting our natural world as a result of their participation in a NatureBridge program. This year’s honoree will be recognized and will speak at An Evening Outside with NatureBridge on Thursday, May 16 at our Golden Gate campus.
We are thrilled to announce our 2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz.
An Interview with Evening Outside Keynote Speaker Dr. Britt Wray
The minute we found out about the work of Dr. Britt Wray, we knew we wanted to learn more about her. A well-respected author and scientist, Dr. Wray possesses expertise in an area of research we talk about a lot at NatureBridge—specifically how we can be resilient, hopeful, and actionable amid a changing world, including the climate crisis. We’re thrilled that Dr. Wray will be joining us on May 16 for An Evening Outside with NatureBridge as our Featured Speaker. Ahead of the event, we had the chance to ask her a few questions relating to her work and her connection to the mission of NatureBridge.
Staff Spotlight: Appreciation for Miho Aida
Miho Aida (she/they) has held several roles at NatureBridge over the past twenty-four years, including Environmental Science Educator, Community Connection Coordinator, Field Staff Scientist, Marine Project Coordinator, Pacific Rim Environmental Education Specialist, Armstrong Scholars Educator, Diversity Coordinator, Equity and Inclusion Manager, and Director of Equity and Inclusion. Now, on the eve of their departure, we asked them to reflect on their time at NatureBridge and share a bit about their upcoming adventures.