The Natural Leaders Effect: Destiny, community and purpose

Are there moments in your life you can point to and specifically say, “That moment changed my life?” I know that I can. 

There have been a few such moments that have enforced my belief in destiny; the beginning of my story with the Children & Nature Network is one such moment. I was a 22-year-old who was just barely stepping into the professional aspect of the outdoors, nature, and the environment, who had just completed a summer leading conservation crews in Seattle City Parks. I knew that I was passionate about working with young leaders and was drawn to spaces where community and connection were being fostered.

The application to the Natural Leaders Legacy Camp came into my inbox and seemed like a fun opportunity to connect with other leaders who were in a similar state of mind and stage of their careers. I applied and eagerly waited for the response. A year later, I would look through application details and learn that I was the fourth or fifth reserve (54/50), and made it because other folks were unable to attend. Destiny.

That Legacy Camp, those four days with 50 diverse leaders from across the country who were dedicated to organizing their communities and connecting them to nature, changed my life. I met friends and peers whom I remain connected to even to this day. The levels of connection, learning, and purpose I felt at camp inspired me to continue creating spaces like that for others.  

So when the opportunity to work with Juan Martinez and the Natural Leaders arose a year later, I jumped at it without hesitation. It has been my community and my purpose ever since. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of nonprofits, about community organizing, the benefits of connection to nature, organizing nationwide initiatives, and so much more.

In the six years since, I’ve led over 25 trainings for a network of young leaders doing amazing work across the country that has grown from 150 to more than 450, and supporting the actions they have taken to connect their communities to nature. I have been a mentor, been mentored by, and organized with these leaders. I have spent time connecting to communities all across the country to support youth-led change. I’ve had moments of success and moments of learning from my actions. 

The Children & Nature Network invested in a young, unproven leader and gave me an opportunity to work with and support my peers. Most importantly, I have (hopefully at least once) paid my life-changing moment forward and been able to create environments that inspired and encouraged young adults into their full leadership.

I reflect on moments of pride by association, like seeing leaders like Shaquana Boykin be a living example of civic engagement in winning her election for District Leader in Brooklyn.

I reflect on moments of exploration, like bringing together young adults from Compton and across Alaska for two weeks of cultural exchange and power building across communities.

I reflect on moments of cross-cultural solidarity, like connecting leaders from cities like Boston with leaders from South Dakota to advocate and support the fight against the Keystone Pipeline.

I reflect on moments of advocacy, like seeing leaders like Michelle Piñon organize and advocate for the Arctic with the Sierra Club, and leaders like Ron Griswell hike the hill to advocate for protection of outdoor spaces.

I reflect on moments of diverse representation and adventure (even by association), like leader Lauren Garrott being featured in a Nature Valley commercial, leader Nicole Jackson helping to found and lead Black in National Parks Week and Black Birders week, or leader James King Jr. participating in an REI marketing campaign.

And I reflect on the many moments of bonding, like the 15 of us who were stranded for a couple of hours on a broken down bus right before we arrived at my first Natural Leaders Legacy Camp.

I’ve described my work, my art, my life’s ‘painting’ as being rooted in growth: in the growth of people, the growth of connection between people, and the growth of communities. The Children & Nature Network and the natural/outdoor world have been the frame of all of that, the structure and context that have allowed the painting to develop and take shape. For that, I am extremely grateful.

My continuing work will center on growth, community building, supporting leaders, and systems change. Even if it’s not specifically in this context, I will always be an advocate for how nature can support human health and well-being. I will forever be a Natural Leader.

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