Today, I just want to share a story. Some time ago a fellow CAMN member shared an article on social media that I opened, then quickly got distracted and set aside to read another time. That "another time" happened to be a few days ago as I was also preparing the agenda and information for this month's chapter meeting, who's guest speaker will be Austin PARD employee, John Davis.
The article - published in August on Texas Highways - is written by Bobby Alemán and titled, "A Hiker Confronts Monoculture in Austin Parks: On a voyage of self-discovery, a Chicano finds one of his own in Blunn Creek Nature Preserve". The story ends with an encounter, parts of the article are quoted below.
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Bobby, while hiking in Blunn Creek Preserve, comes across a man, who just started working for Austin Parks and Recreation. The man's name was John Davis, a wildlife biologist, recently retired from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
"We talked a little bit about the preserve. ... I told him preserves were my favorite places to hike. ... He said he’d like to see more visitors from all walks of life. He quoted the Central African naturalist Baba Dioum, who said: “We will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.”
He said it was an age-old dilemma in the field of conservation. People will only protect what they know about. If they knew how beautiful these spaces were, they would protect them. But at the same time, more people meant more impact to these vulnerable places.
“Maybe there should be different levels of protection,” I said. He nodded and said there were different tiers. He described different kinds of parks, some with improved trails for wheelchairs, for example, and I realized how little I knew about park management. He taught me all parkland serves different uses to the public, some for recreation, and some for protecting habitat.
Our conversation then shifted to a topic I wasn’t expecting. I couldn’t even process what I was hearing. He said when he oversaw the Wildlife Diversity branch of Texas Parks & Wildlife, he tried to find ways to get the organization—stewards of the environment, in general—to look more like me [a Chicano]. “Not old white guys like me,” he said.
The man was sincere. ... I could tell he needed to go so we bid farewell, but we exchanged contact info. ... He emailed me the following day: “Keep hiking and teach your kids to love the outdoors! Our special places need our support now more than ever.”
... I often think about the two guardians I met that day [read the full article to learn about the first guardian, Rene Berrera, a legacy of Austin park stewardship]. One [Berrera] who had sadly passed away and whose legacy I hoped to honor. Another, new on the job, fighting monoculture in parks one conversation at a time."
I encourage you to read the full article here: https://texashighways.com/travel-news/hiker-confronts-monoculture-austin-parks/
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Each time I read the article, it brings tears to my eyes and reminds me to be grateful. These are the stories of amazing stewards, quietly working away in our parks and preserves, and the impacts they leave not only on the land, but on the community. Join us this week to hear from Mr. Davis, then join us in the field to carry on the legacy of all those who worked so hard to get us where we are today.
Lisa Audiffred
CAMN President
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