Suhey Ortega, Research Fellow

Suhey Ortega is a Research Fellow in the Washington D.C. Area Support Office (WASO). Her work involves research about conservation and outdoor recreation offices across the country, along with their funding sources, policies and community assistance programs to aid future offices. She is also working on creating a report on the common benefits of outdoor recreation, building a federal funding grant database for outdoor recreation, and assisting RTCA’s Communications Team.

Courtesy of Suhey Ortega

What is your first or favorite memory with being outdoors?
My favorite outdoor memory is when I interned as a Water Safety Interpreter with the Sandy Hook Unit at Gateway National Recreation Area. I worked on the beach where I made water safety information and interpretative programs accessible to Spanish speaking visitors. It was my first experience away from home and near a large body of water! Not only was I doing work to make recreation more inclusive, but I was doing it on a beautiful beach! It was so much fun!

What inspired you to take on this fellowship?
There are so many physical and mental health benefits that people gain from just simply walking in nature. Outdoor recreation is for everyone, but not everyone has the access to outdoor recreation opportunities. I believe that my role can emphasize the need to be accessible and equitable when discussing outdoor recreation on a local, state level.

How does your cultural heritage impact the work you do?
My first internship with the Park Service helped me realize the need for Spanish interpreters in parks and Latinxs in outdoor spaces. The following summer, I was a Latinx Heritage Intern at the Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta. There, I completed projects focused on Latinx community engagement in the region. In that role, I understood the need for Latinxs working in the organization to provide guidance and support of the NPS mission. My cultural heritage and skills provide a new perspective for leaders in this organization. I want to bring ideas to help the agency be equitable both in the work I do directly and within the National Park Service as a whole.

What do you hope to do after this fellowship? Do you want to remain an environmental steward?
Suhey: “I am so grateful for my journey with the National Park Service. It has set my career path as an environmental steward and I want to continue this journey within the agency!”