Sydney Garcia, Community Planning Fellow

Courtesy of Sydney Garcia

Sydney Garcia is a Community Planning Fellow in Texas. She assists team members with conservation and outdoor recreation community projects through GIS mapping, research, and outreach with project partners. Her additional projects consist of trail planning, finding ways to interact with community members virtually, and mapping out greenways for partners.

What is your first or favorite memory with being outdoors?
I grew up outside, playing sports like soccer and softball; I really enjoyed being active outdoors. My parents raised me to get the benefits of being outside with friends, family, going to parks, and walking our dogs.

What inspired you to take on this fellowship?
I was attracted to the fact that I would be serving underrepresented Texas communities, especially in outdoor recreation. I am really interested in physical and mental health benefits that parks and trails provide, especially for underrepresented groups who might not have regular access to these spaces and activities. I’m also interested in community based environmental management and tackling environmental justice issues.

How does your cultural heritage impact the work you do?
My heritage has inspired me to pursue a career in making an impact. I feel like being Latina gives me a diverse perspective in the field of natural resources. RTCA is my first opportunity to work closely with other Latinx team members as well as communities.

What do you hope to do after this fellowship? Do you want to remain an environmental steward?
I want to explore the possibilities in environmental, sustainability and recreation planning. I hope to do more to support everyone's’ right to access and enjoy the outdoors. I feel close to the Texas landscape so I hope that I can use this experience to better understand how different communities use outdoor spaces.