Weaving Narratives: Interview with Yuri Blanco

Yuri Blanco at Kenai Fjords National Park.

NPS

When I first approached Yuri Blanco for an interview in anticipation of National Hispanic Heritage Month, I expected a story that mirrored my own. After all, we share several things in common: both of us work in Alaska for the National Park Service (NPS) and identify as Hispanic. Our conversation quickly transitioned into Spanish, and it became clear that while we share a cultural thread, her story was refreshing and unexpected.

Yuri's journey is enriched by deep-rooted connections to the land which later developed into a career in conservation. Hispanic representation among park rangers in Alaska is scarce and Yuri stands out not just for her heritage but for her wealth of experience in environmental education and conservation not only in the US, but in Mexico. Originating from Mexico City, she cultivated her passion for the outdoors as a child. She later worked in Mexico for a variety of organizations as an environmental educator before marrying and moving to the US.
With this in mind, I posed a series of questions to further explore her journey in environmental education and conservation.

Are there differences between environmental education in Mexico vs. the US?

Yuri: “The cultures are very different. In Mexico, people are used to living in communities. An environmental educator is revered and respected. We are integrated in the community and host workshops for what the community needs and wants. We educate the community on behaviors, and education is available to the entirety of its residence.

In the US, environmental education is primarily conducted via a school or educational environment. What is being taught is based on core standards and curriculum, not community need or interest and the environmental education being delivered is only accessible to school-aged children.”

Yuri’s perspective sheds light on the stark contrasts between community-oriented environmental education in Mexico and a more structured, school-based approach prevalent in the US. It was a complete paradigm shift to the singular approach for environmental education practiced in the US.

Going back to your childhood, what shaped your relationship with nature?

Yuri: “My upbringing. We had an extensive garden with many farm animals. When I was in the outdoors I knew, ‘de aquí soy’ [this is where I’m from]. My mother, instead of building my siblings and I dollhouses built us little laboratories. We would bring in spiders and other little things from nature and look at it through a magnifying lens. When you present things to a child in a positive way, they establish a positive connection with it. The discovery of the natural environment had a lot to do with it.”

Do you think your heritage had anything to do with it?

Yuri: “Not at all. I think it’s something that we carry within us. It's innate to who we are. Talk to my sister about the great outdoors and she’ll shriek about dirt.”

Her insights help illuminate how our early experiences shape us. Those formative experiences with the natural environment, more so than our cultural identity, become part of our individuality and have the potential to establish a connection with the land.

In honoring Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize the vastness of our experiences. Each story adds depth and richness to the broader narrative of what it means to engage with and protect our natural world.

Written by Lupe Zaragoza, Alaska Region- Digital Manager