8/13/2019 Rene Garcia GW USA feature story

1/1

Groundwork Profiles

Rene GarciaMy neighborhood is one of the mostpolluted zip codes in Colorado, says 17 -year-old Rene Garcia about his neighborhood ofSwansea, in northeast Denver. It is part of agroup of communities that were recentlyproposed for inclusion on the SuperfundNational Priorities List and are surrounded bywo major highways, two oil refineries, and

numerous other polluting industries. Thepollution is transboundary, Garcia clarifies,with the authority of an environmental

education professor. It originates outside ofour neighborhood and travels in on the windand water.

Rene Garcia became versed in hiscommunitys environmental challengeshrough Groundwork Denvers Green Team ,

a program that provides employment andmeaningful work experiences for low-incomestudents in their teens and early 20s. It wasduring their weekly meetings that Garcia firstheard the term environmental justice andearned that uncontrolled toxic waste sites

such as those near his predominately Latinocommunity were far more likely to be in poorand minority communities. Being on theGreen Team has taught me to look at asituation from multiple perspectives, andhink about how one thing affects otherhings, says Garcia.

Led by Shane Wright, Groundwork DenversYouth Program Director, the ten-memberGreen Team creates hands-on solutions to

local challenges from helping repurpose aU.S. chemical weapons center into a prairiehome for bison at the Rocky Mountain

Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge to putting ingardens that will supply Denver PublicSchools with fresh produce.

Rene Garcias work ethic and passion for theenvironment led to him representingGroundwork Denver at Yellowstone NationalPark in the summers of 2012 and 2013. Teensfrom nine Groundwork Green Teamsconvened to participate in a weeklongconservation project in partnership with theNational Park Service and the United StatesYouth Conservation Corps. I was intimidated

at first, but then I realized we were all thereto work. The other Green Teamrepresentatives were intelligent, coolpeople and it was powerful to discoverthere are a lot of Groundworks, Garcia says.Yellowstone is very untamed. Even thoughthere are trails and roads, most of it is meantto be untouched. And the history of the parkis amazing Teddy Roosevelt sent soldiers toprotect the animals from poachers. I lovedevery minute of these trips.

But ask Rene Garcia what he loves best aboutbeing on the Green Team, and heimmediately mentions the deep friendshipshe has formed. A few times each year, ourGreen Team does trail work at Pike NationalForest, just an hour away. I love hangingaround the campfire at the end of a dayswork. Our conversations are very interestingand unique. Its hard to find people thatmake you think a lot. My Green Team friendsbring a lot to the table. Ive learned that any

project is a whole lot easier when you arewith good friends. We constantly make jokes.We understand each other. These arememories I will always cherish.

Rene Garcia, a first generation American,plans to be the first in his family to go tocollege. I want to become a civil engineer,he says. Times have changed. You are notdefined by your race or where your roots arebut by what you have accomplished. Itencourages me to try to be a success.

ITS HARD TO FIND PEOPLE WHO MAKEYOU THINK A LOT. MY GREEN TEAMFRIENDS BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE.IVE LEARNED THAT ANY PROJECT IS AWHOLE LOT EASIER WHEN YOU AREWITH GOOD FRIENDS, SAYS RENE.

Written by Lenore Person, Groundwork USA, & designed by Lealani Schaumberg, NPS, 2013 And a big thank you to Rene Garcia of Groundwork Denver!

The Green Team is a paid, neighborhood-based conservation leadership and employment programthat works with ten to fifteen carefully selected youth at each Groundwork Trust site. Green Teammembers also complete community service hours and participate in field trips that connect theimportance of preserving and restoring natural spaces with job opportunities.

DEDICATED TO CHANGING PLACES ACHANGING LIVES,GROUNDWORK USADEVELOPED WITH NATIONAL PARK SVICE SUPPORT, IS A NATIONAL ORGAZATION WITH LOCAL ROOTS, WORKITO REVITALIZE NEIGHBORHOODS ATRANSFORM COMMUNITYLIABILITIES INTO ASSETS.

www.groundworkusa.or