WATCH
Conexión: Rooted in New England's Outdoors
A backyard garden in Connecticut. Cold water dipping in Vermont. A nature program for schoolchildren in Massachusetts. Across the region, Latinos find connection, beauty and meaning in New England’s iconic landscapes.
In this bilingual video series from the New England News Collaborative, we bring you first-person stories on how spending time outdoors inspires deeper connections with others, heritage, and nature itself.
CONEXIÓN: How chilly dipping in VT has deepened these Latinas’ connection to nature and each other
Tanya Talamante and Elvira Tripp went out for their first cold water dip in 2021 with the Red Hot Chilly Dippers.The two women fell in love with it, and it’s now part of their lives in the winter. They’ve met new people and formed friendships along the way.
CONEXIÓN: How gardening keeps this Latina in Connecticut rooted to her Peruvian heritage
Emely Ricci started gardening during the pandemic near her home in Shelton, Connecticut with the mindset that she would grow food her family would regularly eat.
After a year of sticking with her hobby, Ricci decided to try planting huacatay, an aromatic herb grown in the Peruvian Andes that’s used in cooking, as a way to connect with her Peruvian heritage.
CONEXIÓN | Latino farmer uses heirloom corn to connect with Vermont community
Nando Jaramillo started Moon and Stars about six years ago to connect regenerative farming practices and cultural traditions. He plants heirloom corn, which he uses in his arepas. He uses all of that to connect with his community.
CONEXIÓN | Building community for Latinos in New England, one outdoor activity at a time
New Hampshire resident Ruth Castillo spends much of her time outdoors in New England: hiking, climbing, surfing and finding ways to make it easier for other Latinos and people of color to get involved and enjoy nature.
CONEXIÓN: How nature becomes a classroom for Springfield, Mass. students
Sixth grader Shaylee Gutierrez knows how to tell a tree’s age and identify birds around Springfield, Massachusetts. She’s one of thousands of students who’ve experienced ECOS, or the Environmental Center for Our Schools, a rite of passage for the city’s school district, which is 60% Latino.
CONEXIÓN | Latinx land steward in Maine says farming is a way to heal, connect with others
Heather Flor Cron, a land steward in southern Maine, finds healing and culture through her work on a farm that produces food that the Latinx community wants and needs.