The state of Kansas is known for many things; among them are sunflowers, prairie lands and wheat. Sometimes referred to as the “breadbasket of the world” it’s not a place where you would typically see large trees and forest areas. That’s something that Luis Avalos, interpretive ranger at Sequoia National Park, doesn’t miss.
Avalos, 23, is a first-generation American born and raised in west Kansas, where the trees are sparse and the fields wide. When he began work in Sequoia he was astounded by the diversity of the wildlife and the towering trees he was surrounded by.
“Coming to this and seeing their massive size and how long they've been here is pretty awesome,” he said. “Some of the trees are around 3000 years old!”
His enthusiasm was contagious, and I could tell he really has a passion for conservation. The passion has always been there, but the knowledge is something that came further down the road. Avalos wasn't introduced to the world of public lands until his sophomore year of college. He had no idea there were national agencies working to protect and preserve wildlife and natural areas, let alone that he could be a part of them. Then, in the summer of 2018, Avalos did a conservation corps program in Shenandoah National Park. During that time, the flame that sparked interest during college grew into a wildfire.
“It opened the doors for me to the whole spectrum of public lands; from the Park Service, to forest land and BLM,” he said. “That sparked up my passion even more to want to protect these places. I think, personally and professionally, we should all try to live harmoniously with our natural world, because we would be nothing without it. It's as simple as that.”
His passion led him to a 6-month internship with Rocky Mountain National Park and now his job as a seasonal federal employee for Sequoia.
The one thing that’s been a little tough for him is the lack of diversity in the park service. Not only in the visitation, but the work force as well. He says it’s gotten better, but that doesn’t mean things are great. Avalos was one of two Latino men at Rocky Mountain and definitely noticed a gap in diversity and awareness. “I would be called the wrong name at some points, just because Luis is just not a common thing there, but it’s Luis, not Louis,” he said.
His experience at Sequoia has been a bit better. There are other rangers here who speak in Spanish, which Avalos takes advantage of often. And while I was there, he was getting ready to celebrate Latino Conservation Week at the park. “We want to see the community and interact with them and do some good conservation work,” he said. “For my evening program I even included my name in the description, it goes something like, ‘Join Park Ranger Luis!’ and just seeing my four-letter name really goes a long way.”
He understands feeling out of place because, as he said, he’s been there before. But Avalos wants to work towards helping people of underrepresented communities realize that they belong in the parks too, and that their voices shouldn’t only be heard, but are vital to the life of the Park Service. “We have to push through all the barriers. I know there are a lot but once you push through them you'll get to a place where you feel you can make an impact on the world,” he said. “There's always work to be done, and I'm definitely excited to see the parks diversify and become more inclusive in my lifetime.”