It’s often nice to have siblings doing interesting things in potentially interesting places. It gives one an excuse to visit and see more of the world and to experience things through different eyes.
Sharon Sojka was doing just that at Humboldt Redwood State Park. Visiting her sister all the way from Bolivia after not seeing her for over two years. Not only was the trip incredible for the fact that she was finally able to reconnect with her sister in person, but it gave her a chance to explore the redwoods, learn about the area and see what her sister’s work was all about.
“This to me is absolutely beautiful and my sister luckily works at the park, so I took the opportunity to come and hang out with her,” Sojka said.
Sojka, 21, was at Humboldt for about three weeks and during that time she was educating herself on the area so that she could volunteer for the park during the last two weeks of her stay. She wished she could continue to explore the parks in the area for longer, but visas only last so long.
During her short time in the redwood area, Sojka noticed a lack of diversity at the parks. Not only in the visitation, but in the employees as well. “There aren’t many minorities employed,” she said. “I think education is a huge part of it, and that people here need to be taught in schools of other cultures and races.”
She believes the school system is to blame for the lack of education in the population and thinks that if children were taught from a young age about the different cultures of the world, then maybe they would be more accepting of those cultures in their adult life.
There were instances during her stay where Sojka felt pings of subtle racism. Where she could feel people staring at her, or when she got a comment about her accent or that she was “exotic”. The incidents didn’t affect her, but she sees how things like that could deter people from entering the park spaces.
If the acts of racism, even if subtle, continue, then there will never truly be a safe space for all in the parks. I think she’s right; education is a big deal, and part of that is educating the public on stereotypes and dismantling the stereotypes of minorities not being outdoors.
Everybody belongs to nature and Sojka’s experience made her see that even by her presence at the park she was making an impact, and that volunteering wouldn’t just be good for her, but also other visitors who saw her and said, “oh hey, that ranger looks a bit like me.”