Prepare su reproductor de audio Trinity...

A lesson from the redwoods

On a forest trail at Martin Griffin Preserve, Cesar Barragan, executive director of Brothers on the Rise, stood with a group of teenagers from Oakland. Catie Clune, All Hands Ecology’s director of education, pointed to the towering trees.

“What do you think redwoods need to thrive?” asked Clune.

The redwoods needed water, which they got from fog.

“What about all the plants and animals that live beneath the redwoods?” she continued.

One teenager, Carlos, asked a pivotal question.

“We’re talking about what all the things in this environment need to live,” he said. “What about me and my classmates? What do we need, and does our city give us that?”

Years later, Barragan still recalls this question.

“That was a question that stayed with me,” he said. “We have a long way to go to create a society that is ideal for the thriving of boys and young men of color.”

Through a longstanding partnership with All Hands Ecology, Brothers on the Rise has been using Martin Griffin Preserve in West Marin as a community and healing space — where youth feel safe enough to drop their guards, build relationships with mentors and nature, and experience the resilience that helps them thrive.

Youth and healing in nature

“I’ve said, ‘Youth are seldom in a place where they can heal,’” shared Barragan. “‘Nature is a place where they can heal.’ Over the course of the five years I’ve been coming to Martin Griffin Preserve, I’ve seen this.”

Brothers on the Rise serves boys and young men of color from low-income communities in Oakland and nearby cities. Many face barriers to education, positive role models, enrichment activities, food security, and health care, and are also exposed to gang violence. But when Barragan speaks of healing, he is not suggesting that the young people themselves are lacking.

“I am talking about helping them be resilient,” said Barragan. “They have so much to offer.”

In more than 20 years as an educator, Barragan has viewed youth as teachers, with inherent knowledge and gifts, highlighting the importance of family traditions and lived experience in the lives of the young people he works with.

“What they need are spaces to open up and feel safe,” said Barragan. “Nature is a place where they can drop their guard and self-regulate.”

Self-regulation with the natural world

“Oakland can be a beautiful place, but also a dangerous place,” shared Edgar Puz Siquinajay, a 17-year-old intern with Brothers on the Rise, who lives in Fruitvale near Oakland. “When I’m at home, I’m getting stressed out with stuff that happens online. Nature makes me feel more relaxed and safer. At Martin Griffin Preserve, I know that not many bad things can happen to me there.”

Puz Siquinajay recalled a peaceful time at the preserve gathered around a campfire with other interns and his mentor Barragan.

“We were just talking, not having to worry. We knew we were safe,” said Puz Siquinajay. “I felt I could express myself more because I was comfortable.”

Experiences like Puz Siquinajay’s have helped Brother of Rise’s mentorship model flourish.

“When we disengage from the urban environment for longer than a few hours,” said Barragan, “it opens the ability to show up as our best selves, creating a more hopeful, positive environment.”

Spaces to feel joy and belonging

“Our role as stewards of this preserve is to make meaningful time on the land accessible to a wide range of partners and communities,” said Vini Souza, All Hands Ecology’s education partnerships coordinator. “We provide a sense of security for the groups who use it. You’re taken care of and your basic needs are covered.”

Souza asserted that this combination of feeling cared for and the natural beauty of the preserve can be a powerful agent, creating spaces where people can “open their hearts,” build community, and connect with nature.

He’s witnessed this with Brothers on the Rise.

“After dark, when the activities are done and they’ve all had dinner,” said Souza, “I hear drums and laughter, as they’re sitting around the bonfire. It’s the most joyful sound.”

Mutually beneficial partnerships

For groups visiting Martin Griffin Preserve, support can include outdoor education and stewardship activities. This has been an important resource for Brothers on the Rise.   

“The programs solidify the knowledge that we get in our local streams and oceans,” said Barragan. “The knowledge of Catie Clune or Vini Souza sticks to the minds of the kids. We could not do that without All Hands Ecology as a partner.” 

Barragan has also worked closely with Sarah Warnock, All Hands Ecology grants manager, on grant proposals supporting both organizations. The collaboration between Barragan and Warnock has helped shape proposals, reflecting Barragan’s compelling vision for youth leadership and belonging as well as the shared values and aspirations of both organizations.  

Safe places to grow  

Years after Carlos asked what youth need to thrive, Barragan still returns to the question: “Are we creating the systems that will help these young men thrive?”

Puz Siquinajay found his answer to this question through his experiences with Brothers on the Rise and time at Martin Griffin Preserve.

“To thrive, young people need supportive mentors, meaningful challenges, and safe spaces to grow,” he said.

Support equitable access to the land

All people deserve the opportunity to have a life-changing experience in nature. Your support helps make our lands accessible to a wide range of partners and communities from across the Bay Area. Donate or become a member today.

Header photo by Catie Clune.