Latino Outdoors Great Lake Chapter helping others step out of their comfort zone, embrace nature

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Enjoying the outdoors is something a lot of Chicagoans like to do before that long cold-weather season begins and yet numbers show that Latinos are less likely than other groups to do this.

The national non-profit Latino Outdoors was created to help others step out of their comfort zone and connect them to nature.

Juan Reyes is the co-founder of the Latino Outdoors Great Lakes Chapter. Last month he helped organize a kayaking event on the Chicago River.

With a $60 price tag for a two-hour sunset paddle, the price of entry is steep for some. And that is where Latino Outdoors comes in.

"For this event. We had 15 spots and they all sold out in a couple of minutes," said Reyes.

The mostly volunteer-led LatinX network looks to inspire more Latinos to get active by eliminating the barriers to access. Whether it's kayaking, cycling, hiking, or rock climbing, the organization strives to provide one event a week. All for free. When possible they also provide transportation.

"We do camping. We've gone to Devil's Lake. We took a group of some 30 folks out there. We did some hiking, some kayaking as well, some paddle boarding." said Reyes.

While the Great Lakes chapter is just under two years old, organizers said they're nearing nearly 1,000 active participants. Many of whom admit to being a little nervous in the beginning.

"I''ve gotten more into the outdoors but it's not something that I grew up doing. So it's definitely been something that I had to learn how to do," said Dulce Flores. "A lot of times it's just learning while you're doing it, but it's hard to put yourself out there sometimes."

Sharing the experience with others who like them did not grow up being outdoorsy is clearly proving to be a successful formula, as friends bring other friends in.

"There are a lot of Latinos that unfortunately don't have the privilege to come out and do things like this. For example. I brought my friend and it's her first time," said Melina Reyes.

But it's not just about having fun. There is an advocacy element that is layered into everything that Latino Outdoors does. And that is protecting the environment which we all take so much enjoyment out of.

"This river is beautiful what can we do to take care of it," said Reyes. "This trail is beautiful. What can we do to protect it? Or even make it better."

And even as the Fall season has now begun and the leaves are starting to fall, Latino Outdoors is busy year round organizing outings like ice-skating and even ski trips to keep their members going, even during the cold winter months.