This story comes from NPR’s Next Generation Radio project:
Light purple beaded earrings brush the sides of Rocío Villalobos’ face. Just shy of reaching her collar bone, the dangling flower design swings forward with each move of her head before falling back into the breadth of her dark, waist-length hair.
Crouched on the top steps leading to her baby blue townhouse, Villalobos remembers her childhood in East Austin – just miles away from where she currently sits. Back then, she said, she didn’t care much for the outdoors, and now she reflects that there wasn’t much to like about it.
“If your only experience is an oil tank farm down the road [or] the park that is closest to you isn’t very nice, it’s going to be a lot harder to feel like you want to be spending time outside,” she said.
Villalobos grew up near a 52-acre petroleum tank farm next to the intersection of Airport Boulevard and Springdale Road. From residents’ backyards, the tanks stood out against the skyline, and contamination seeped into the soil and water, causing decades of cancer and chronic illness.
She said she didn’t know about the history as a child, but after advocates fought to get the tanks removed, local parks remained in poor condition and cracked sidewalks marked the path to get to them. She often opted to stay indoors.
Seeing the disparities in East Austin led Villalobos to a career with the City of Austin Equity Office and a desire to create a space to help people experience the joy and beauty of being outside.
“It’s something I’ve realized is personal,” she said. “It’s affected my life. It’s affected the lives of my family members and so many of the people that I grew up with.”
Stepping outside now, Villalobos said, is an opportunity to pause, catch the breeze on her skin and listen for the birds. She took up running 10 years ago while recovering from an eating disorder and a struggle with depression, and with each added mile she’s found a love for the trails.
