Through our partnership with VISIONS and its Workplace Experience Training program, Riverside Park Conservancy had the opportunity to welcome Brian Flores Gerardo to our team.
The program provides paid internship opportunities with partnering organizations for people with vision loss, creating opportunities to gain workplace experience, build skills, and contribute to their communities. Below, Brian reflects on his experience with Riverside Park Conservancy and what he gained through his time and work in the Park.
Environmental work, and science in general, branches into many different avenues, from lab and fieldwork to research, computational, and office-based roles.
I came to Riverside Park Conservancy as an intern, and I went in not knowing what to expect out of the job—or myself. I came with the preconceived notion of helplessness because… what business does a legally blind dude have doing work outside in the open? I was pleasantly surprised to learn more about myself, see what I am able to do, grow more confident, and, most importantly of all, share my story while helping people and the environment.
I always knew that spending some time outside under the sun could have a positive effect on mental health, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that I felt it was a little bit of a cliché. After all, some folks from my generation throw around the comical tagline “go touch some grass” whenever we’re in our caves for too long. Turns out that “touching grass” really did help me destress—especially when there’s a purpose attached to it.
From the very beginning, I understood the value of the work of the Conservancy—ensuring the parks are free of trash, maintaining the native flora across the various locations Riverside Park Conservancy covers, and providing outreach and education on the importance of green work—but my appreciation and respect deepened when I learned about the West Harlem Forest Restoration project. This grand, multi-year initiative, spanning seven acres of land from West 143rd Street to West 153rd Street, seeks to bring a new breath of fresh air to the green space by restoring the native forest of West Harlem. If you ask me, I am exuberant to see this forested area become something even more majestic in the years to come.
Aside from the horticultural work I did with RPC, I was able to provide a helping hand with a special task that… most people would find unpleasantly repetitive. Though the task seemed insurmountable and daunting, I managed to help the team digitize over a thousand volunteer permit forms via scanning. It took mental fortitude and a lick of perseverance to pull off this glorious feat, and I am glad to have helped with this project because… I saw why it could make anyone break a sweat just looking at those bloated binders.
I would consider myself the pondering type: the silent fellow in the background who kicks back and reflects on their experiences. With my time at RPC, I have been able to do something productive with my summer and make some form of meaningful impact, while also having the mental liberty to step away from the everyday noise of life.
I’ve found stress relief in the productive form of creative writing, but I have also come to learn that being outside with nature complements this very well. The buzz that normally follows me around from academics and advocacy can be mentally taxing—overwhelming at times, to the point where my mind constantly races and I feel a weight on my heart. But through the work I have done with Riverside Park Conservancy, the sound of stress has virtually disappeared, and I am eternally grateful for that.
The Man, the Tree, and the Bindweed
Today is just one of those days
I want to draw back, feel release, and recede
I mourn a wan tree that decays
Ensnared by shackles of ravenous bindweed
The agony is all done
Yet, I feel drops of life essence within
I lie, staring at the Sun
It’s like helplessness is my greatest sin
I close my eyes, drift off, and ponder
I’m begging for relief and reach my hands to you
I feel it, and my heart grows fonder
Thanks for accepting me—you are one in a few
Embrace vulnerability
It’s the silent vine that keeps us together
Comfort shall face no scarcity
Eternal compassion soothes our pain better
The day before I wrote this piece, I had participated in a Place Partner session at South Park, and for the first part of the session, we were spreading mulch. After the mulch-spreading, we began removing bindweed from some bushes, and with a stroke of luck, I found a large vine attached to one of them. I made sure to thoroughly remove the entire vine while also tearing it from the ground.
I gave the large vine a good glance, and with my childlike imagination, I asked myself,
“I wonder how plants feel when being wrapped around in this stuff?”
So, naturally, I wrapped it around my torso like a sash and went off to the next Place Partner location.
While this was a prime example of how random my psychology can be, I did gain a fortune of insight about shared experiences. Like the bush, I too have faced many struggles that siphoned off my energy, but my will to help others and my heart’s pursuit of understanding the intricacies of emotions have helped me build my confidence and reaffirm my purpose.
It’s the small interactions and side quests that make this experience so meaningful and worthwhile because, although we face different adversities, we can all understand the shared experience of hard work, labor, and the physical demands of caring for our parks.
I met amazing individuals—I won’t name everyone in case I accidentally leave anyone out, but if you know who you are… shout out to you! I made great memories, whether it was sitting down and listening to your stories, going around the park locations and taking in the scenery, or contributing to fun projects like painting park benches and rails. And I did it all while spending time in the great outdoors.
I came to Riverside Park Conservancy unsure of what I could do. I leave knowing a little more about what I am capable of, what meaningful environmental work can look like, and how much value there can be in simply getting outside, getting your hands dirty, and doing something that matters.
I even have the two green thumbs to prove it!
Brian Flores Gerardo is a legally blind young adult pursuing an Associate in Science at Hostos Community College who dabbles in advocacy. His leadership portfolio is quite extensive, and he currently finds himself serving as President of the Hostos Student Government Association and as a Delegate to the CUNY University Student Senate. He aspires to become a world-class scientist and an advocate for our dear planet, Earth. Leadership comes in many different forms, and his journey with it has taken him in many different directions, but serving his community will always remain at the heart of what he does. Life takes Brian everywhere, so it’s very possible you may randomly see him again on another venture!