Many of us have sought solace in nature over the past year, whether that’s simply noticing the sound of birdsong on our daily walks or sitting beneath an old oak tree in the local park. And it’s a trend that queer activist Pattie Gonia – who’s often found hiking in the mountains of Colorado in six-inch platform heels – hopes will continue as we begin to emerge from the pandemic.
“Spending time in nature brings so much joy to my life,” the drag queen, whose name is a pun on eco-brand Patagonia, tells Vogue via a Zoom call, taken outside, of course. “I don’t think we were ever made as humans to sit inside boxes and to look at screens as much as we do.”
Considering the urgency of the climate crisis we’re facing, being connected to nature is also essential when it comes to environmental action, too. “We fight for what we love,” the activist explains. “If we can fall in love with nature more, we’re going to be even more equipped to fight for it and to advocate for it.”
Unfortunately, the pandemic has highlighted how access to nature remains a privilege – with research showing that communities of colour in the US are three times more likely to live in nature-deprived areas compared to white communities, for example.
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“From a queer perspective, I was taught the outdoors was a place for toxic masculinity and that I was actually unnatural,” says Pattie, who recently unveiled 14 fully funded scholarships for LGBTQIA+ youth to attend a 14-day backpacking course exploring the canyons and wilderness of Utah. “It’s so important that we continue to eliminate barriers for marginalised people to get outdoors.”
To mark World Environment Day on 5 June, Pattie shares her top tips for reconnecting with nature.
1. Start small
“We think reconnecting with nature is going to be this moment of buying a pair of hiking boots and getting outdoors. Honestly, what it might actually look like is taking a Zoom call outside or just spending five more minutes outdoors. It’s about taking micro-steps that lead to a macro shift in our lives.”
2. Explore hidden nature near you
“Embrace your local nature – it’s not necessarily going to look like these mountain-top moments. There’s so much more than just the baseline of what you think exists. You probably know the biggest park in your city, but you probably don’t know a park that’s within a mile of your house that would blow your mind.”
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3. Find your community
“I go into the outdoors because I want community – I don't necessarily want to be by myself. Now more than ever, there are hyper-local community groups out there. There is some really amazing grassroots-effort organising that can be found on Instagram and Facebook, but it can also just be you and three people who you feel comfortable with getting out there.”
4. You don’t need expensive equipment
“You don’t need to spend lots of money on gear to get outdoors – there are so many different used gear opportunities out there. Also, we need so much less gear than we think. It was helpful for me to have a few friends who stepped up as guides in different areas of the outdoors to show me the ropes, quite literally.”
5. Get creative
“I go outside to create art and embrace nature. That’s why I love doing drag outdoors; it’s art. People love everything from taking photos to painting outside. That’s an amazing way to be present, to sit and just observe and soak it in.”
