Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
Explore LA

Hike and do yoga this weekend — under the full moon

People sit on the ground under trees. Their hands are raised.
We Explore Earth organizes about a dozen events each month.
(
Courtesy We Explore Earth
)

Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.

It was 2016, and William Vazquez had an epiphany while hiking along a river. He wanted to expose people who didn’t grow up hiking to the outdoors, while nurturing a sense of responsibility to take care of the natural environment.

“I hosted my first hike, and it was only two people that showed up,” he said.

Trending on LAist

But he kept at it. Last month, 60 people showed up at a yoga session with a violin performance. Most who attend, he said, have rarely hiked or learned about the outdoors, so he and his staff create activities to “help them take their first steps, help them gear up and learn how to explore nature, how to also help build community, how to protect nature.”

We Explore Earth now organizes about a dozen events each month with many volunteers in parks and other locations from L.A. and Compton to San Dimas.

People stand outdoors at night. The moon is in the night sky.
We Explore Earth organizes events to connect people with both nature and other humans of diverse ethnicities and races.
(
Courtesy We Explore Earth
)

The next event is 6 p.m. Sunday at Elysian Park. It coincides with the last full moon of the summer, called the Full Corn Moon. Vazquez says the goal is to reflect, think about fall produce like pumpkins, and connect with the night sky. A telescope will be on hand.

Sponsored message

Go to the group’s events listing for more details.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible year-end gift today

A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right