From Cow Patties to Conservation: The Journey That Shaped My Life

This piece comes to us from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Views and opinions expressed in blog posts are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of THIRTEEN Productions LLC/The WNET Group.

When I was nine years old, my mother sent me to her home country, Paraguay, to spend two months on a farm with my aunt in the rural countryside. I traveled alone from New York City as an unaccompanied minor because my mother, who was a single parent and undocumented at the time, couldn’t join me—a challenge many faced then, and even more continue to face today.

At the time, I didn’t realize the impact this trip would have on my life, but looking back now, it’s clear that this decision shaped my future in profound ways.

Feeding the Chickens on the farm in Paraguay, 2008. Photo courtesy of Laura Monges-Velazquez.

A 14-hour flight is no small feat for a nine-year-old—especially alone, traveling to an unfamiliar place with strangers I had never met. But I wasn’t afraid. My mother had instilled in me a deep love for this small, landlocked nation at the heart of South America, and it felt like I was returning home to this place I had never been before.

This experience transformed my relationship with nature. I woke to the sound of roosters, caught tadpoles in the creek, swept out chicken coops until my hands blistered, and ran barefoot through fields of cow patties with the barn dogs. For a kid born and raised in New York City, these moments felt like a dream—every chore became an adventure.

That same excitement for nature has followed me throughout my life and into my career. So when the opportunity to volunteer at the New York Aquarium for the summer came along during my teenage years, I jumped at it with the same enthusiasm I had felt on that farm at just nine years old.

Laura on a visit to the Bronx Zoo, 2005. Photo courtesy of Laura Monges-Velazquez.

It was the year Ocean Wonders: Sharks!—a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to sharks and related species—was set to open, and I was among the first to tour the brand-new building. Growing up, I had visited the aquarium and the other four Wildlife Conservation Society parks countless times; they were an essential connection to nature and wildlife in an otherwise urban landscape, and they played a big role in my childhood.

That summer was deeply fulfilling, it brought me back to the same feeling I had experienced on my aunt’s farm. I knew more than ever that I had to find a way to center my life around this work. I went on to study sustainability at Stony Brook University and explored a few different career paths, but eventually found my way back to where I felt I truly belonged: at WCS.

Laura tabling at the Pan American International High School to promote WCS’s youth programs. Photo courtesy of Laura Monges-Velazquez.

After a few months as a Visitor Engagement Associate at the Prospect Park Zoo, I moved into the role of Youth Engagement Assistant Coordinator at the Queens Zoo. As a Flushing native who visited the Queens Zoo dozens of times as a kid, it was thrilling to have the opportunity to inspire today’s youth in my own hometown—just as I was inspired years ago as a teen volunteer at the aquarium!

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of supporting the launch of the Youth Environmental Advocate Program at the Queens Zoo. This program aims to empower local youth to advocate for conservation action in their own communities, with a particular focus on Corona, a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood.

We work to inspire teens who live, work, or attend school in or around this area. Many of our interns are of Hispanic heritage, including some who are newcomers, just beginning to make this city their home.

Youth Environmental Advocates at the Climate Change Museum. Photo courtesy of Laura Monges-Velazquez.

Since the program began, we’ve taken students to the United Nations Headquarters to represent youth voices on World Wildlife Day, supported the development of research projects on critical local environmental issues, and helped facilitate the annual Youth Conservation Summit, among many other opportunities.

Creating a bridge between our youth and the natural world through genuine connections and hands-on efforts has had a powerful impact on their lives. The group includes teens who’ve never ventured beyond the five boroughs and others who have already experienced life across international borders, bringing a vibrant mix of perspectives.

Together, we foster a space where they not only appreciate nature and wildlife but also commit to protecting it through the lens of their unique experiences. Whether this is their first true encounter with nature or a reconnection after leaving it behind, I believe it’s our duty to nurture these interactions. And just as I learned nearly two decades ago, running barefoot through cow patties, a connection to nature isn’t something you can simply teach—it has to be felt.

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