Our Story is Your Story: Talla

We believe that Wild Diversity is the future. And there are few things that have made us feel as energized for the future as building out our Youth Ecology programming for next year. And knowing that we get to play a part in shaping the future stewards of our world. With that, we give you some reflections from Talla, one of our Youth Ecology participants.

I have spent the last three months hearing people tell me about how amazing Talla is. And what I’ve picked up on is that to know Talla, is to love him.

I picked Talla up from his house one overcast, Portland, afternoon; which I suppose is to say, a Portland afternoon. We headed to the Sellwood Riverfront to go kayaking with Chase. And on the way, we spoke about his relationship to the outdoors. Talla is quiet, like myself. And keeps things short and sweet. But his reflections on why he enjoys being outside, versus spending time indoors, are some of my favorite thoughts from this whole project.

What are your favorite things to do outdoors?

I really like to kayak and hiking is also really fun. I’m always happy to go outside.

Do you go outside with your parents a lot?

Yeah, we try to go on a hike, like, three times a month. But during COVID we haven't been able to get out as much. Going outdoors is mostly something I do with my family. But sometimes I’ll invite some of my friends to hike.

What do you enjoy about kayaking?

I just like being in the water. It's really fun because you get to maneuver your boat around and it’s nice.

What kinds of events and programs have you done with Wild Diversity? And what have you enjoyed about it? 

I did the paddle intensive program. At first we were just learning the basics – how to paddle. And then we moved on to mastering that. And eventually whitewater kayaking. I hadn’t done that before. I’ve done a little bit of stand up paddleboarding – my grandparents taught me on a camping trip, but not much kayaking. So it was really fun to do the intensive and to learn how to whitewater kayak.

There was one time when we were on the water for a really long time. And there were rapids. And at one point, my boat turned over and I just swam to the shore and it was fun. I wasn’t really scared. Like there wasn’t a lot of background thought. I just knew I needed to get to the shore.

Can you tell me about the Paddling Overnight that you went on?

It was my first time doing an overnight paddling trip. We went to the Deschutes River, and paddled along there. And we got to see some volcanic rocks – and I learned a bit about the area. And then later we went down to this water park, and that was pretty fun. And we were just paddling against the waves.

What other hobbies do you have besides being outdoors?

I like to play D&D. I really enjoy reading, which I guess isn’t really a hobby [We pause the interview to assure Talla that reading is most definitely a hobby]. I mostly like to read fantasy and sci-fi books. Right now I’m reading one called Hello Universe. Most of the sci-fi books take place in some sort of spaceship. But most of the fantasy books I’ve read take place outside. 

What do you think are your biggest strengths when you’re outside?

I’m not really sure. I just like to be outside. I haven’t really had any chance to test my strengths or something. I suppose that I can just like walk for a long time.

Are there other outdoor skills or activities you would like to get into? 

It would be fun to learn to climb. And I’m interested in cross country running, and I just joined a little camp for that. 

What would you say to someone who's new to the outdoors or doesn't know where to start?

Just start with maybe finding some short trails and walking around. And see how you like it. If you’re not a big fan of hikes, you can try doing some sort of kayaking. Yeah.

Do you explore much outside by yourself in your neighborhood?

I do like to explore outside in my neighborhood, but there’s not really that much wilderness by where I live right now. But I used to live in Sellwood, and there was a time when me and one of my cousins and one of my friends went down to a forest, and we would just walk around for awhile. Climbing on trees and logs.

What is it like for you to be outside, versus spending time inside?

When you’re inside, there are three things you can do: You can be reading. You can be talking. Or you can be playing with some sort of board game or something like that. And while watching movies or talking to people or playing board games inside is fun, I'd much rather be experiencing something. Like you can outside. And you can always talk to people outside. And, in my opinion, I think it’s better. Because you’ve got this beautiful scenery to talk in.