Forest Preserves of Cook County, Illinois
Board Member
Raquel is the Stewardship Program Coordinator and a steward at the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Illinois. She co-leads Latinx stewardship days to connect the local community so that they are aware that these public lands are theirs too. For 2021, she is on a detail focusing on operationalizing racial equity within the Forest Preserves.
She also founded the Environmentalists of Color (EOC), the network holds a safe space to amplify, connect, and support members to be leaders and thrive in various environmental fields. Raquel was named as one of 16 Impactful and Influential Eco-Warriors Making a Difference for the Environment in 2021 according to Marin Magazine.
Raquel has a Master’s Degree in Environment and Natural Resource Management from the University of Iceland in Reykjavík and an undergraduate degree in Animal Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Raquel is from the vibrant south side Little Village neighborhood in Chicago and has visited over 40 countries world-wide.
