Exploring nature and connections under the moon

A VOLUNTEER-RUN NONPROFIT IS TURNING L.A. PARKS INTO GATHERING PLACES FOR STARGAZING

- BY ASPEN ANDERSON

AS THE LAST bit of the afternoon sun beamed down on a patch of grass right outside Elysian Park, hikers unfurled yoga mats and stretched beside a busy street. Dogs tugged at their leashes.

William Vazquez moved through the crowd, greeting familiar faces and welcoming new ones. He asked for a show of hands: "Who's here for the first time?"

At least half the group raised their hands. L.A. local Vazquez, who founded We Explore Earth, a nonprofit outdoor group, welcomed them and introduced himself.

"It's the perfect time to appreciate, to admire — but also to harvest," he told the group, referencing the sturgeon moon rising later that evening. Named after the giant fish once abundant in North American lakes, the sturgeon moon is August's full moon and has long been associated with seasonal harvests.

Trash grabbers were handed out as the group crossed the street together to begin the short hike. Like most of We Explore Earth's outdoor experiences, this one included a cleanup component.

The group hosts free community hikes, cleanups and nature experiences across Los Angeles. Its most popular event — a full moon hike capped with yoga, a sound bath and stargazing — happens every month, timed to the moonrise, and often it draws dozens of newcomers. These experiences rotate between Elysian Park and Griffith Park.

The gatherings are open to all ages and experience levels and are substance-free by design. Vazquez caps RSVP numbers at 100, though turnout usually lands between 50 and 60. The hikes are short — usually one mile up, one mile down — with 30 minutes of yoga and a 30-minute sound bath under the rising moon.

"I think a lot of people find their tribe here," Vazquez said. "A lot of them are taking their first steps into nature with us."