So growing up on the the reservation, you always# see your brothers, cousins, and all that doing new hobbies, and you always think that's so cool.# And skateboarding was the hobby here.

You saw#it everywhere.

The Trail Skate Park project# was spearheaded by me and aided by Trent and Randall Osceola.

This is the first step stone of# our new community.

So, they wanted to show the community that everything's going to be nice and# that we're in good hands.

So, they wanted to make this spot look super pretty, not only for the# tribe, but for everybody who comes by.

I mean there's skateparks all over town.

I've been to a lot off the reservations, but it's like you don't get like a view like this, too, where you just# can look and looks, you just see the Everglades right behind you and it looks amazing.

We had# a skate park back then, but it was nothing like this.

And especially for the generation coming# up now, there's some people who if they really want to hone in their skills and get really# good at skateboarding, it could definitely be done here.

They have everything they# need now to elevate their skill levels here.

This is supposed to be like an all-around park,# beginner to expert.

You can be anything.

You can ride whatever you want.

When the park was# first done, it was just white, white with black rails.

During the right sunlight, probably# like right now, it'd be blinding.

So, that was one of the first problems, that was getting art# or anything put on here just to kind of reduce#that.

My team came in and rocked the bowl again# and hit some vertical spaces that weren't going to have that much wear and tear.

Behind me is sort# of like that anchor piece that you're greeted with when you first arrive here.

It's the Trail Skate# Park sign, which has some cypress trees and of course the legendary skunk ape that's flanked with# like a heron and and just some nice typography.

So when you arrive it says Trail Skate Park then# you went to the park and start ripping.

I think what was really cool about this project was that# the youth who actually skates this park had a big imprint on the marks that were actually made.

At# each of the public hearings that we had leading into it, we had voices saying like it would be# cool to represent the different tribes here, but also we don't have to be so buttoned up and formal# about it.

Here in the bowl, one of the things that we were really focusing on was the utility of it.# So, when this was originally painted, it was way too bright.

It's super sunny out here.

So, the# skaters wanted something to identify where they were in the bowl.

So what we did was just line# the edge of it with different icons and characters that represented where we are and the different# clans here.

On the heels of our project, Rey slid in and started matching the sunset with these# beautiful gradients that you can see behind me.

Naturally being in the Everglades, I wanted to# emulate what surrounds us and bring back in what is actually around us.

So having these marshes# full of sawgrass and birds and these sunset colors, these gradients that kind of go up.

As# a skater, you feel as if you're flowing with the direct park as long as you're kind# of following the sunset gradient.

It was a group of 20 kids who would come out, my# parents, my best friends, my assistants.

It was a truly a group effort from everyone in# order to make something this beautiful happen.

And to see many of them know that their addition# to this park will last and stand the test of time, I really saw how into it that they could# become so that they could feel a part of their own community.

This is their park and I# wanted them to feel as involved as they could.

A lot of the visitors will come just because they# love the Everglades, but none of them actually ever been into the actual Everglades.

They'll just# drive along 41, see everything from the bridge, but once they're here and they're all# set up and ready to start skating, they'll tell me they have like this brief moment# where they just and just listen to nature.

They never get that.

I think just giving people this# exposure that they need that this is the only place in the world, that we need to preserve# it.

I think that's like the best thing ever.

When it came to allowing visitors# to come by, non-natives to be specific, that was always my intention with this, I# love seeing new faces, meeting new people, where they're from.

It's so cool just seeing#their style.

Then that way they'll know we're still here.

We're still, we still exist and we're# just like you.

I like to skate.

You like to skate.

There doesn't have to be this barrier# where people think they're not welcome#here.

We're happy that people take interest# in the Everglades, in our tribe, our skate park, they come through and see us and hope# they realize we're people like them too.

The way we operate now is Monday to Friday# is usually tribal members.

They take reigns.

Saturday and Sunday, everyone's welcome to# come.

We're open from sunrise to sunset.

We ask that you just take care of everything.# Take care of each other and just have fun.