Leda Hartman remembers her mother, Sonia Carlota Garcia de Barnes. After her mother’s death in 2010, Leda carried her ashes home to Puerto Rico to place them under the flame-colored flowers of the Flamboyan tree her mother loved.

RadioNature is a year-long series that looks at how people of color connect with nature. Funding comes from the REI Foundation.

Right-click here to download an .mp3 of this segment.

Leda Hartman

is a print and broadcast writer, reporter and editor. She is a longtime contributor to nationally broadcast public radio programs. Her work has aired on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Marketplace, Latino USA, Living on Earth, Studio 360, and The World and Voice of America.

Radio Nature is a year-long series that looks at how people of color connect with nature. Funding comes from the REI foundation.

The REI Foundation focuses on supporting efforts to get more young people, including youth from diverse populations, into nature. Through this work, The REI Foundation’s goal is to help inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts and environmental stewards.