Nathan Harrington discusses pivotal experiences in his childhood and young adulthood that motivated him to found the Ward 8 Woods Conservancy. He recounts his parent’s careers and the serendipitous conditions that lead to his birth. Being the youngest of many siblings, Nathan describes lots of time spent alone with his parents, and with his Mom in particular. Noting his Mother’s untimely and tragic passing in 2012, Nathan recalls special moments they shared and the lasting impact of her caring personality and love for humanity. He moves on to regale favorite experiences traveling to visit family in Mexico City, Mexico, noting the ingeniousness of the Aztecs floating agricultural islands, or “Chinampas,” as well as trips to the Andes mountains in Chili, and other locations. Throughout his travels, Nathan witnessed the striking similarity of environmental degradation being centered in poor/low-wealth communities and BIPOC communities, and how this remains largely overlooked by municipal systems. Inheriting an irrational fear of Ward 8 from his comparatively progressive parents, Nathan describes the challenge and significance of confronting his fear and of being humbled for his Black cultural incompetence. Noting the importance of environmental stewardship and civic engagement, Nathan offers advice for younger people to reclaim the sacredness of wild spaces and to actively engage in confronting pervasive social injustices. He closes by offering his vision for Ward 8 Woods, and for the construction of accessible trail systems to increase access to the healing properties the natural world offers us all. This oral history interview was conducted under a grant from the Humanities Council of Washington, DC to the Ward 8 Woods Conservancy.