Photo by Alex Zamora
In 2013, the Hispanic Access Foundation launched Latino Conservation Week, a multi-day event to connect the Latino community with nature and promote activities to connect people with the outdoors. Ten years later, and Latino Conservation Week is still going strong.
During this week-long celebration, community, non-profit, faith-based, and government offices stage events across the country to inspire connections with nature, from hiking to camping to film screenings. Each event focuses on promoting conservation and providing an opportunity for Latino communities to demonstrate their support for protecting lands, waters, air, and wildlife.
Over the last decade, Latino Conservation Week has grown from nine events to more than 250 events nationwide. This year, several of them were organized by Sierra Club members, volunteers, and community members from various parts of the Greater Los Angeles Area.
This was the second year the LA Chapter organized an event for Latino Conservation Week, which was focused on the Latino community and advocating for the protection of public lands as well as creating greater and equal access to nature for low-income Latino Communities.
The main event was for all ages and included activities facilitated by Self Help Graphics and a hike through Crystal Cove State Park led by LA Chapter outings leaders with support from Latino Outdoors. The interpretive hike included not only discussions about flora and fauna but also created a space for people to connect with each other and to reflect on the importance of nature for our individual health and the health of our communities
The July 22 event also included a short discussion on ways to advocate for protecting public lands as well as increasing access to nearby open spaces for low-income families. The day culminated in a call to action urging the Biden administration to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument . Expanding the monument is important for these Southern California communities, as the San Gabriels comprise two-thirds of all open natural space in the Greater L.A. area. At the same time, many Latino communities in the city have limited park access. Increasing the size of the monument will expand nature access for these communities and ensure better management of the gateway areas of the Angeles National Forest.
The event was the capstone of a week full of hikes into various parts of the San Gabriel Mountains. Some of these areas are protected as part of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, but many are not. This highlights the need of the Latino community to have more access to open spaces like the San Gabriels, and the need to protect them.
Latino Conservation Week only happens once a year, but Latino conservation is a year-round activity. The experiences that happen during LCW last a lifetime, encouraging young people to become the next generation of environmental advocates. Latino communities want and deserve clean air and water, they want and deserve access to nature, and they want and deserve a livable planet.