Name: Roberto Morales

Location: Glendale, California

Contribution: Volunteer and lobbyist on the successful campaign to designate Southern California's San Gabriel Mountains as a national monument; wilderness instructor for Outward Bound Adventures

How did you help win protection for the San Gabriels? I gave presentations at community centers and churches, asking citizens to sign the petition to support the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a national monument or a national recreation area. 

What do you do with Outward Bound? I started three years ago as an outdoor educator, taking youth out to the parks, teaching leave-no-trace and navigation skills. As program coordinator, I do outreach to community organizations to introduce families to the local mountains.  

Are there particular difficulties introducing urban youths to L.A.'s mountains? The kids are very confined to their neighborhoods. They may have interest and curiosity in the mountains, but no way to connect. 

Is it important that Latinos introduce other Latinos to the wilderness? When instructors are primarily Anglo-European, the person who's trying to connect you to nature may not connect with you.  It's easier for me since I can understand where they come from. 

Do Latino youth see the Sierra Club as too white and too rich? If we ask one of our kids, "What does someone who likes the outdoors look like?" they'll say, "It's someone with a beard." We're redefining that. We tell them, "You are the next environmentalist." 

What do you like best about working with kids? When a youth from South Central L.A. gets into the mountains and says, "I didn't realize the world was so big," the moment stays with you. 

How did you first discover the San Gabriels? I spent my first eight years in rural Guatemala. When I came to the U.S., I felt disconnected. The San Gabriels gave me the opportunity to fully experience wilderness. 

What has been one of your best moments there? In leadership training, I was really nervous about leading a group for the first time. The experience gave me the strength to become an outdoor educator. 

What has been  one of your worst moments there? When the wildfires came through about seven years ago. My friends and I had a favorite fishing spot that no one else knew about. It's sad to see the damage. 

What's your favorite spot? Mt. Baden-Powell. It's really rugged. 

If you had one minute to convince an urban kid to visit the San Gabriels, what would you say? "It's a beautiful place. It's easy to get into, and it's accessible. There are animals, there's a lot of water, there's space."