Andrew Fung Yip
As part of year-long celebrations of the National Park Service Centennial, the Sierra Club is working with local communities on trail projects to connect people with nature, particularly in urban areas. There are nine projects in seven locations across the United States. Follow our multi-part series as we interview project leaders to learn more about how the projects are helping people unplug and experience nature nearby.
Part 4: Meet Andrew Fung Yip working in the San Gabriel Valley with Bike San Gabriel Valley
Project: Monthly bike rides for low-income, environmentally disadvantaged communities that combine healthy exploration with native ecology education, trail maintenance and invasive species removal.
First, paint us a picture of your community. Where is it? What’s it like?
The San Gabriel Valley consists of 33 cities and is one of the most diverse regions in the world in terms of ethnicities, languages spoken, and religion. Many of the communities in the San Gabriel Valley are park poor and lack adequate open spaces. BikeSGV works specifically to address these issues of open space by engaging local communities in outdoor events such as biking, hiking, and walking. Our communities have some of the highest rates of obesity in Los Angeles County and are in dire need of a built environment that supports liveable communities.
How do community members connect with each other? Do they connect with nature?
Congregational spaces such as churches, community centers, schools, and parks are essential to communication in our communities. The San Gabriel Valley has a plethora of languages spoken so people rely on community spokespersons or organizations to help connect them with resources and information. Due to the lack of parks and open space, many youth have very little experience with wild and open spaces other than their school playground. BikeSGV has made efforts to coordinate events where local youth can experience the local San Gabriel Mountains for the first time.
What have been some of the barriers that prevent or discourage people in the area from spending time outside?
Transportation: Our transportation infrastructure and built environment does not support active communities. Roadways are designed for high speeds, nonexistent bike lanes, lack of sidewalks, and horrible regional connections prevent people from connecting to open spaces. There may be a lack of parks but the parks that we do have are not accessible. The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is our local national park and it is within a half hour drive for many local residents. However, the lack of shuttles or even directions for people to get up to the mountains creates this mysterious region that people can’t go to.
Income: Many people that live in the San Gabriel Valley are recent immigrants and/or lack disposable income to spend time outside. The cost of taking time off, gas, park passes, and other things add up, so even the idea of spending time outdoors becomes something only people of affluence can do. Funding at local schools for educational outdoor programs and field trips has been gutted. Not to mention that poverty also leads to higher crime rates so the same communities that lack adequate resources also lack adequate safe park space. This is an environmental injustice because communities suffering from poverty, crime, and health disparities do not even get a respite in having healthy park spaces.
Interpretation: Many of our parks including the San Gabriel Mountains lack adequate signage, education programs, and staff that speak languages other than English. Over a hundred languages are spoken in the San Gabriel Valley yet we lack readily available information on trails and programs in languages other than English. Language or the lack of information becomes a barrier to access.
In all, there are many barriers in the San Gabriel Valley and it’s hard to mention all of them but they all intersect which is why BikeSGV refuses to address issues as silos but rather we look at it holistically. Housing, transportation, public health, etc. tie into the need for open space.
Tell us about your work with the Trails program. What do you have planned and how will it help area residents experience the outdoors?
We have two more events planned. The first is a Puente Hills Bike Ride and Botany Walk where we will be riding in the communities of Hacienda Heights, Avocado Heights, and La Puente. We will visit Orange Grove Park in Hacienda Heights where there are walking trails through a native garden. The park was built using tipping fees from the Puente Hills Landfill. We’ll be talking about the importance of open space, the landfill (which will be turning into a regional park) and the the many native plant species. The second is an Environmental Justice and Conservation Workshop, a two hour workshop on environmental justice issues in the San Gabriel Valley as well as conservation projects/efforts in the region. This workshop will be paired with a tree planting event and short hike with local youth from El Monte, Pasadena, and Pomona.
In your time working on this project, is there one moment that stands out for you that really illustrates the value of providing new outdoor opportunities?
One moment that stood out was when leading our Love Mother Nature Ride, we took about 80 participants to Rio Vista Park in El Monte. The park is along the Emerald Necklace trail next to the Rio Hondo River. I shared the history of Mexican and Japanese farm workers in the area and how we have an interconnected history in the San Gabriel Valley that is lost. I urged everyone to look into our own history and to remember the importance of preserving the land that our ancestors have toiled and worked on. There is a human element to conservation: ethnobotany. There is a connection between people and nature and we need to bridge that gap again. Most of the people there did not know about the local history that was presented and when we got back, people took part in the tree plantings. Grandchildren planted trees with their grandparents. Couples planted fruit trees in hopes that they can come back in the coming years to enjoy them. It was a wonderful feeling to know that they, too were toiling the land to preserve it.
This year we’re celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service, but as we look ahead to the next century, what do you hope to see when it comes to our public lands?
We need to build continuous generations of stewards of our public lands. We also need to make a concerted effort to engage and include communities of color. Those that do not build a passion for public lands as children will grow up uninspired to protect our public lands. I hope I will see access to public lands improved and open to all, and that there be a mosaic of peoples that enjoy our national parks.