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Category: Environmental Stewardship

Yo Cuento: Rim of the Valley

por Christian La Mont

In 2021, when it was safe to spend time outdoors with others, I was honored to join Representative Adam Schiff (CA-28) and outdoor equity leaders for a hike in the Rim of the Valley Corridor in Southern California’s Santa Monica Mountains. We gathered at the trailhead, wearing masks and maintaining a safe distance, catching up with friends and colleagues we hadn’t seen outside of Zoom or Google Hangout calls in a year. 

I heard some familiar voices and saw Dennis Arguelles with the National Parks Conservation Association, Araceli Hernández of Nature For All, and other outdoor advocates. Representative Schiff, a public lands champion and avid hiker, led us up the trail. It had been a long time since I had heard the crunch of dirt underneath my shoes and the winded but determined chatter of hikers. As we walked and talked, I couldn’t help but think of how calming and motivating it was to be back in nature, reconnecting with others.

Our main topic of conversation was the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act, which would add more than 191,000 acres of the Rim of the Valley Corridor to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and increase access to nature for urban LA communities. The bill has been championed by Representative Schiff and has already passed the House of Representatives. A few weeks ago, the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee passed the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act which puts us one step closer to making it a reality. I hope the full Senate follows suit and passes the bill this year. 

Over the past few years, I’ve advocated for the Rim of the Valley expansion. I’ve traveled to Washington D.C. to speak to policymakers about the benefits of protecting and expanding public lands around the country, and in particular in my hometown of Los Angeles.

The bill isn’t only about preserving natural treasures like the Los Angeles River and Griffith Park, home of our beloved mountain lion, P-22. It’s also about protecting cultural treasures like El Pueblo de Los Ángeles near Chinatown which is near the area where the Tongva village of Yangna was located and near where the famed Aliso Tree once stood. Despite the often painful and violent history of this area, the Tongva, whose name means “people of the earth” are today a community full of advocates, artists, change-makers, and policy shapers. We should, as we move to expand the Rim of the Valley and continue to protect public lands and push for equitable access to the outdoors, always seek input, advice, and collaboration from the original caretakers of the land.

As we neared the top of the trail, I paused to take a photo of Araceli, Dennis, and Representative Schiff. In conservation and policy work we cannot forget the invaluable role Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) advocates and organizations play in protecting the lands we love and also the communities and cultures these lands represent. 

On the way back to the trailhead we talked about our favorite local hiking spots with Representative Schiff. I recounted a uniquely magical L.A. moment on another hike in the Rim of the Valley. I hiked on Cinco de Mayo and was greeted by a calm breeze, a magnificent view of downtown Los Angeles, and the distant sounds of mariachi bands echoing throughout the valley below. It was, to me, a representation of what the Rim of the Valley is all about: nature, culture, opportunity, Los Angeles, home. 

This summer, hundreds of outdoor advocates across the country celebrated Latino Conservation Week, dedicated to uplifting the power of Latinx community engagement and advocacy. I couldn’t help but think of all the public lands around L.A. and beyond that need community support, that need the advocates and storytellers, the legislators who listen, care, and act. Increasing access to nature helps make the world a better place, one park and one trail at a time. We have to make it easier for our communities to enjoy the outdoors. The Rim of the Valley bill is one such opportunity. It gives me hope that passionate leaders like Representative Schiff, Senator Alex Padilla, Dennis, and Araceli are willing to dream big and to be bold in re-envisioning our parks and open spaces. We need that kind of thinking, now more than ever.


If you live in Los Angeles and would like to learn how you can support public lands, you can learn how to take action HERE.

Sana Sana

por Maritza Oropeza Kritz

I walk amongst the trees 
Brisk breeze flowing through my hair 
I look up at my ancestors 
Protectors of the land 
Whispers of cries 
What have we done to the land?

I follow their cries to the mountains
Gazing at our beloved earth
I see her yearning of thirst 
Empty forest and black clouds 
On the brink of collapse 
Lands bare and seas empty 
Senseless wars against nature 
Man’s envy has overcome his humanity 
Days are numbered 
As we drift closer to extinction 
What have we done to the land? 

Nourish our earth for she will always forgive
Our shelter of wonders
Do not destroy her innocence 
Our strength in numbers can heal
The earth is our teacher
The earth is our mother
The earth is our home
Without our home, we are nothing

Poem by: Maritza Oropeza Kritz

Good, Wild, And Free!

por Carlos Rodriguez

I believe the outdoors to be something that should be available to all. Whether it’s a hug of a much-needed breeze in the desert or the warmth of the sun on an alpine adventure, nature seems to provide all that I truly desire. Therefore, creating the bridges for more participation from communities of color within outdoor culture has become linked with my outdoor lifestyle. The memories, skills, and relationships that have come about because of my incessant “call of the wild” are truly priceless. The outdoors have given me the opportunity to identify with something bigger than myself.

To introduce myself, my name is Carlos Rodriguez. I am a first-gen Honduran-American. I think of myself as a proud, brown, non-binary, omega male born on the mainland of Honduras. La Lima to be exact. My parents were children of the great minds of Lorca, Neruda, and Quilapayun. Honduras has always been a battleground for basic human rights and the most recent turmoil has left many with no other option other than seeking refuge elsewhere. I share a vital parallel with these comrades. As a child of immigrants, our parents grow up believing that a better life exists in the United States. While my story will focus on the great outdoors and what it’s taught me, the heart of it all is exploring the world and designing my own life and opportunities in a way that my parents were never able to. By pursuing what I love, I can pay homage to the sacrifice my parents gave to give me this privilege in the first place.

My parents migrated to the United States in the late 90’s. Their move to the states ultimately resulted in them moving to Brooklyn, New York and eventually relocating to Birmingham, Alabama. I lived the majority of my life in Alabama and graduated from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. After a short stint trying out work opportunities, I decided to move back to NYC. This time I would reside in the Bronx for 7 years, and now I’m in Colorado writing this post the day after a successful summit of Longs Peak by me and my siblings. The outdoors has a way of always being fair and within that fairness is where all the possibilities begin. For me, it’s also where some of my best memories come from. To name a few examples, I have biked across Martha’s Vineyard, hiked north rim to south rim at the Grand Canyon, seen the fall foliage at Acadia, did “The Incline” with my father, and explored the Smokies at night. I explore this country because it gives me a constant flow of opportunities to satiate my “pioneering spirit”. I’ve always had a calling to push myself physically and I realized that the Rockies were always calling. At the end of 2021, I relocated to Denver, Colorado to expand my ability to experience the outdoors in a different way. Spotlighting the therapeutic value of engaging with different natural environments is something I believe to be foundationally American. How can we ever expect to truly understand the beauty of conservation efforts if Gunnison trout fishing is a hobby only reserved for your more conventional “outdoorsman?” This is the next paternal mold I have set out to deconstruct.

Throughout my life, I have come to terms with my own privileges and how they have given me the ability to explore on my terms. You should always choose to educate yourself before setting out on any new endeavors, but getting outside is as simple as taking a step out your door. If you find that you like being outside, you should make it a habit to spend time doing so. As you begin to develop an idea for how you like to spend your time, you can begin to budget for this lifestyle in a way that makes the most sense for you. I encourage you to not be fooled by the glamor of new product releases. The real value comes from getting to know the equipment needs of your adventure and keeping your eyes out for cost-effective ways of acquiring equipment, whether that be at yard sales, estate sales, and/or seasonal sales online/in-store. I strongly believe that this is vital information that must not skip another generation. My parents never had this type of access or knowledge, but I, thankfully, now do. Therefore, giving back to my community and creating more spaces for brown and black people to thrive outdoors is my leading motivation. Latino Outdoors is blazing such a unique trail. This is our opportunity to ensure that the connection we, as Brown people, have with the nature around us, returns in a way that allows more people like us to do the same. I want people to become aware of the role they play in ensuring future generations understand how to grow with nature. The seasonality of nature is something pure. We all should cherish the beauty the world offers while still seeing the beauty that resides within us all. Why not respect the outdoors at every turn? Thoreau would be proud of such an exceptional American. For in his blind pride, he would truly understand the meaning of being good, wild, and free!

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