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Category: Environmental Stewardship

#LatinoAdvocacyWeek

por Maricela ‘Marci’ Rosales

When I started my advocacy journey, it began with me advocating for time outside to play and taking in cats and dogs from the streets of Los Angeles as a little girl! FACTS! I remember bringing up important issues I cared about or needed to be addressed with my parents and siblings and finding solutions that made a difference and even changed the way they saw the world through my eyes. I was/am their next generation.

I’ve been an advocate in different ways throughout my life, from volunteering time in my teens to local animal rights advocacy groups to addressing issues on Southern California’s coastal lines and beaches. In my 20s, I became aware and involved in college education opportunities and funding advocacy to Disability Rights Advocacy. Today I continue my advocacy journey with the lens in Outdoor Justice, Equity, and Inclusion and Environmental Conservation Advocacy.

There is no one direction when looking at advocacy. The issues I’ve come to care for and advocate for are not better than the other. They intersect and are interdependent on one another. But what makes things move in a better direction is when WE get involved in the political process through advocating for people, place, and planet.

This week is the Inaugural Latino Advocacy Week. I am proud and humbled by the work it took to organize the efforts of the Hispanic Access Foundation to inspire communities, coalitions, and non-profits to engage, educate, and encourage the Latino/a/x/e community to get involved and to learn about it.

Is there an issue that gets you fired up? Whether it’s protecting the environment, fighting for more resources at your neighborhood’s school, or calling attention to the inequities that affect your community, the Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF) can give you the essential skills and strategies you need to be an agent for change. Watch the #LatinoAdvocacyWeek virtual training on Advocacy 101 

As we wrap up Latino Advocacy Week remember you can start your advocacy journey when it feels right to you. It’s okay if you don’t know exactly where you are with advocacy or what it means. Holding space and speaking your truth is a form of self-advocacy and that’s a great starting point. You don’t need to be an expert you just need inspiration and ganas (desire) to act!

Maricela Rosales (she/her/ella) is from Los Angeles, California. Is a Latino Outdoors Ambassador and the CA Program Associate Director for Conservation Lands Foundation. Find out more about her on Instagram @lemarci 

Lifelong Love of the Outdoors

por Andrea Enger

I am so proud of my Chilean heritage! It is so intertwined with my love for the outdoors, too!

I grew up getting lost in the wilderness of my native country, Chile. Every year until I was in my teens, we spent three months at my family’s country house, nestled between the forest and the beach. We explored the many trails, encountered wildlife (like mountain lions!), and farmed/harvested the land. It instilled in me early on how it is so important to take care of our planet so we can continue to enjoy its gifts

From Chile I moved to Seattle, Washington, when I was 20, and fell in love with a completely different landscape and climate: lush, green mossy hikes, misty mountains, and picture-perfect fields of wildflowers. Then I visited Colorado, where I now live, and was awestruck by the majestic peaks, the red rocks, and the big, blue skies. I love hiking in the backcountry where you don’t see another soul for days. It feels like the world is completely yours — the still, mirrored lakes, the fragrant pine trees, the bright, shining stars…

“I am also dedicated to helping our earth not only survive, but flourish”.

I have traveled all over Chile and backpacked in more than 20 countries across North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel as much as I have. I realize that so often, appreciation of the outdoors is only possible with some level of privilege, and it’s so important to continue working to make it more accessible to all.


I am also dedicated to helping our earth not only survive, but flourish. I recently became a certified Leave No Trace Aware Photographer and I practice and promote these principles at every one of my sessions. I donate a portion of my profits to the Leave No Trace Center, the National Park Foundation, and Water for People. Our world is such a beautiful place and I want to do everything in my power to keep it that way.

Andrea is a Chilean-born, Colorado-based photographer who specializes in elopements and micro weddings. She is an inclusive photographer who celebrates diversity, believes love is love, and thinks that adventure brings everything to life.

Connection with the Earth

por Fernando Silveira

All my life, I was really into the outdoors and since I was a little kid, I felt a connection with the Earth. I grew up going to the beach and exploring all around. I used to love to learn about mosses and animal habitats. My family and I had a garden in our house, so I always was in contact with plants and the environment. Shortly after, we built a small community garden for our neighbors. I am proud to say that the garden continues to remain in use by the community.

In high school, I participated in some projects, such as; recycling, conservation, cleaning up beaches, and would volunteer on an organic farm. In college, I had a variety of different experiences in various locations. I worked on a big farm that harvested oranges, worked with an equine-assisted therapy organization, planted flowers, grew potatoes, and worked with agroforestry systems. My last experience before I came to the U.S. was on a sustainable farm, it gave me the experience to explore the conservation and restoration fields. My main goal at EarthCorps now is to improve my knowledge in this area of study.


I am an Agronomic Engineer. I had a solid background with agriculture, learning, and working with different plantations and farms, a variety of plants, and a diverse group of animals – but I miss the horses the most. All of these experiences helped me in learning how conservation and agriculture are interconnected.

“My last experience before I came to the U.S. was on a sustainable farm, it gave me the experience to explore the conservation and restoration fields”.

Fernando Silveira

I learned a lot about conservation agriculture. What is Conservation Agriculture? It is defined as a sustainable agricultural system made up of a set of farming practices adapted to the requirements of crops and local conditions of each region. Its farming and soil management techniques that protect the soil from erosion and degradation, improve its quality and biodiversity and contribute to the preservation of our natural resources. Similar to what I’ve learned at EarthCorps, almost all forms of conservation agriculture share three core principles; regular maintenance of soil cover, minimum soil disturbance, and the practice of regular crop rotations.

At EarthCorps, I am learning different techniques of conservation and forest restoration that I can apply in many situations in the agriculture field both in Brazil or wherever I go next. EarthCorps made me think outside the box. I’ve been with EarthCorps for two years and have learned and grown a lot, not just professionally but personally too. EarthCorps is a community that I will carry with me my entire life, I made connections with people all around the U.S. and the world. Each of them teaches me something every day, a lot of people with different backgrounds and experiences but with the same goal “strengthen community and restore the health of our environment”.