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Category: Introductions to the Outdoors

Celebrate Latino Conservation Week with Latino Outdoors

Por Christian La Mont

Latino Conservation Week: Disfrutando y Conservando Nuestra Tierra (LCW) is an initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation and was created to support the Latinx community in getting into the outdoors and participating in activities to protect our natural resources. That’s the official overview. To me, LCW is a week-long celebration of conservation, cultura, and comunidad.

At Latino Outdoors (LO), it’s safe to say that we celebrate conservation, cultura, and comunidad every day of the year. That’s who we are. Our small but mighty staff works daily to connect youth and families to the outdoors, often leading with a reminder that conservation is a part of our culture—whether it’s preventing wasteful use and reusing materials (who amongst us hasn’t had the bag, the shirt, the food storage container that has been used and reused long beyond its original purpose). Conservation also runs in our veins and manifests in the act of maintaining and passing on a deep connection to nature and working the land, whether by choice or by necessity. We aren’t new to nature and the outdoors. Caring for the planet is part of who we are; it’s part of our values. In fact, last year the Pew Research Center released a study that stated that most Latinx people in U.S. say that global climate change is an important concern. We call that conservation cultura.

We also celebrate our culture every day at Latino Outdoors. Through our Yo Cuento storytelling program, we share stories from across Latinx experiences and proudly serve as a platform to share the outdoor experiences of others through our social media accounts and growing YouTube channel. Whether we celebrate that culture through blog posts, videos, music, podcasts, dance or other forms, storytelling is one of the ways we work to create a world where the outdoors is a place to share and celebrate stories, knowledge and culture while growing leadership and an active community of Latino outdoor users, mentors and stewards.

In addition to celebrating conservation and cultura every day, we also proudly engage in the work of building community and working within the many diverse Latinx communities across the country, each one with unique dialects, expressions, tastes, histories and heritage. With over 20 regions, ranging from Boston, Denver, Missoula, and Washington D.C. to Arkansas, San Antonio, Los Angeles and beyond, our volunteer leaders don’t just invite their communities on LO outings like hiking, kayaking, stewardship projects, bird watching or climbing, they also work within those communities to identify barriers and connect them to the local resources to help overcome them. Most of us are from intentionally marginalized communities, immigrant communities and front-line communities, so we don’t just plan a hike—we plan our hikes with lived experiences and a deep first-hand understanding of the urgent need to connect our communities to nature, breakdown barriers and fight for equitable access to the outdoors. Like many communities of color, the communities we collaborate with and are a part of live with the daily impacts of environmental injustice, of redlining practices, of social injustice, of generational traumas, with the impacts of racism, prejudice and intolerance.

Connecting children, families, early career professionals, students and individuals to nature isn’t just a matter of enjoying the view—though we do enjoy the view—it is a matter of physical and mental health and healing. It’s a matter of providing space within these open spaces where we can break into Spanish and English, share stories of abuelas and tíos y tías, comida y casa, stories of immigration and migration, stories that allow us to be ourselves, to celebrate ourselves and to know that we are part of a larger community. We also work in community with other organizations—the collaborations which allow us to reach a larger audience, to share our mission and vision and connect our people to opportunities and experiences they might miss out on otherwise. Latino Outdoors couldn’t do what we do without the strength of our relationships and the ties to the communities we’re a part of.

So, when I talk about celebrating conservation, cultura and comunidad, you could say it’s part of our DNA.

Still, there’s something incredible and unique about LCW. In the past few years, it has grown its nationwide presence with shout-outs and acknowledgments from National Geographic, the Department of Interior, California State Parks and Latinx policymakers like Senator Alex Padilla. With our partnership with the Hispanic Access Foundation, LCW2022 is planned to feature over 100 in-person activities throughout the week in collaboration with local community-based organizations, national brands, government agencies and nonprofits while, at the same time, LO will also be celebrating with videos, art, virtual panels and more. Thanks to the behind-the-scenes work of incredible organizers at the Hispanic Access Foundation and our team at LO, this year’s LCW promises to be an incredible week featuring panels, videos, events, an LCW photo contest, a sticker contest and our second annual LCW Achievement Awards.

Inspired by #BlackBirdersWeek, and in part by #NationalParkWeek, Latino Conservation Week has been celebrating with daily themes for three years. Themes and topics of focus this year will include #LCW2022KickOff, #RecreateResponsibly, #AguaEsVida, #AdvocacyAfuera, #ConservationCultura, #ComunidadYFamilia and #YoCuento. All are invited to join the celebration regardless of background or heritage, because as much as Latino Conservation Week is about nuestra gente, it’s also a celebration of the work we all do in the name of protecting our planet, being good stewards, opening doors of opportunity and establishing lifelong connections to nature and the outdoors—whether that’s a patch of grass in Brooklyn and Los Angeles or a vista view overlooking the Rocky Mountains.

For my part, I’ll be spending Latino Conservation Week attending hikes highlighting the importance of national monuments and protecting public lands and remembering those childhood memories of my Papá, as a brand new immigrant from Mexico, taking my Hermano and me fishing in Colorado for the first time, or memories from more recent years of my Mamá and our recent experiences kayaking and exploring urban parks in Los Angeles where she summed up the work of conservation with a simple sentence and powerful reminder (as only familia and comunidad can remind d0): “es tu parque cuídalo.”

It’s your park, take care of it.

If you’d like to be a part of the Latino Conservation Week celebration, visit LatinoConservationWeek.com and follow the hashtag #LCW2022 or #LatinoConservationWeek on social media. Join us for this week of conservation, cultura, and comunidad. Nos vemos pronto.

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See the original article posted by Osprey by clicking here.

Christian La Mont is the Program Manager for LO’s storytelling and communications program, Yo Cuento.

Latino Outdoors works to inspire, connect and engage Latino communities in the outdoors and embrace cultura y familia as part of the outdoor narrative, ensuring our history, heritage and leadership are valued and represented. Check out our website!

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“I’m Meant to Help”

por Liam López-Wagner

I’m Meant to Help

I love being outdoors. 

I like to see butterflies. 

They are so cool; I like that monarchs and all butterflies have four wings that they use to fly.

I like to think of moths as the cousins of butterflies. 

So many come out at night – their long antennas are beautiful.

I want kids to know everyone can love butterflies.

I love the rainbow and I see it in the colors of different butterflies.

I like patterns and transformations and I see them in nature.

Being outdoors makes me feel happy. 

I love the outdoors.

My mission in life is to help save the monarchs.

I’m meant to help.

I want people to care more about every animal and insect in the world. 

I don’t like the earth getting sick. 

I don’t want the planet to hurt, we can help it and help people care more about everything that lives here. 

Liam López-Wagner, 7, is the founder of Amigos for Monarchs. Amigos for Monarchs advocates for the conservation of monarchs & all pollinators. It hosts an annual milkweed seed sharing program to inspire the planting of native milkweed. Learn more at www.amigosformonarchs.org.

Crecemos Outdoors: Meet Mindy Silva

Recently, we had the chance to get to know Mindy Silva, Director of Special Projects at Camber Outdoors. We learned about her work as a Latina in the DEI space and her connections to nature, faith, and family.

“Learning to take risks was an important part of my personal growth and development.”

Can you tell us some about your personal journey, from growing up to where you are now?

As I reflect back on my childhood journey, I can now appreciate the uniqueness of my experiences compared to my peers and family members. My parents were very intentional about my siblings and I experiencing the outdoors. We frequented Yosemite National Park and Lake Havasu. My father is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and he believed it was important for us to learn outdoor and survival skills. Many of which he shared with us during our family adventures. During these adventures, we were stretched to try new things and take risks. I can now see that learning to take risks was an important part of my personal growth and development. Being outdoors allowed me to step out of my comfort zone of my suburban community and adapt to changing environments – valuable skills that allowed me to build my confidence and take new risks as I grew up. I can recall that some of my family members did not share these experiences. Often fearful of breaking the routine of work and school, they stayed indoors most of the time. Some family members were not even allowed to play in their front yards. In hindsight, I am sure that coming home and sharing about our bear encounters at our cabin in Yosemite did not help reduce any of their fears!

Considering your journey, can you share with us a story about your personal connection to the outdoors, or even a lack of a connection?

When I am outdoors, it is as if time is suspended, the chaos around me is silenced and I feel a strong connection to God – my creator. I experience a true sense of calm and appreciation for the beauty around me. Being outdoors also allows me to recenter and reconnect with my family. There is truly nothing like it!

One of my most treasured memories is when my husband and I decided to hit the road with our children for a three-week road trip adventure across nine states (Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Idaho, Oregon and our own home state of California). Traveling with our children really brought our vacation to life! Seeing everything through their eyes was absolutely magical. They were truly experiencing the beauty in the world for the first time. At each destination, our children stopped to collect their favorite rocks or seashells, they smelled all the beautiful flowers as they passed them by, they dared us to race to the top of each hiking trail, and they made us laugh uncontrollably. Oh, and who can resist a game of tag once you hear the words “you’re it!” In the best possible way, they made us feel like kids again.

Watching our children bond, laugh, and play together made the entire experience worth it. Equally as rewarding was the uninterrupted, quality time we spent together. On our road trip, there were often long stretches where wireless service was limited. The uninterrupted time together created greater opportunities for sharing, singing, laughing, and making memories that would last a lifetime. 

“When I returned home, I felt a stirring inside me to be a positive force for change.“

How did this road trip experience play into your larger journey as a Latina in the workforce and inform your work in the JEDI space?

This road trip was life-changing in so many ways. During our road trip, one of the things that stood out most was that there were not many families who “looked like us.” In several towns, community members were not shy to point out the obvious, that we were visitors. When I returned home, I felt a stirring inside me to be a positive force for change.

I am personally driven by my passion and purpose to support organizations in building their capacity to effectively create equitable systemic change in the communities across the United States. This is what led me to Camber and what informs my work as a Latina in the DEI space. 

Can you share with us your work with Camber Outdoors? A lot of people get worn out by the conversation about JEDI, not because they don’t believe or know first-hand the need to create a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive world, but because they don’t see brands, organizations, or agencies taking any action, beyond words. What is unique about Camber and its Partners?

At Camber, I lead cross-functional initiatives that contribute to measured impact in workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion in the active outdoor industry. One of those initiatives is the Camber Survey System, which is easily one of the most rewarding contributions I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of. The Camber Survey System is a best-in-class survey developed in partnership with the Claremont Evaluation Center – leaders in research design and methodology.

Our goal at Camber is to establish the Camber Survey System as a gold standard of workplace DEI measurement and progress across committed Partners in the Outdoor Recreation Economy. Camber Partners have a unique opportunity to accelerate workplace change as they gain strategic insights and actionable data to learn from, take action on, and make change! Year two of the Camber Survey System has yielded incredible results and measurable forward progress from our Partners. Camber Partners is stepping up to the challenge to move beyond promises to make real progress. As we equip our partners with actionable data, we see incredible strides from a workplace perspective around equitable systems and inclusive culture and leadership practices.  

“On a larger scale, I am hopeful that the Camber Survey System will become a north star for organizations committed to workplace DEI measurement and progress for the outdoor industry and beyond.” 

Can you tell us what a day at Camber Outdoors looks like for Mindy Silva? You spoke very passionately about the role you play at Camber. Why does this work matter to you?

My favorite part about my day-to-day work at Camber is working alongside the entire Camber team and industry peers who share a cohesive vision for systems change. As part of a team that embodies Workplace DEI, I have been able to show up as my authentic self and bring the best of my creativity to the workplace. This feeling of belonging and celebration of diversity, equity, and inclusion continues to drive my passion for supporting other organizations in building their capacity to effectively create diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces across the outdoor industry.

Working for Camber has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I remain inspired by the thoughtfulness Camber continues to display at all levels of leadership. I am looking forward to what the future holds and remain grateful at heart for the incredible workplace culture that has been created.

How does Camber make outdoors workplaces more inclusive, equitable, diverse, and accessible? 

Camber has built scalable workplace DEI resources and programming where all Camber Partners and their employees have access to the rich suite of Camber resources and supports, including mentoring programs, the Building Blocks of DEI, Voices from the Future of Work, the Camber Survey System and much more! All Camber resources are available via our online platform and are accessible to persons at all levels of leadership.

Camber has also instituted a new approach of a more guided experience for our Partners to help them navigate the suite of resources needed to achieve their organization-specific goals. Supporting our partners with a data-driven approach to systemic change is a top priority of Camber. Measured change across Inclusive Culture and Leadership Practices, Equitable Supportive Systems and Diverse Talent Pipeline ensure that our partners are focused on change at all levels of leadership across the outdoor industry.

Many BIPOC communities experience several barriers to accessing the backcountry and the “boardroom”. Can you share any insight into why this might be and explain some of these barriers?

There are many excellent groups (like Latino Outdoors!) working on outdoors access and can speak to those barriers. Camber’s work is focused on systems change in workplaces. From this viewpoint, expanding the networks of BIPOC communities is a key driver to expanding opportunities. Camber’s systems approach of first readying workplaces and then building a diverse talent pipeline will help create these expanded opportunities for employers and potential employees. We are excited about the upcoming initiative to support our partners in this next phase of Camber programs and offerings.

What are the issues you see come up repeatedly in your work in terms of JEDI?

One of the issues that I see come up repeatedly is the opportunity that exists to bring in diverse talent via the remote work environment. Previously, many workplaces felt restricted by their geographic locations. Now that remote work has become the norm, and many workplaces are embracing the opportunities to attract underrepresented talent from across the United States. Camber has intentionally remained a 100% remote workplace for this very reason – to access outstanding talent where they are. It has been incredible to work with a breadth of talented colleagues from across the US. 

For many people, DEI initiatives feel performative. What would you say to someone who feels this way?

I would say to them, “remain hopeful.” Camber Partners is stepping up to the challenge to move beyond promises to make real progress. As we equip our partners with actionable data, we see incredible strides from a workplace perspective around equitable systems and inclusive culture and leadership practices.  

Changing the culture of a company, of an industry, or a structure takes time, resources, and data. That being said, what does impact look like for you in this work? What does success look like?

Measurable impact is crucial to the work ahead. Camber’s approach to workplace DEI is systems change, which means that success looks like having strong systems, practices, and processes in place to create workplaces that truly value people of all views, cultures, and backgrounds. On a larger scale, I am hopeful that the Camber Survey System will become a north star for organizations committed to workplace DEI measurement and progress for the outdoor industry and beyond.  

When we spoke, you had mentioned that Camber Outdoors has an upcoming leadership institute report. Can you share with us some highlights or surprising findings?

Yes! Camber is excited to release the Leadership Institute Launchpad. The Launchpad consists of a series of micro-learnings to support participation in systems change by employees at all levels of leadership, including the individual contributor and middle management. 

“I would tell other Latino/Latina people who are in the early stages of their careers to be their authentic selves, to step out of their comfort zones, to pave new paths, and to take risks.”

Considering your journey, your heritage, your background, and your ongoing work advancing justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, what advice would you offer to early-career Latinx people of all ages?

As I consider this incredible journey, my heritage, my background, my faith, and my ongoing work in advancing DEI, I would tell other Latino/Latina people who are in the early stages of their careers to be their authentic selves, to step out of their comfort zones, to pave new paths, and to take risks. Personally, my first lens of how I view the world and the people in it is “love.” Love of self and love for those around me – as measured by a true appreciation and celebration of people from all views, cultures, and backgrounds. 

And finally, where can we find the new Camber Outdoors report?

The Four-part Camber Survey System, which includes both cohort and customized insights, is currently being delivered to our Partners who participated in the survey. Soon we’ll be sharing out some of the top-level insights via social media – stay tuned!

Learn more about Camber and their ongoing work at camberoutdoors.org