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Category: Representation Matters

It Started in My Backyard

por Jazzari Taylor, Policy Advocate

Every morning as a child, I could see the San Gabriel Mountains tucked between buildings across the street from my home. Their snow-covered peaks in winter, and more often than not, hazy outlines in smog-filled summers, shaped my view of afuera; what felt like another world beyond my city streets. Despite living just 10 minutes from the foothills, I rarely visited. Barriers like transportation, limited understanding of safe exploration, and a sense of cultural disconnection stood in the way.

Between the ages of 7 and 12, I joined a local summer camp that introduced me to the mountains. Little did I know those same landscapes were an extension of my backyard. As a kid, I didn’t quite grasp that connection to my hometown. It wasn’t until decades later that I returned with Latino Outdoors and Nature for All. Their programming expanded my perspective, highlighting the benefits of the outdoors, the interconnectedness of nature beyond city limits, and the confidence to explore safely.

📸Unceded homelands of the Ancestral Puebloans and the Fremont people –  learn more.

In just the past five years, that confidence has taken me beyond my community to visit and respect public lands across the country. Each place tells its own story, reminding me of the deep connection between nature, identity, and healing. From human-powered recreation like hiking, camping, kayaking, or simply breathing fresh air, I’ve found my purpose. These visits also connected me with local communities and small businesses whose livelihoods are tied directly to the landscapes around them.

 📸Unceded homelands of the Ute and Arapaho people – learn more.

Yet, every time I visited these places, I was reminded how access continues to be a challenge and how there were so many folks back at home who have never experienced these sacred lands and the many benefits they hold, in addition to not feeling safe in unfamiliar areas. Too often, people are profiled, targeted, or made to feel unwelcome based on their appearance, the language they speak, the music they listen to, the color of their skin, or their income level. Safety is a real concern, compounded by underfunded infrastructure, lack of representation, and limited transportation. For many of us, safety comes through solidarity; through group outings and community trust.

  📸 Unceded homelands of the Pit River Tribe and Modoc Peoples – learn more.

As we continue to advocate for equity, conservation, and community-centered stewardship, we must remember that protecting public lands also means protecting our stories, our identities, and our rights. These lands face constant threats, budget cuts, rollbacks, and even sell-offs. If we care about clean air, clean water, cultural survival, and inclusive access to nature, now is the time to act. Our voices and stories matter in shaping the future of conservation.

📸 Unceded homeland of the Gabrielino-Tongva, Chumash, Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam peoples – learn more.

One of the most powerful tools we have for that protection is the Antiquities Act of 1906. This law has been used for more than a century to safeguard cultural, historic, and natural treasures as national monuments. Defending the Antiquities Act means defending our shared heritage and future access to these lands, but it is currently being targeted at the Federal level of government for private investment and natural resource extraction that will impact the land, animals, and cultural sites. Now more than ever we need to hold the line for conservation and for our future

Last week, we wrapped up Hispanic Access Foundation’s Latino Conservation Week, a national celebration of cultura and community in the outdoors across “community, non-profit, faith-based, and government organizations and agencies”. We are reminded that conservation is not only about protecting landscapes, it’s about ensuring they are safe, accessible, and reflective of all communities. As we celebrate milestones like the 25th anniversary of the National Conservation Lands system, we must also look ahead.

📸 Unceded homeland of the Southern Paiute people – learn more.

Representation in our storytelling and the representatives we elect matters because our country is not a ‘one size fits all’. We are beautifully diverse. That diversity is the dream I hold onto, the hope and beauty of a conscious and changing America… but dreams alone are not enough. We must hold our leaders accountable to that vision, to act with courage, and to ensure policies reflect the voices of all communities. We need their voices to take action, because the future of our gente, conservation, and our democracy depends on it.

Together, we can ensure these breathtaking places remain protected for generations to come, and that every child, no matter where they live, can look to the outdoors and know they are safe and belong there too.

Help us tell Congress to fully fund outdoor access and protect conservation programs, and oppose policies that threaten these vital places with Outdoor Alliance. Our voices, our stories, and our future depend on it!

Advocacy Afuera: ¡Actúa ahora for Public Lands!

Latino Outdoors, alongside local business representatives, recently joined the Conservation Lands Foundation as part of the Protect California Deserts Coalition to advocate for public lands and the communities that depend on them. We began by introducing our organizations and the shared commitment we hold to protecting landscapes that sustain wildlife, provide recreation, and strengthen local economies.  During Congressman Jay Obernolte’s (CA-23) mobile office hours at Big Bear City Hall, we discussed the value of nearby national public lands, which anchor local recreation and small business activity across the region—from the mountains and nearby deserts to their backyards.

At the heart of America’s conservation legacy is the Antiquities Act, a bipartisan law signed in 1906 that has allowed presidents from both parties to protect our nation’s most treasured lands and cultural sites as national monuments. These designations safeguard places like the Sand to Snow and San Jacinto Mountains, which connect to Joshua Tree National Park, the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument, and the San Bernardino Mountains. From desert valleys to high mountain forests, these landscapes are deeply interconnected. Protecting them ensures clean water, thriving ecosystems, and outdoor opportunities for all.

Today, the most pressing concern is the future of the 2001 Roadless Rule (Map), which protects nearly 4 million acres of California’s national forests from harmful industrial activities such as logging, mineral extraction, and oil-and-gas drilling. Rescinding these protections would threaten clean drinking water, animal habitat, and outdoor recreation opportunities. Roads fragment ecosystems, create fire ignition points, and degrade watersheds that supply both rural communities and cities alike. Protecting roadless areas is a bipartisan issue; it ensures that our forests remain intact for current and future generations, while supporting hunting, angling, tourism, and rural economies. Just like the Antiquities Act, the Roadless Rule is about safeguarding irreplaceable lands and the values they hold.

Protecting the outdoors is also closely tied to Latino Conservation Week (September 13–21, 2025), a national initiative that highlights the contributions of Latino communities to conservation and ensures Latino voices are centered in protecting our public lands. The week is about building connections to nature, inspiring stewardship, and showing that conservation is inclusive and benefits everyone. Our stories must be shared to show the many ways people of all backgrounds connect to the outdoors.

Now, we need your voice. The U.S. Forest Service is accepting public comments on the Roadless Rule until Friday, September 19 at 11:59 PM. You can submit your own story—why these forests matter to you, families, businesses, and communities directly to the federal register. Sharing a personal perspective about recreation, clean water, cultural connections, or local livelihoods helps decision-makers understand what is at stake. Submissions can be made individually or as part of a group petition from businesses, nonprofits, and organizations across the region.

How to Comment (It takes less than a minute):

  1. Copy 1-2 talking points that resonate with you.
    1. Protect clean water sources that supply California communities.
    2. Support local economies that depend on outdoor recreation and tourism.
    3. Defend animal habitat and migration corridors.
    4. Reduce fire risks by limiting new road construction.
    5. Preserve cultural and community connections to public lands.
  2. Click here to submit directly: Regulations.gov — Comment Portal.
  3. Paste your comment, or type your own story, and hit submit.

Together, we can ensure that public lands remain protected and accessible, for clean water, healthy animal life, vibrant local economies, and outdoor enjoyment for all. Join Latino Outdoors, Conservation Lands Foundation, and community partners in speaking up before the deadline. Let’s keep working toward an outdoors that is protected and open for everyone.

References

This Salvadoran-American Woman Rock Climbs to Combat Parkinson’s

por Clare Bennett

When my mom Teresa was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, rock climbing wasn’t on her radar as a potential intervention. She’d been dealing with mysterious symptoms for nearly a decade at that point — tremors, a stiff left hand, migraines, a dragging left foot. The Parkinson’s diagnosis hit hard. But Teresa doesn’t give up. When her doctor’s office shared a podcast episode about rock climbing for people with Parkinson’s, it planted a seed.

Rock climbing? For someone whose hands shake and who struggles with balance? The more we learned, the more rock climbing made sense for someone living with Parkinson’s. Using harnesses and rope systems keep climbers safe. The problem-solving on each route, big movements, and strength-building could help slow the progression of Parkinson’s symptoms. For Mother’s Day 2021, we gave Teresa some climbing lessons at local climbing gym SportRock with instructor Molly Donelan-Cupka.

Molly had been running a regular climbing meetup for people with Parkinson’s for years. Teresa’s first lesson started on a short, 25-foot wall, and her nerves were high. But by the end of that session, she was tackling a 40-foot wall. She was hooked. The improvements started to shine through fairly immediately. Teresa’s left hand, once stuck in a cupped position, relaxed and got stronger. Her tremors became less noticeable. No more dragging her left foot — she’s walking with confident, big steps again. Teresa’s doctor had been planning to increase her medication, but after seeing how much better her symptoms were from climbing, he decided to wait.

“Before rock climbing, I used to be very scared about my future with Parkinson’s, and now I don’t think about it as much,” Teresa said. “As long as I can rock climb, I will be fine.”

Teresa’s experience is not only inspiring, it’s evidence of how beneficial movement can be in combating disease. “Before rock climbing, I used to be very scared about my future with Parkinson’s, and now I don’t think about it as much,” Teresa said. “As long as I can rock climb, I will be fine.” Teresa joined Molly’s group of climbers with Parkinson’s who meet multiple times a week. Some are in their 80s, some are new parents in their 40s. Some use wheelchairs. All are determined climbers who’ve become a wonderful community. And when Teresa competed in USA Climbing’s Para Climbing Nationals, they were there cheering her on.

The climbing community Teresa found goes beyond recreation. They’re proving that adaptive sports can be challenging, competitive, and transformative. Molly has since formalized the group into a nonprofit called Up Ending Parkinsons, providing climbing for people with Parkinson’s across the country. They even climb outdoors! Four years later, Teresa continues to climb multiple times a week. She’s added swimming and Pilates as cross-training.

This story raises something important about who gets to recreate outdoors. Often, when people think about rock climbing, they picture young people who certainly don’t have Parkinson’s symptoms. But the outdoors are for everyone. Helping people to get moving and get outside can bring healing, community, and adventure — even if it looks different than what’s more commonly portrayed in popular media. When we make outdoor spaces more welcoming, we discover more possibilities for entire communities.