Christian La Mont manages the Yo Cuento storytelling, communications, and advocacy program.

The Rosca de Reyes was cut and the hot chocolate was poured out into small cups.

While Latino Outdoors Los Angeles leader Jesús announced that the hike would begin shortly, advocate Sally García laid out the giveaways from the National Parks Conservation Association on a picnic table. We formed a circle and briefly introduced ourselves, what our names were, and where we were coming from, and gave thanks to the traditional stewards of the lands we now knew as Griffith Park, the Gabrielino-Tongva. Once the rosca had been eaten (no plastic baby in this one), the chocolate caliente drank, and the giveaways handed out, we went over safety tips and trail information reminding all the attendees to hike at their own pace, to leave no trace, to ask questions, and to enjoy this January evening outdoors with fellow community members.

We were there for the now-annual LO and NPCA Día de Reyes sunset hike at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The plan was to hike as a group to an elevation of approximately 800′ where we would encounter vistas of downtown Los Angeles, the Griffith Observatory, and the famed Hollywood sign. We had a solid turnout: thirty people of all ages, couples, friends, solo hikers, people returning for another LO experience, and first-timers who had never experienced an LO outing.

The diverse group gathered around as Latino Outdoors Policy Advocate, Jazzari “Jazz” Taylor, introduced herself and spoke passionately about LO’s advocacy priorities: park and outdoor equity, environmental justice, and broadening and diversifying the conservation movement to include more voices and communities. As Jazz explained, Latino Outdoors was also working on several public lands campaigns that were focused on the designation of Chuckwalla National Monument, Medicine Lake National Monument, and the expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

The San Gabriel Mountains are situated within 20-30 miles of Los Angeles’s 4 million residents, presenting a unique opportunity for equitable access to nature. While half the city lacks nearby parks and only 3% of Angelenos live within a 10-minute walk to a park, expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by 109,000 acres could help bridge this nature gap, especially for underserved immigrant, Latinx, and other BIPOC communities. This expansion would not only safeguard crucial water sources and wildlife corridors but it could also be a space where communities can benefit from the physical and mental health benefits of spending time outdoors, in their own backyard.

While Latino Outdoors hikes and outings are experiences where individuals, families, and friends can experience the thrill of adventure outside regardless of skill level, they also offer a space where these same participants can learn and grow their knowledge and appreciation of the outdoors and the policies that impact the natural places they love.

We often hear about the “accidental environmentalist”, the individual who started going hiking with friends as a social outing and ended up learning about and being passionate about the flora and fauna they were surrounded by. Similarly, these kinds of hikes are also about planting the seeds that will grow into an “accidental advocate”, an individual who is already on a hike, enjoys the views, makes sure to leave no trace, but develops their desire to learn more about the policies that help preserve, protect, or expand the public lands they enjoy. To expand and diversify the current voices and viewpoints in the conservation world, we need to accept and encourage all levels of learning, organizations like Latino Outdoors and NPCA need to be the gateway to learning and involvement, and there’s no better way to recruit these “accidental” environmentalists and advocates then on the trail, surrounded by patient leaders and the beauty of nature all around you.

Jazz encouraged folks to scan QR codes and sign petitions in support of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Expansion and the other public lands campaigns she spoke about.

As we wrapped up our conservation conversation, we continued along the trail where we soon left behind the hustle and bustle of bus shuttles full of locals and tourists heading to Griffith Observatory and the traffic near the Greek Theater and hikers jostling for a parking spot near the trailhead. We fell into the familiar beat of footsteps, the dirt of the trail crunching, and the “remind me your name again?” conversations starting up.

When you join LO on a hike or experience, you’ll also find that the people right next to you on the trail are ready to learn, listen, and share as well. The person next to you on the trail can be an absolute beginner or they can be an expert. They can be experts in gardening and landscaping, experts in biology, experts in parenting, or as Evelyn Serrano from the Audubon Center at Debs Park showed us, they can even be experts in community science and birdwatching. Along a bend on the trail, Evelyn spoke loudly enough for our group of 30 to hear, but not loudly enough to scare the wildlife away. She invited us all to tune in to our senses along the trail: what were we hearing? What did we see? What kinds of plants could you touch – or not touch? What did those plants smell like?

While taking in the calm along the chaparral-covered curves of Griffith Park, we learned a little about the red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, Cooper’s hawks, barn owls, great horned owls, Western screech owls, American kestrels, and peregrine falcons that can be found in Griffith Park. It was also a reminder that even though Griffith Park is an island surrounded by freeways, houses, and boulevards, it is also incredibly resilient like the city it is a part of, rich in biodiversity, stubborn by nature, creative in how it thrives.

The park itself is a mixture of oak and sycamore woodlands, mixed chaparral, coastal sage scrub, hiking and biking trails, helipads, roads, and canyons, and is the site of a former Civilian Conservation Corps camp and later Japanese internment camp during WWII. It is also home to mule deer, bobcats, coyotes, and until recently, also the home of the infamous mountain lion, P-22. The park evolves, the connection to the community and the environment around it constantly growing, expanding its roots.

As we reached a bend along a ridge, we were greeted by an incredible sunset. An orange glow bathed the hikers as people stopped to catch their breath, share a hug, take a selfie, or take in the view in silence. We rounded the bend and saw the Hollywood sign, bold, unmistakable, a mile marker you couldn’t ignore, and yet somehow less impressive than the sunset we were witnessing. The group followed LO Los Angeles leaders Jesús, Elias, and Remi to the overview which would be our turnaround point. The vista, once known as the Mount Hollywood Summit, was recently renamed to the Tom LaBonge Summit in honor of a Los Angeles City Council member who was known for his enthusiastic love of Griffith Park, was frequently seen along the park’s hiking trails, and led the effort to expand the park by 500 acres.

From the summit, we took in a 360-degree view of Griffith Park, Los Angeles, Burbank, the Angeles National Forest, the Santa Monica Mountains, the Verdugo Mountains, and the San Gabriel Mountains. As the sun dipped into the horizon, our group took one last look before gathering for our traditional photo with the Latino Outdoors flag. The sun set and our headlamps and flashlights illuminated the trail as we returned to the parking lot, and we hiked together as group of smiling adventurers and environmentalists, a diverse and multi-generational gathering of familiar faces and first-timers, of newly minted birdwatchers and accidental advocates, honoring our roots, celebrating a new year and the bond of being afuera, juntos.

We invite you to join Latino Outdoors Los Angeles and any of our regional LO teams on an experience where you might run into an old friend or make some new ones, and where you might just walk away with some new knowledge and insight into the outdoor place you’re enjoying, and learn what you can do to protect and preserve it. Visit latinooutdoors.org to find an outing near you.