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Tag: #conservation

Honoring Our Semillitas

Por Juan Ramirez

Photos by Caylee Bessey and Dr. Victoria Derr

It’s a cool morning, and I feel the sting on my face. I’m there early because I know there’s never enough time to get everything set up. The sun is shining as I walk along Carneros Creek, and a half-dozen different species of songbirds fly tree to tree. I see blue-eyed grass, mugwort, and purple needle grass in between vibrant young oaks. I finish setting up the last station, as I walk back, I spot a big raptor that has its prey in its talons. It had a big round head. Could it have been a great horned owl getting its breakfast? Is it the same owl I’ve seen there for years? I get back to the welcome area, and I hear traffic on the road, but it sounds like the ocean. I feel calm, grateful to be part of this ecosystem of relationships.

Moments later, I am greeted with smiles, high fives, y “como estas, teacher?” 95 semillitas ready to be in relationship with each other, themselves, and this place. We open with a welcome, and I share the theme for the day: seeds. Specifically, how our values are our seeds. I invite everyone to reflect on what value, what seed, they would want to water today. A moment to honor ourselves, our parents, and our ancestors who have passed those seeds down to us. Respect, kindness, and curiosity are some of the seeds that were shouted out. I thank them for sharing, and offer that as we grow, we water them, tend to them, and trim their growth in order for us to become the people we want to be. I see smiles, blank faces, a sign for me to stop talking, and turn it over to the teachers to break up the groups. It’s at this moment that the magic begins. 

Thirty 4th graders, six 5th grade mentors, and six college students head down to the creek to learn about beavers and build a beaver den. Students in groups of four gather willow branches, and there is a friendly competition to see who can gather the most. A couple of hundred yards away, another class is designing a future pond that will be part of the Outdoor Classroom. The group sits quietly, some have their eyes closed. A student points out that they hear quail up the hill. The whole class then gathers under a beautiful oak tree where 5th graders hold a big poster illustrating their vision of the future pond, adding different species of plants and animals they want to see. Students draw birds, plants, frogs and salamanders, deer, and there are kids sitting on a bench under a tree, fishing.

 It was beautiful to see a collective vision of what the future could look like, a future they’re helping build together. Another hundred yards away, the last class is collecting seeds of native rushes that will be used for a future pond restoration project. As kids are collecting seeds, a student shares with her college mentor that she knows how to collect seeds because her abuelita saves seeds to grow food every year in her garden. THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT. 

The Outdoor Classroom program focuses on relationships in nature so that “magical moments”, or moments of joy in relationship, can happen naturally. These magical moments are alive, they are co-created, and even nurtured. When a child brings the story of who they are, their seed, we as educators, acknowledge the gift that story is and connect the different layers of relationships that are present in that moment. These moments honor ourselves, our memories, who we are in that very moment, and who we hope to be in the future. 

For an outing like this to happen, three elementary school teachers, one college professor, 25 college students, and two land trust staff members collaborate in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of the programming. There is much willingness to work on this project together, to share ownership, because getting kids on the land to be in community is the right thing to do.  I am so fortunate to have a partnership with CSU Monterey Bay’s Environmental Studies Professor Dr. Victoria Derr and her students, who are willing to engage in this placemaking project with us at the Elkhorn Slough Foundation and Hall District Elementary School. Tending to this relationship has deepened the impact this collaboration has had on the community. We reflect constantly on the work we are doing, but we also dream of the spaces we want to create in the future together. 

This dream brought another partner to this project, Adelante, a group of artists and community-based researchers from Arvin, CA. Together, we came up with Water Stories, a project that builds elementary and university students’ connections with the water of Elkhorn Slough. We do that through natural dyes as a culturally relevant method of understanding water quality of the slough and its impact on the environment. It also includes a facilitated oral history project in which students interview their family members about their relationships to water, their ‘water stories.’ 

At the same time, we are creating a multitude of in-person experiences for the youth and families to experience the slough in community. This is where Semillitas Outdoors comes in. This event was co-hosted by Latino Outdoors Central Coast, Elkhorn Slough Foundation, CSU Monterey Bay Environmental Studies Department, and the women of Adelante. It was a celebration of the work we are all doing together, thanks to the California Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail Grant. 

The event was a community-oriented gathering that brought intergenerational families together. It was a day to celebrate all the work this partnership has been co-creating and honoring the families we serve through different art exhibits and activities. Serving over 90 participants throughout the day, we were welcomed by danzantes from Kalpulli Ehecacoatl who shared a danza that honors children, the land, and water. 

The CSUMB students celebrated their work with an immersive exhibit showcasing biocultural memories and joy in nature that included: a dyeing with home foods activity that highlighted the water quality story of the Elkhorn Slough through their water monitoring work, two-hands on interpretive plant and animal exhibits that had families learning about the different native species that call the Carneros Creek Outdoor Classroom home, and finally the indigo dyeing workshop where families shared their water story. 

Having the elders from Adelante share about their water justice work with families present was a celebration in itself. Participants moved through the different activities at their own pace, adding their own story to the different exhibits, honoring memories, and creating new ones together. Semillitas in our program visit the Outdoor Classroom up to 15 times a school year. They are actively shaping the future of the program with their stories, they are stewarding the land, sowing seeds for their future relationship with the land. Our goal has been to connect semillitas to each other, themselves, and this place. The way we do it flows with the story, and recognizes that joy in relationships is how we can get there. This work is possible because our partners and  familias are willing to build something together. It’s been my greatest honor to walk with you, listen to pajaritos, and tend to our semillitas together. 


I didn’t grow up kayaking, birding, or even botanizing our local trails. I grew up with burritos paseados de mi apa, platicas en familia, friends and family coming over for a plato of my mom’s birria, listening to my dad share one of his charritas. I grew up inventing games outside, sliding down hills on cardboard boxes, and going out to the garden to pick medicina whenever I needed it. Today, more than ever, I am grateful for the comunidad that Latino Outdoors is. It has given me a place to belong to, to share stories with, to build community with familias the way my parents have taught me. To serve people, with people, con amor y comunidad.

Juan Ramirez was born and raised in Salinas, CA. Juan grew up visiting la familia en Mexico every winter break where he has fond memories of being connected to land and people. Whether he was helping herd farm animals on his donkey or being in the potrero with his family, he was always aware of the gifts the land gave him and his family. His parents’ experience being farmworkers shaped the kind of relationship he wanted to have with the land. He found the redwood forest being that place that gave him the embrace he needed. Since then, Juan and his family visit the redwoods as a place to connect with each other and the land. Juan stayed local and attended California State University Monterey Bay where his work with service learning led him to education. Now, Juan is the Outreach Coordinator for the Elkhorn Slough Foundation where he is bringing programming that focuses on creating healing relationships with nature and all program participants. 

Volunteering as a program coordinator on California’s central coast, Juan will share LO’s different offerings with local families and help the LO Central Coast team with logistics. Juan hopes to collaborate with others and create more access for families in the outdoors.

Advocacy – From Local Parks to Public Lands – Joining Outdoor Alliance’s Grasstops Collective

Por Jazzari T. Taylor, Policy Advocate, Latino Outdoors

At a time when many of our communities are facing threats to safety and belonging, it’s more important than ever to voice your concerns and ensure that the outdoors remains a place of healing and empowerment. The fight for social justice is deeply connected to the landscapes we protect because the right to feel safe and welcome in nature is part of our shared responsibility to build a better life – one that preserves our cultures, affirms our compassion for others, and protects fundamental human rights.

Earlier this month, I joined the Outdoor Alliance Grasstops Collective’s kickoff retreat in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Grasstops Collective is designed to strengthen outdoor advocates for human-powered recreation to protect public lands and waters through policy and leadership. As a Policy Advocate with Latino Outdoors and Chair of the Parks Now Coalition, this experience gave me a chance to connect with advocates across the nation, build skills, and reflect on how our collective work can advance outdoor equity from the local to the federal level.

Days before meeting in Colorado, I came from a Parks Now Coalition fly-in with local organizations from across California, where we gathered to advocate for outdoor access and equity in the outdoors, including investments at the state level. Coming from this powerful local gathering into the national Grasstops Collective, I was reminded of the deep importance and connectivity of local communities’ experiences in the outdoors and the larger landscapes, no matter their jurisdiction. All levels of government must work together alongside Tribes and communities to address environmental justice, equitable access, and the preservation of our shared natural heritage.

 This year marks the 119th anniversary of the Antiquities Act, a vital tool that allows presidents to designate national monuments and has been used by Tribes to protect lands and waters from harmful development. As some seek to weaken this authority, it’s critical we uplift the leadership of Indigenous communities and defend their right to protect sacred places through national monument designations. 

“The Outdoor Alliance is a coalition of human-powered outdoor recreation groups united to protect public lands and advocate for the interests of outdoor enthusiasts.”

Outdoor Alliance’s 2025 Grasstops Collective cohort. Photo credit: Holly Mandarich.

Our local parks serve as gateways to the biodiversity and interconnectedness of the outdoors and the many ways to recreate. Your experience in the outdoors matters, and so does the ongoing work to protect these spaces for generations to come.

During the retreat, our cohort explored themes of conservation, climate resilience, and public engagement. We heard from policy leaders like Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of Colorado’s Department of Natural Resources, and Patrick Donovan, State Director for Senator Michael Bennet. These discussions gave us insight into how policy is shaped and how important it is to bring community perspectives into these conversations. They also emphasized the need for collaboration to ensure the outdoors is truly for all.

As I shared in the official press release,

“I’m excited to be part of the Grasstops Collective to strengthen my advocacy skills, connect with other leaders, and shape the future of outdoor access through conservation policy. I look forward to bringing these tools back to my community and network to welcome others into this space and drive lasting policy change.”

Connecting with other advocates from across the country made it clear: while our landscapes may differ, our shared commitment to justice, conservation, and community power is what unites us. These relationships help us grow stronger and more effective in the work ahead.

Yo cuento. Tú cuentas. Nuestros cuentos tienen poder.

I matter. You matter. Our stories have power.

Our collective stories have power, and they help move this work forward. If you haven’t shared your outdoor experience yet, we encourage you to do so. Consider submitting your story to the Yo Cuento blog, use your own social media to reflect on what the outdoors means to you, or have conversations within your community – share many ways you like to recreate in the outdoors.

Let’s keep building a movement where everyone belongs. Share your voice, stay engaged, and connect with us, outdoors and in community.

Visit the Outdoor Alliance Grasstops Collective to learn more about the full Cohort 2 and help Take Action.

Press Release

Nuestras Tierras: El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro 

por Luisa Vargas

Public lands are crucial for the preservation of history, conservation of land, and public access to nature. They are areas of land and water that U.S. citizens own and are managed by government agencies and, at times, by sovereign nations. They encompass ancestral homelands, migration routes, and other culturally significant places for Indigenous Peoples who have been forcibly removed.

In this blog series, we’ll be exploring public lands in the U.S. that hold cultural and historical significance to Latine people. These places are currently at risk from recent staffing and funding cuts. Now more than ever, it’s important for us to recognize their past, current, and future significance for preserving our land and cultures.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, or “Royal Road of the Interior,” is a 1,600-mile route running from Mexico City to Santa Fe, New Mexico, that connected Spain’s colonial capital Mexico City to New Mexico. It was added to the U.S. National Trails System in 2000 as El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail and is currently administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. 

For centuries, Indigenous communities walked alongside the bison, coyotes, and foxes of the Great Plains into the arid land of the cacti, agaves, and yuccas in the Chihuahuan Desert regions. These foot trails linked their homes and cultures long before European arrival and the establishment of what would be known as El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.

In August of 1598, Don Juan de Oñate of Spain, also known as adelantado, arrived at Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan Pueblo), a short distance from what is now Santa Fe, New Mexico. He successfully established the first colony in New Mexico after navigating several shortcuts along the route from Mexico City, including the infamous Jornada del Muerto, a 90-mile stretch of waterless desert starting in Las Cruces and ending south of Socorro, New Mexico. This successful bypass avoided a more difficult path along the Rio Grande that was impassable for carretas and livestock, allowing the movement of colonists and missionaries in New Mexico.

Image by National Park Service

After Oñate’s expedition, miners used El Camino Real as a trade route to transport silver extracted from Zacatecas, Guanajuato, and San Luis Potosí, and mercury imported from Europe. Like all trade routes, more than just goods were exchanged. Social, religious, and cultural links formed along the route, and Indigenous and mestizo guides helped travelers navigate the trail. We can see the echoes of these cultural exchanges, oftentimes forced, in surrounding communities today. 

As the route became formalized, parajes were established along the route. These were strategically located in terms of shelter, terrain, and water. People gathered, rested, and exchanged goods or information at parajes, which eventually became pueblos like Querétaro, Durango, and Albuquerque.

With the influx of people also came conflict, disease, and hunger. Pueblos along the route endured religious persecution, heavy taxation, and forced labor through the repartimiento system. These hardships, along with the destruction caused by foreign diseases, drought, and famine, led to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Po’Pay, a religious leader from Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, led the revolt, driving the Spanish out of New Mexico and halting traffic on El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.

Over the next two centuries, the trail saw periods of conflict and peace and permanent cultural shifts. The route continued to be used during the Spanish period (until 1821), the Mexican period (until 1846), and the beginning of American rule. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad ended the traffic on El Camino Real, but railroads and highways like I-25 still run parallel to some original sections of the trail.

You can visit several landmarks along this public land trail. Please check before visiting any public trail sites for visiting hours and regulations. Trail sites may be privately owned, municipally, tribally, federally, or in state ownership.

Public lands provide access to culturally significant sites, including those important to Indigenous and Latine communities. El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a historic route linking Mexico City to Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a key example of public lands that are rich in multicultural significance. These public lands face threats from funding cuts, highlighting the need for continued advocacy to protect these cultural landmarks. 

You can help us with our mission to protect public lands. We’re collecting stories that celebrate and preserve the diversity of the outdoors. Tell us your park story and share what public lands mean to you on the Yo Cuento blog.

Sources and Additional Reading: