"It felt incredible to see California condors soaring in the wild and understanding the deeper implications of their presence,” said Martín Mejía, a Fillmore resident and member of Latino Outdoors Ventura, who was among the 17 participants who joined U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and staff on a field excursion to Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge (refuge) in Ventura County, California, this September. For most it was the first time seeing a federally endangered California condor in the wild.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered with Oxnard Birder’s Club (OBC) and Latino Outdoors Ventura (LO Ventura) to host the event during Latino Conservation Week, an initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation to support the Latino community in getting outdoors and participating in activities that protect our natural resources.
“Participating in Latino Conservation Week is a priority for us,” said Vanessa Morales, bilingual communications specialist with the Service’s field station in Ventura, who helped coordinate this event as a federal liaison with Latino Outdoors’ Ventura chapter. “Here in Ventura County, the Latine community is deeply attached to nature and conservation. Historically, however, we have not always been able to enjoy the outdoors as a safe and welcoming place that values our cultural connections to nature. We at the Service strive to facilitate inclusive opportunities, such as bringing folks up to see the refuge and bringing awareness to this incredible endangered species that resides right in our backyard.”
After caravanning up the mountain to the refuge, which was established to provide habitat for California condors in 1974, the group took a bird walk led by wildlife biologist Stephanie Menjivar. Next, they collected data on bluebird nesting boxes and helped clean and prepare them for the next season with Science in the Service intern Sophia Scipione. Refuge manager Louie Ocaranza shared the history of the California Condor Recovery Program and the team’s ongoing efforts that have brought North America’s largest bird back from the brink of extinction. Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge is accessible to the community through organized tours and volunteer work days led by the partner organization Friends of California Condors Wild and Free throughout the year. Unlike many refuges throughout the country that are open to the public, this refuge requires organized tour groups with the Friends group to visit due to the rough terrain and safety of the endangered birds that call the area home.
“The National Wildlife Refuge System belongs to all of you. It is public land that should be experienced and enjoyed by all,” emphasized refuge manager Louie Ocaranza during the event, explaining that stewardship can happen through anyone, when appropriate.
The group ended the day spotting five California condors flying in the distance.
“It was a wholesome day filled with conservation, deepened appreciation for threatened and endangered species and the outdoors, networking, and building comunidad,“ said Morales. “The experience was a testament to the importance of connecting with local communities in which our USFWS offices serve. By bringing together talents from wildlife biologists, communications specialists, and refuge staff, visitors benefitted from the perspectives and expertise of people from diverse lines of work within the agency. Further, partnering with these two community organizations that have earned the trust of local communities , enhances our agency’s mission to advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility within the field of conservation.”
Happy 2024 Hispanic Heritage Month!
