Everyone has a relationship with nature, no matter where you live. No need to scale a mountain, hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail, or know all the scientific names of the birds in your neighborhood. Picnics in the park, enjoying the sound of birdsong, and learning the stories of your family are all ways people connect with their natural history and the nature around them. During Idaho Latino Conservation Week, community members come together to celebrate the Latino community’s past, present and future relationship with nature through a series of events that are welcoming to all.
Latino Conservation Week: Disfrutando y Conservando Nuestra Tierra was launched by the Hispanic Access Foundation in 2014 to promote Latino support for community conservation efforts and protecting our shared natural resources like clean air and water. That first year, there were just nine events in the nation. Today there are hundreds of events in communities across the United States. Guided hikes, coastal clean-ups, garden plantings, picnics, baile folklórico, storytelling – you might find any of these events and more near you during the week each year.
Despite the growth nationally, you would have been hard pressed to find Latino Conservation Week events in Idaho’s Treasure Valley – until three years ago that is. Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge and the co-founders of Peques Nature Club came together to hold one of the first Idaho Latino Conservation Week events. The partnerships have grown over the years into the Idaho Latino Conservation Week Planning Committee and event partners today include the city of Boise, the Nampa School District, the Idaho Sierra Club, the Hispanic Access Foundation, Idaho Hispanic Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, Golden Eagle Audubon Society, Idaho Immigrant Resource Alliance and others.
For Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge’s Devyn Hallamore, it is important for the refuge to foster opportunity for the community to lead and define their own story. “When we share power and support our community’s leadership, everyone benefits. We’re not only celebrating our Latino community’s crucial role in conservation, but also respectfully learning about their culture and how we can improve future engagement,” said Hallamore. As a federal agency, the refuge was able to bring the initial capacity and funding together to support the development of Idaho Latino Conservation Week. According to Latino Conservation Week partners, the invitation and support created a welcoming environment, one where the refuge wasn’t the leader or in charge, but instead relied on the expertise and knowledge of their community partners. The planning committee works together each year to set their own, community-based goals and see how they can improve and grow into the next year.
Eva Aguilar, a dedicated planning committee member and local small business owner, is committed to empowering participants in Idaho’s Latino Conservation Week with essential communication skills and tools. For many in her community, engaging in outdoor activities like hiking, birdwatching, camping, hunting, or fishing can feel daunting, unwelcoming, and even unsafe. Too often, information about environmental events and how to participate is not accessible to those in her community. Aguilar emphasizes the need for conservation organizations to connect with Latino communities in ways that are inclusive and approachable.
"As Latinos, we’re often left out of the conversation, and it’s essential to ensure we don’t feel intimidated or excluded," Aguilar explains. "There’s a barrier of wondering—are we welcomed? Will we be judged or discriminated against? Are we wearing the right attire? Are the signs bilingual so I can understand the rules?"
Aguilar stresses the importance of creating inviting spaces that empower her community. "We need to ensure that people not only know how to explore trails, parks, and public lands but also feel a sense of belonging there," she says.
Growing up in central Washington, America Yorita-Carrion didn’t have access to the information or opportunities to engage in nature or conservation. She co-founded Peques Nature Club, a bilingual nature club, to reach and engage Latino youth and their families. “It starts with language, and demystifying outdoors, and what public spaces are and what are the rules of going to the foothills, and what is the etiquette. What does it mean when someone says on your left?” said Yorita-Carrion.
In the process of co-founding Peques Nature Club and working with the refuge and others to establish Idaho Latino Conservation Week, she realized her knowledge, experience and expertise has value. “I have been a conservationist for most of my life but didn’t see myself that way,” said Yorita-Carrion. You don’t have to be a biologist to care about clean water or protected natural areas. “It is important to do the best that I can to strengthen my connection and I want my children to be better stewards and benefit from nature.
Aguilar is also a strong advocate for the mental and physical health benefits of spending time outdoors and is committed to raising awareness in her community. "It’s essential that during Idaho Latino Conservation Week, we ensure our Latino families are informed about outdoor activities and know where they can go throughout the year. We need to emphasize the importance of staying active—by conserving our environment, we also conserve ourselves, staying active and feeling better, both physically and mentally," Aguilar explains. The purpose of Idaho Latino Conservation Week is to provide information, education, and meaningful experiences that help people overcome barriers, participate in conservation efforts, enjoy nature, and build a sense of community.
“Our experiences define our relationship with nature, and this becomes part of our story and identity in conservation and environmental justice,” said Yorita-Carrion. Embracing and leveraging the community’s power is an important part of the national goals for Latino Conservation Week: To provide Latino families and youth with outdoor recreation opportunities near their homes, demonstrate the Latino community’s commitment to conservation, partner with Hispanic community leaders and organizations to support local and national conservation issues, and inform others of the Latino community’s views on important local and national conservation issues. For Aguilar, Yorita-Carrion and Hallamore, all hope to see the entire week continue to grow their success and ability to engage the Treasure Valley’s Latino community and others.
Next year, find and support or attend a Latino Conservation Week event near you. You just might find la naturaleza corre a través de ti – that nature is a part of you.
