Celebrating the Eighth Annual Latino Conservation Week

Communities throughout the country are enjoying and connecting with the great outdoors during the 8th annual Latino Conservation Week, an initiative of Hispanic Access Foundation.

From July 17 through July 25, Latino communities, organizations, families and individuals are joining in a variety of activities, both virtual and in-person, such as hikes, park clean-ups, online expeditions, roundtable discussions, Q&A sessions, scavenger hunts, film screenings, etc., with nearly 140 events being celebrated nationwide.

“Latino communities are passionate about the outdoors and hold a strong belief that we have a moral obligation to be good stewards,” said Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. “Latino Conservation Week helps break down barriers for Latino communities to access public lands and waters, encourages new opportunities for engagement and inspires the next generation of environmental stewards. LCW was first launched in 2014 with 9 events, and grown has grown tremendously to 140+ events.” 

The Latino population has grown to more than 60.6 million people  -- more than 18 percent of the nation’s population  --  and is projected to become nearly one-third of the population by 2050. Yet a 2020 Outdoor Industry Association report found that only 11.6 percent of Latinos were engaged in outdoor recreation activities.

In simple terms, the future of public lands depends on engaging and welcoming diverse youth and Latino communities to help take care of it. But it doesn’t end with engaging with the outdoors. While advocacy has always been a part of LCW, this year, after the inaugural Latino Advocacy Week, the importance of the overlap between the two has only been heightened. The voice of the communities at the frontlines of climate change (Latino, Black, Indigenous communities) must be heard by national decision-makers. The platform created by Latino Conservation Week raises and highlights the voice of the Latino community in the decision-making process.

"During this past year with the global pandemic, we learned that virtual advocacy is not only possible, but also more accessible than traditional advocacy, which relies on in-person meetings between constituents and legislators,” said Shanna Edberg, Hispanic Access Foundation’s director of conservation programs. “Armed with this knowledge and findings, this year’s Latino Conservation Week features the “traditional” type of event, especially now that we’re gathering in person, but will also provide a platform for continuing the conversations started in March during Latino Advocacy Week by engaging elected officials in events and encouraging Latinos to take action, advocate and bring these issues to the forefront to help bridge that gap.”

The activities span several states and a full listing of events is available at www.LatinoConservationWeek.com. Celebrate online by following #LatinoConservationWeek and #LCW2021 on social media.

“Latino Conservation Week is an exciting time to come together and celebrate the generations of Latinos that have helped preserve our shared natural and cultural heritage,” said LaTresse Snead, chief program officer at the National Park Foundation. “Through our Latino Heritage Fund, the National Park Foundation is honored to support ongoing efforts, including those of the Hispanic Access Foundation, to preserve and elevate Latino stories and contributions to the U.S., past and present, in national parks.”