Join our volunteer crew in Bears Ears National Monument for the weekend! We will work to protect young Aspen trees while discussing the issues affecting our public lands and enjoying the magnificent landscape and cool summer weather of the Bears Ears region. Select meals will be provided and transportation can be arranged upon request.

Join our volunteer crew in Bears Ears National Monument for the weekend! We will work to protect an ancient archeological site from increased travel impacts while discussing the issues affecting our public lands and enjoying the magnificent landscape and cool summer weather of the Bears Ears region. Select meals will be provided and transportation can be arranged upon request.

Bring the family for a night of science exploration. To celebrate Latino Conservation Week, displays and activities will focus on the conservation efforts of environmental leaders of Latino heritage.

Join the park naturalist at any time between 4PM and 6PM for self led games, crafts, and activities based on the works of conservation leaders such as George Melendez-Wright and Ynes Mexia.

The Lotus and Water Lily Festival is an annual event that celebrates global culture in the wild wetlands of Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens. At this free family fun celebration, visitors enjoy cultural exhibitors, hands-on activities, lotus tea tasting, traditional Latin, Asian and African performances and the spectular lotus and water lilies in full bloom! This year’s theme is “Culture, Nature and Community” and we will celebrate the Year of the Anacostia while highlighting the various aspects of culture, nature and communities connected to the Anacostia River, which borders Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

Join the Hispanic Access Foundation at its table to participate in a photo scavenger hunt around the aquatic gardens!!

Visit go.nps.gov/lotus for more event information.

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#LotusLilyFest #YearoftheAnacostia 

LCW in San Bernardino County is going to be amazing! Attendees will visit Black Rock Nature Center in Yucca Valley and will hear about careers in conservation. Then a Park Ranger will accompany us for a guided tour at Joshua Tree and finally we’ll end our evening by visiting The Sky’s The Limit Observatory to do some epic stargazing!

Come on out and celebrate Latino Conservation Week with Frontera volunteers Elizabeth Demoultrie, Brenda Berumen and Benny Pol. Take an hour-long hike through Knapp Canyon on El Paso’s Northeast Side Saturday, July 21 starting 8 a.m. Explore nature through a lens and ask questions along the way about the surrounding wildlife and flowers. The hike is very easy, but the trail may have uneven footing. Meet at the corner of Mountain View and Zircon. (MAP) For more information, contact Janae Reneaud Field at 915-351-8352 or Janae@Fronteralandalliance.org Please bring water, wear sturdy shoes, hat, sunblock, long pants and long sleeves.

Guests will visit AWARE, meet rescued AWARE ambassador wildlife including owls, hawks, bobcats, and skunks, and learn about peaceful coexistence with wildlife. The tour will be presented with guides speaking both English and Spanish.

Los invitados visitarán AWARE, conocerán la fauna del embajador rescatado, incluidos búhos, halcones, gatos monteses y zorrillos, y aprenderán sobre la coexistencia pacífica con la vida silvestre. La gira se presentará con guías que hablan inglés y español.

Centro de Adoracion Familar church will take their annual trip down to Davis Camp in Arizona for their baptismal event. The purpose of the event is multi-fold; parishioners and guests will practice their faith, connect with nature, and enjoy their time together as a family.

Help maintain a high-use trail on Mount Elbert--the tallest of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks--during this one-night multi-generational camp out. We invite the whole family to participate in this fun, educational community event to restore a piece of the South Mount Elbert Trail. Attendees ages 14 and over are invited to participate in trail work, and an educational program will be provided for kids ages 7-14. Educational topics presented to all ages will include: Basic Camping, A "Be Bear Aware" Wildlife Talk, and Leave No Trace Ethics. Get Outdoors Leadville! will be providing lunch and dinner during the weekend. This event is perfect for families, first-time campers, and those interested in dipping their feet into the world of trail construction and maintenance.

**This event is for ages 7 and up. RSVP is required.

Summer is the best. Schools are out, the days are long, the weather is spectacular, and, here in California, we have the some of the greatest parks anywhere in the world. There is nothing that brings me more joy than seeing everyone outside enjoying the parks we share together.

Sure, there are times when I head to the woods for some solitude to escape from a daily life of standing room only on the BART train or the crowded sidewalks of my city commute. But nothing compares to hearing the shouts of joy from kids playing in the waves at the beach, snapping family pictures at mountain summits for proud and exhilarated hikers, or seeing a child walk into a redwood forest for the first time.

Admittedly, that’s my job. My whole career has been about protecting land and forests for parks, so that people have access to our most special places. Ever since my first summer job building hiking trails in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest, I have been inspired by the role of accessible open space in our communities. These mountains, in particular, are the wilderness playground for the cities of the northeast and every summer, the trails fill with Cub Scout troops, inner city camping programs, and pavement-weary families from all walks of life.

While a lack of public transportation into the mountains does make it hard for many, the relative accessibility of these beautiful forested mountains meant that, as I repaired the trails each summer, there was a nearly constant stream of happy (or temporarily miserable) hikers wandering past in the midst of an experience they would never forget. More often than not, they would take a break from their group banter, look curiously at my mud-covered, pickaxe-wielding self and say, “thank you,” as if I deserved some credit for the adventure they were having.

That pretty much sealed it for me. Those were moments I wanted to relive again and again. I wanted to have a hand in getting people to these beautiful places, so that I could feel connected to that collective experience. As a country, we have worked hard to set aside special places for all of us to share. From city parks to national wilderness areas, we have made a choice in the “democratization” of natural beauty because, quite simply, time spent in the wonder of the outdoors makes our lives better. It makes our communities stronger, our families happier, our life experiences richer and our bodies healthier.

So this Sunday, when I saw the parking lot at Prairie Creek Redwood State Park full of families representing the full diversity of California, I was overcome with gratitude for those who had the vision and resources to save that spectacular place for all of us to share. I am also equally grateful for those who work to make our parks and open spaces accessible and welcoming to communities who have less opportunity to visit the outdoors.

With that in mind, Latino Conservation Week and the year-round efforts of the Hispanic Access Foundation have done an incredible job of breaking down barriers and providing opportunities for people to come together, not only to experience and enjoy the outdoors but also to steward and protect our natural resources.

Kicking off Latino Conservation Week this year was an excursion for 20 young adults from the Los Angeles area to experience the Giant Forest within Sequoia National Park, home to five of the world’s largest trees. As the students explored, they were shown how to collect scientific data on the size of giant sequoia and the health of the forest. They also learned from Latino employees at the National Park about what they do to protect this massive forest and the giant sequoia found only in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.

As we celebrate Latino Conservation Week, we’re inspired by the more than 100 events held across the country at national and state parks, wildlife refuges, and monuments to encourage everyone to explore the outdoors and learn how to protect our shared public lands. These events and opportunities are a wonderful chance to discover, experience, and demonstrate a passion for caring for our natural world.

Sam Hodder is President and CEO of Save the Redwoods League, with more than 20 years of conservation experience across the country. Since 1918, Save the Redwoods League has protected more than 200,000 acres of coast redwoods and giant sequoia throughout their natural ranges for all to experience and enjoy. For more information, visit SaveTheRedwoods.org or follow Sam on Twitter @SamH4Redwoods.