Public Records Primer, Native American Summit, Latino Conservation Week.

WHISKEYTOWN, Calif. - Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is hosting three days of free activities as part of Latino Conservation Week.

A weeklong celebration of Latino contributions to land conservation and connecting the Latino community to the outdoors concludes with a party at Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs on Saturday.

Bilingual environmental event inspires Latino community to be leaders in conservation of natural resources.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced community air pollution monitoring projects lead by the Hispanic Access Foundation in Idaho and other states will receive $499,922 in funding to enhance air quality monitoring.

On October 18, President Biden designated the Blackwell School site as part of the National Park System and signed the Blackwell School National Historic Site Act. In response to the designation, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement:

Our Heritage, Our Planet Film Week celebrated its second annual virtual film festival from October 11 to October 14 with more than 40 films and interactive discussions between artists, communities, and decision-makers on environmental topics. The award winning films and honorable mentions all told powerful stories from the eyes of Latino, Black, Indigenous and other people of color with roots in nature, reminding us to uplift the nexus between human communities and the lands, waterways, and ocean we call home.

On October 17, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), along with tribal and community leaders, issued a letter calling on President Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to protect Molok Luyuk and expand the Berryessa-Snow Mountain National Monument. In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement:

Natalia Vasquez is a visual artist, holistic practitioner, and a photographer who was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In 2017, she founded Heart in Brain Studios as a space to combine holistic and creative practices for processing trauma and provide photography for heart-led professionals and organizations.

From a young age, she learned to speak Spanish fluently because her parents dedicated a lot of energy to teaching her and her siblings within their home. Now, Natalia speaks and writes multiple languages.

In 2004, after having lived in Miami, Florida for many years, Natalia decided to move to Prague, Czech Republic. When she first moved there, she began working on translation projects. However, that quickly expanded to doing more interpretation work.

Once she returned to Miami in 2013, she met Hispanic Access network members Virginia Ansaldi and Shley Suarez-Burgos at a yoga studio. This would not only be the start of a great friendship, but also an opportunity to work for Hispanic Access Foundation. At the time, Virginia was working on an opportunity to get Latinos outdoors in Biscayne National Park in collaboration with the National Park Service and Hispanic Access. Virginia invited Natalia to come on as a photographer and document moments of Latinos in the national park. Since that opportunity, Natalia has continued to work with Hispanic Access Foundation and she currently serves as the main interpreter for Hispanic Access meetings and events.

“Hispanic Access Foundation is doing everything they can to educate, motivate, inspire, and bring people together in nature. They are an organization that is walking the talk.”

For Natalia, language is a powerful tool and she knows the potential that comes from it when used to bring communities together. Prior to interpreting for Hispanic Access, she was invited to virtually work with indigenous communities from around the globe to help bridge the language barrier. In Miami, she has been lucky to meet elders and receive healing and community based experiences. It has been and continues to be an honor to be invited to those sacred spaces. Natalia sees all the pain and the wisdom within that pain. She finds hope in seeing that wisdom and pain turned into healing for the planet.

“Language is such an important way of communicating, it is something that unites us all. There are so many other ways to communicate as well, such as through the arts and photography, but being able to use one of the languages I know for the dissemination of such valuable information just feels like a good way to spend my time.”

Now at Hispanic Access Foundation, Natalia feels grateful to not only bridge the language gap but also provide resources to the Latino community nationwide. From Latino Conservation Week, Latino Advocacy Week and Our Heritage, Our Planet Film Week events, to interpreting for board and advisory meetings, as well as sessions with senators and federal agencies, through interpretations, Natalia feels she is making a difference in Latinos lives.

“I love the direction that the foundation is taking, opening up to different nations and communities, all to elevate each other and serve our planet.”

Hispanic Access is inspiring, training, and working with leaders like Natalia Vásquez, who have a stake in their community and have the drive for positive change. To help support and continue this work, please consider making a Charitable Donation

From an early age, Gregg Flores spent a lot of time outdoors recreating, fishing, and hunting in his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Growing up with limited resources, the outdoors became Gregg’s playground where he spent his days playing in ditches. This instilled in him a love for the outdoors. The day his father taught him how to fish with nets, Gregg knew fishing would become his passion.