As part of the Forest Preserve District of Will County's The Preserves Are for You campaign and in celebration of Latino Conservation Week, the District is hosting a bilingual hike followed by a cleanup event. 

From 9 to 10 a.m., volunteer services supervisor Emily Kenny will lead participants on a hike while sharing information about the preserve, including the plants and animals that call Hadley Valley home. A translator will be in attendance for the hike. 

From 10 a.m. to noon, people can break into smaller groups to collect litter. Buckets, bags, grabbers, vests and gloves will be provided.

Participants can attend both the hike and cleanup or just stop by for one of the activities. Those who pitch in to clean up litter do not have to stay for the full two hours.

Registration is required by Saturday, July 23, for all individuals and groups. All participants must also sign an online waiver. A Spanish version also is available.

Those with a current waiver on file should contact Emily Kenny, volunteer services supervisor, at 815-722-7364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to reserve their spot.

The event will occur on natural surfaces across uneven terrain. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service to participate in this program should mention their request when registering, or submit a request online no later than 48 hours before the program.

Written by the Forest Preserve District of Will County for Patch. 

Celebrate Latino Conservation Week with the Forest Preserve District of Will County by taking part in a Bilingual Hike and Cleanup event on Saturday, July 23, at Hadley Valley Preserve – Gougar Road Access in Joliet.

The event highlights the national Latino Conservation Week, which runs from July 16 to 24. The Joliet hike and cleanup event also is part of the Forest Preserve’s “The Preserves Are for You” campaign, which was launched this year to let people know everyone is welcome in nature, regardless of age, race, gender or physical abilities.

Event Details
9-10 a.m.: Emily Kenny, the Forest Preserve’s volunteer services coordinator, will lead a hike highlighting the plants and animals that call Hadley Valley home. A translator will be in attendance.
10 a.m.-Noon: Participants will break into smaller groups to take part in a volunteer cleanup day at the preserve.
Registration: All participants must sign an online waiver. A Spanish version also is available. The waiver links are available on the Event Calendar listing at ReconnectWithNature.org. Those with a current waiver on file should contact Kenny at 815-722-7364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to reserve their spot.
Equipment: Buckets, bags, grabbers, vests and gloves will be provided for the cleanup part of the day.
Attendance: Participants can attend both the hike and cleanup or just stop by for one of the activities. Those who pitch in to clean up litter do not have to stay for the full two hours.

“I’m looking forward to this new format, and I hope it will be welcoming for all,” Kenny said of the bilingual aspect of the event. “This program also promotes our mission by protecting the natural resources in Will County. If I can connect a few people with nature on Saturday morning, the event will be a success. Walking the preserve will also be good for our physical wellness, and it’s good for our mental wellness to meet new people who are excited about reaching a common goal.

For more information, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.

Written for 1340 WJOL. 

The public is invited to join Friends of the Inyo, El Sol de la Sierra newspaper publisher Noe Gadea, and past and present members of the sheepherding community on Saturday, July 23, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Bishop City Park for “Shepherds of Today!” (“Pastores ¡De Hoy!” in Spanish), a FREE, family-friendly event that is part of the nationwide Latino Conservation Week outreach initiative, which this year extends from July 16-24.

Shepherds of Today! will be an English-Spanish bilingual discussion with local sheepherders (a trade traditionally carried out by Basque and Hispanic/Latino people in the Eastern Sierra) about their experiences and adventures in nature, their ecologically responsible shepherding practices, and, sadly, how they have seen our beautiful Eastern Sierra landscape change over the decades due to water extraction and climate change. There is much we can learn from them.

The talk, at the City Park gazebo on Main Street, will be accompanied by a mini resource fair to provide attendees with information about community resources. Interested exhibitors are invited to contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to sign up for free. The public is encouraged to bring beach chairs, blankets and towels to sit on the park lawn.

Latino Conservation Week: Disfrutando y Conservando Nuestra Tierra (Enjoying and Conserving Our Earth) is an initiative of Hispanic Access Foundation (www.hispanicaccess.org). It was created to support the Latino community getting into the outdoors and participating in activities to protect our natural resources. Individual nonprofits throughout the country sign up to host Latino Conservation Week events that are designed specifically with their own communities in mind. Latino Conservation Week was launched in 2014 with nine events, and by its sixth year, 2019, it boasted more than 160 events nationwide. You can find out more at www.latinoconservationweek.com.

Friends of the Inyo’s mission is to protect and care for the public lands of the Eastern Sierra. This is the first time Friends of the Inyo is participating in Latino Conservation Week by hosting an event locally. Our Shepherds of Today! event, together with our ongoing Spanish-language outreach, is part of our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion work, in order to help ensure that underrepresented communities of color have greater access to public lands and become more actively involved in their protection. Our official event flyers, in English and Spanish, are attached. Information on this and our other events and services may be found on the Home Page, or the Events and Blog tabs of our website, www.friendsoftheinyo.org.

Friends of the Inyo acknowledges the in-kind support of El Sol de la Sierra, The Sierra Reader and AltaOne Federal Credit Union in helping to put together this event.

Written for Sierra Wave Media. 

From July 16 to July 24, communities throughout the country will enjoy and connect with the great outdoors during the 9th annual Latino Conservation Week (LCW), an initiative of Hispanic Access Foundation. Latino communities, organizations, businesses, families and individuals will participate in a variety of activities, both in-person and virtual, like hikes, kayaking, park clean-ups, online expeditions, roundtable discussions, Q&A sessions, scavenger hunts, film screenings, etc., with about 200 events being celebrated nationwide.