A new report from Hispanic Access Foundation and the Center for American Progress finds that people of color, low-income communities, and families with children are most likely to be deprived of the benefits that nature provides. The report, which analyzes new data from Conservation Science Partners, comes as the nation’s reckoning with racism and violence against Black people has brought environmental injustices and disparities into greater focus.

Clean drinking water, clean air, public parks and beaches, biodiversity, and open spaces are shared goods to which every person in the United States has an equal right both in principle and in law. Nature is supposed to be a “great equalizer” whose services are free, universal, and accessible to all humans without discrimination. In reality, however, American society distributes nature’s benefits—and the effects of its destruction and decline—unequally by race, income, and age.

The nation’s recent reckoning with racism and violence against Black people has brought environmental injustices and disparities into long-overdue focus. The stories of Christian Cooper, threatened with violence and arrest while bird-watching in Central Park, and Ahmaud Arbery, murdered while jogging down a tree-lined street in coastal Georgia, are among the countless stories of Black, brown, and Indigenous people who, while seeking to enjoy the outdoors, have been threatened, killed, or made to feel unsafe or unwelcome.

Getting outside to enjoy the magnificent mountains that surround the area is a staple of the Southwest Colorado lifestyle, and Sheep Mountain Alliance (SMA) wants to ensure equal access to outdoor recreation and conservation opportunities for everyone in the community. To that end, the local conservation organization will be offering several opportunities to participate in Latino Conservation Week, a nationwide initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation.

As COVID-19 continues affecting our lives, I’ve been reflecting on how grateful I am for our public lands, places my family and I can safely go to exercise, get some fresh air or just sit and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. All of us who live in western Colorado are fortunate to have an abundance of access to open space, great trails and shared lands.

Communities throughout the country will enjoy and connect with the great outdoors during the 7th annual Latino Conservation Week, which begins July 18 and runs through July 26. While this year will lean more toward virtual activities like online expeditions, roundtable discussions, Q&A sessions, scavenger hunts, film screenings and the like, nearly 100 events are being celebrated nationwide.

As the world celebrates Ocean Week, a new report from Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF) finds that the extensive cultural and historical connections Latinos have to the ocean and its coasts could result in this community becoming one of the leading voices in its protection.

“The ocean has always been deeply tied to our families, communities and cultura -- whether it’s depending on the ocean for food, jobs, recreation or the continuation of cultural traditions,” said Maite Arce, president and CEO of HAF. “From overharvesting, plastic pollution and climate change, the threats to our ocean require action to ensure that we protect humanity’s most valuable resource and preserve it for the sake of our children and future generations.”

Latino conservation groups say battling the pandemic goes hand in hand with fighting climate change, because poor air quality exacerbated by climate change makes people more vulnerable to COVID-19.  

In advance of Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial start of the summer season – a newly formed coalition of outdoor groups created the Recreate Responsibly initiative to share ways for Americans to stay healthy while enjoying public lands, parks, trails, waters, and other outdoor areas. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more Americans are spending time outside because of the mental and physical benefits that fresh air and nature provide. As state officials reopen outdoor spaces, people want guidance on how to reduce the risk to themselves and others while enjoying time outside.

I think I’m better prepared than most to weather this transition in our lives.

Not only because I’m relatively privileged, continue to have two wage-earners in our household, with a dog and a backyard and abundant green space nearby to enjoy spring in our small family unit.

That’s certainly true, and immensely helpful, and a gift I wish I could bestow on others. But I have another rather strange asset that has unknowingly prepared me for this, mentally and emotionally.