Latino Conservation Week (LCW) was created to engage the Latino community in outdoor activities and to promote stewardship for our natural resources.  I’m creating a LCW event in San Antonio, TX.  San Antonio is the largest Hispanic-majority city in the US, with almost a million Hispanics making up 64 percent of the population. I don’t know how many of those Latinos climb, but I don’t see many at the local climbing gym.  I want to change that.  I want to engage more Latinos in climbing and conservation.  That is why I’ve created a LWC event for new Latino climbers in San Antonio, TX.  The event will include: instruction for the new climbers, a short conservation talk, and a film screening of Reel Rock 15 - which includes inspiring stories from black, indigenous, and other under-represented climbers. This event will help promote the benefits of climbing for all people and for nature. Climbing is a healthy activity that feels more like play than a workout. And taking climbing outside can foster appreciation for the great outdoors and a desire to protect it. 

Climbing is also very near and dear to my heart.  I love climbing, and started in 2018 after going through a bad breakup and starting grad school.  It changed my life.  It gave me an outlet for my stress and grief.  At the time I didn’t feel like I was enough, but climbing helped me feel capable of doing hard things.  I was motivated to work on challenging problems, and the endorphins released from the physical exertion helped maintain my wellbeing. Climbing is important to me and I hope to share its benefits with the San Antonio Latino community.

Agency: U.S Forest Service

Program: Resource Assistant Program (RAP)

Location: USFS Headquarters, Washington Office