My name is Marshall Morgan Fabara and I started with the Juan Bautista de Anza (JUBA) National Historic Trail back in July 2023. As an intern with JUBA and the Hispanic Access Foundation, my role is to support and expand community engagement and opportunities for communities that are in proximity to the over 1,200 mile Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. Given the substantial size of this trail, there are many unique and diverse communities and ecosystems that are impacted by the trail and its operations. One such community is that of Santa Cruz County, Arizona; which is actually the border town community that I was raised in. Having been raised in this community, I was fortunate enough to have many opportunities to engage with the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail throughout my life, so having the opportunity to now work for this office and to support its operations for current and future generations, has truly been an amazing experience thus far. 

While my time with JUBA and the Hispanic Access Foundation has not been that long, I am grateful and proud of the opportunities I have had and the work I have completed (and started). One notable example occurred back in July during the Latino Conservation Week (July15- July 23). Given my own personal, academic, and professional interests; in the past several years I have engaged with and hosted Latino Conservation Week (LCW) events, informationals, and activities. However, in July 2023 I had my first opportunity to attend a Hispanic Access Foundation hosted LCW event and it was an amazing experience to say the least! I had the opportunity to meet peers new and old and I was able to meet inspirational trailblazers such as the Founder, President, and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation, Maite Arce. With 2023 marking the 10 year celebration of LCW, I am eternally grateful that I had the opportunity to attend such an important event and to represent my communities and heritage. 

Starting off my internship attending the Hispanic Access Foundation LCW event was certainly a memorable way to start, and I cannot wait for all of the future memories I will create throughout the remainder of my internship! Since participating with LCW, I have spent much of my time project planning and coordinating with my JUBA team to ensure that the remainder of my internship is impactful and beneficial for our amazing communities in southern Arizona. In addition to this I have been working on some digital media projects for Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) and to highlight the importance of the month and the impact that it has had on our JUBA team members and the communities that we serve.

Overall, these last couple months have been amazing and I do hope that you all continue to follow my journey and to see all of the exciting projects that are in the works and should be ready to share in my next blog! 

Thanks again for your time and make sure to go out and explore your National Park Service sites!

And a Happy Hispanic Heritage Month to all that celebrate and commemorate the month!