Visitors to San Rafael Swell Celebrate Latino Conservation Week
The BLM’s Price Field Office in Utah recently hosted a group of Latino families in the San Rafael Swell for a two-day adventure. For nearly every participant, it was an experience filled with firsts: first time camping; first time building a campfire; first time hiking. It was the first time their eyes had been opened to the beauty and opportunity that exists on public lands. The best part of it all was that this first-time event was 100% in their native Spanish language. The goal of the trip was to give experience and knowledge to families so that they could return to public lands together and recreate appropriately on their own.
They stood in the shadows of an ancient mystery at the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry. They overlooked the colorful depths of the Little Grand Canyon. They stared at the mystical writings of a people who once called this place home. They walked in the footsteps of the traders on the Old Spanish Trail. They squeezed through the towering walls of Little Wild Horse Canyon. As first-time visitors and users of public lands, it was a lot of experience to take in at once.
Huddled closely around the campfire on a chilly, windy evening, they listened to Juan Palma, former BLM-Utah State Director as he shared his story of going from a migrant worker kid from Mexico to helping manage public lands across the western United States. He talked about Latino culture and heritage and how it is inherently connected to the vast landscapes of the American West.
When asked about his time camping with this group, Juan said, “It was an incredible experience sitting around the campfire, witnessing the magic of the dancing light reflecting in the eyes of those kids and their parents who had never experienced this before. It was an enjoyable sight to see a new generation of young Latinos and their families beginning their journey to appreciate public lands. I believe that nature has an incredible power to strengthen individuals and bring families together.”