Utah events to celebrate Latino Conservation Week

SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns can take a canoe trip down the Jordan River, participate in a trail cleanup or learn about Mayan cultural connections to food and the environment during a weeklong push to celebrate and expand Latino involvement in the outdoors and conservation.

Latino Conservation Week, which is July 15-23, is a nationwide initiative that began in 2014 to recognize many Latinos' role on the front lines of environmental challenges like climate change and pollution.

"Latinos have a deep connection to the natural world and a strong tradition of conservation," said Meisei Gonzalez with the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Latinos to environmental protection during Latino Conservation Week."

A variety of activities will be held across Utah during the week. The events are designed to raise awareness about the importance of environmental conservation and to encourage Latinos to engage in environmental protection efforts. Events include:

• Ixim, Maize, Corn and Cultura workshop: Monday, July 17, 6:30-8 p.m. at the Jordan River Nature Center. This workshop explores cultural connections to food and the environment from a Mayan perspective on corn, tortillas, creation and the cosmos.
• Sabores de Mi Patria: La Comida es Cultura: Tuesday, July 18, 6-8 p.m. at Wasatch Community Gardens' campus. This workshop, presented in partnership with Artes de México en Utah, will be entirely in Spanish (English translation will be provided as needed). It includes an interactive presentation of sustainable ancestral farming practices applicable in the modern world, including the milpa (a crop-growing system used throughout Mesoamerica). The Wasatch Community Gardens' Campus is located at 629 E. 800 South in Salt Lake City. Registration is free.
• Night at Tracy Aviary: Wednesday, July 19, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Tracy Aviary. Tracy Aviary is hosting a free after-hours night for the Latino community featuring tours of bird exhibits and art activities.
• Latino Conservation Week Dark Sky Event: Friday, July 21, 8:30 p.m. at East Canyon State Park. This event will be held at the Dixie Creek Day-Use Pavilions in East Canyon State Park, which is located about an hour northeast of Salt Lake City in Morgan County.
• Paddles & Pollinators: Saturday, July 22, 9 a.m. to noon at the Jordan River Nature Center. This event will start out with a pollinator walk with Sageland Collaborative before a canoe trip on the Jordan River. Registration is required.
• Latino Conservation Week Fair: Saturday, July 22, 6-9 p.m. at Three Creeks Confluence in Salt Lake City. Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah is hosting an environmental fair to celebrate Latino Conservation Week. The fair will feature a variety of activities and informative exhibits about preserving natural resources and sustainability. Participants will learn about local conservation efforts, ways to reduce their carbon footprint and how to connect with other community members who are passionate about the environment.
• Stansbury Island Clean-up: Friday, July 28, 9-11 a.m. at Stansbury Island Loop Trailhead. Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is hosting a cleanup of the Stansbury Island Loop Trail, which is about 40 miles northwest of Tooele. Participants will pick up trash and learn about Stansbury Island while hiking. Individuals can register online.

"We feel deeply connected to Mother Nature. I don't want this heritage to die here, I want this to continue for our new generations, for them to become integrated into what the earth is, integrating into what this community is, because the more our new generations integrate, the bigger we can be too," said Judith Magaly, of Artes de Mexico en Utah.

Frances Ngo, Tracy Aviary's conservation outreach biologist, said the aviary is excited to celebrate the week.

"This is an opportunity to highlight the multifaceted connections that Latinos have to nature, the outdoors and conservation," Ngo said. "The broad range of events in Salt Lake City speaks to the diverse definition of conservation efforts in our comunidad. We also hope to come together to inspire future generations to continue this legacy!"

More information about the week and events is available on Tracey Aviary's website.

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