Ep. 6: Community Power (Latino Conservation Week)

Coming up on September 13-21, Latino Conservation Week (LCW) will bring together communities to connect with nature, take their first steps in advocacy training, and celebrate what it means to be Latino in conservation. Led by Hispanic Access Foundation and partner organizations across the country, LCW is a special moment to amplify the work of local leaders and create access points for whole families to find their space in the outdoors. From nine events in 2014 to over 360 events in 2024, LCW has grown rapidly through collaboration between local grassroots efforts, nonprofits, faith-based groups, and government organizations and agencies. There’s truly a place for everyone to get involved, and you can learn more (and find an event near you!) at latinoconservationweek.com.Joining WELC to talk more about this exciting week, the mission at Hispanic Access Foundation, and his journey into this work is Luis Cruz, Latino Conservation Week program coordinator at HAF. Together, we explore how this week started, challenges and amazing things happening in the Latino conservation community today, and how the climate movement can continue evolving as an intersectional force for change, justice, and restoration. You’ll also meet Frank the penguin!! and hear what’s keeping us hopeful right now despite the insanity of this moment. Thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy this episode, and see you out there September 13-21 to celebrate Latino Conservation Week. P.S. Enjoy what you’re hearing at Stories of Kinship? Share it with a conservation pal in your life! You can now listen to our episodes on Apple Podcast and Spotify in addition to Substack. To hear updates on new episodes and what we’re up to, be sure and subscribe here, join our email list at westernlaw.org and follow us on socials (FB, IG, Bluesky). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesofkinship.substack.com