As I look back on the past year of my internship, I cannot help but be overwhelmed with emotions. It feels like I blinked, and it is suddenly coming to an end so quickly. Yet when I reflect on all the experiences and growth it just blows my mind to think about everything I have managed to achieve. I came into this internship with some goals in mind and I feel that I most certainly accomplished them. One of the primary goals for me was to reach out and engage with the Latino community in order to help them be aware of the resources that are available to them, being public lands. 

I was able to accomplish this goal through various different avenues to further develop a better connection with public lands. One of the first examples of this was helping out a non-profit named Get Outdoors Nevada. I was able to assist them with field trips hosted at the refuge, after school programs, library programs and community events. What is great about this organization is that they target underrepresented groups which often tended to be Latinos. Although the majority of these programs were in English, I believe having someone that looks like you gives you a feeling of representation. Outside of helping with these different programs, I was able to host some programs in Spanish myself. One of the more basic programs was hosting a Junior Ranger guided hike, this held in Spanish and from my understanding has been one of the few programs that has been held in Spanish. I also developed my very own programs about Bobcats that was also in Spanish as well.

Outside of these programs I was also able to develop content for social media in Spanish and also develop missions for an environmental education app named Agents of Discovery that was also in Spanish. This particular refuge does not have a lot of Spanish signage so I did my best to provide as much content as I could for them. I also hosted the very first Latino Conservation Week event at the refuge, which was also in Spanish. On one my previous posts I went more into depth about the event itself. Over all it was a success and I was very pleased with the turnout considering it was during the hottest time of the year. I could go on about all the rest my experiences but I feel like my previous blogs have been a great buildup for the final and last blog. I cannot thank Hispanic Access Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service enough for providing me with such a great experience to be able to start my career. 

Día de Los Muertos is a Mexican holiday where people honor their loved ones who have passed away by making an ofrenda on a home alter to remember and celebrate their lives. This year I had the privilege of putting together an ofrenda to honor the lives of several Mexican entomologists. We themed our ofrenda with the monarch butterfly as many of the scientist specifically studied butterflies. I was able to participate in this event with other federal agencies and non-profits that have similar goals regarding conservation and preservation.

 Two of the Mexican men we honored were named Homero Gómez and Raúl Hernández, they were activist for the campaign of conservation for the monarch butterflies. They were unfortunately murdered which is believed to be as a result of their campaign against logging. These unfortunate deaths illustrate the danger that conservationists face in Mexico. Their dedication to their work holds significant value to not only the monarch butterfly but to humans as well. For that reason, we chose to honor them and tell their story. As many of you may know butterflies are pollinators, and we need them to pollinate many of the fruits and vegetables that we eat. I believe once people receive the context behind these scientist work and how it relates to their own personal lives, they may see the significance and relevance of their work and lives.

I felt privileged to be able to help host our ofrenda, as I find it very important to recognize the work and contributions of the Latino community in the scientific field. Collaboration between multiple agencies and organizations are a good indicator that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is meeting its goal of working with others. I find that very important as this kind of work fosters and encourages inclusivity and diversity. Participating in these kind of cultural events helps reach out to audiences with less representation in public lands which happens to be one of my goals of my internship.

Hello everyone, for those of you that do not know me my name is Cristhian Flores Trujillo. I am the current Visitor Services intern at Corn Creek Visitor Center (Desert National Wildlife Refuge). This refuge is made up of 1.6 million acres providing the public with a large piece of land to explore. One of the more popular locations to go backpacking is up to the Hidden Forest, this 5.2 miles one way hike transports you through various life zones as you make the ascend. During my internship, I have had the privilege to go backpacking over night to Hidden Forest twice. The purpose of our trip each time was to clean up any garbage that visitors may have left. We also dismantled fire rings because in this canyon fires are never allowed, as the threat of a wildfire breaking out is very high in this location. We also put-up signs that stated no fires are allowed so that people were aware. On the two occasions we went up there, we tried to contact hikers and campers to remind them that fires are not allowed and to please pack in and pack out their trash. I believe having these conversations with hikers and campers are a good way to interpret information so that they can understand why we have certain rules and regulations in place. If we have those conversations rather than confrontations, I think people may be more willing to comply. This can help us preserve areas that are delicate so that future generations can enjoy it as well. The trip itself has helped me develop skills related to being in the backcountry, such as preparing enough food and water, and setting up my own tent. Since making these trips I feel a lot more confident about speaking about this specific location as I have visited there before. Being able to explore the refuge in such a primitive location has allowed me to a develop a more intimate relationship with this public land. I hope to share my knowledge with the public in general, but specifically for the Spanish speaking community as they are underrepresented.

Hello everyone, it is Cristhian Flores the current intern out at Corn Creek Visitor Center (Desert National Wildlife Refuge). I would like to take the time to reflect on the event I hosted for Latino Conservation Week as it is one of my most proud accomplishments throughout the course of my internship. We hosted an event named Pan dulce y Café en el Desierto, where visitors were able to enjoy some sweet bread and coffee while learning about the wildlife refuge. I led a short, Spanish guided hike and spoke about three prominent features located within out trail system. Those three features included the starting point of our naturally running spring, our railroad tie cabin, and our refugium. I was very pleased to be able to speak in Spanish and the visitors seemed to enjoy it as well.

Once the guided hike was over, we returned to our visitor center so that the participants could explore inside and ask questions related to our exhibits. I provided translations or interpretation for much of the information for those who cannot read English. I believe my goal we reached in that we were able to connect with Latino’s and had the opportunity to welcome them to this public land, which most of them had never visited before. I think this event is a good example of how Latino’s recreate in the outdoors and paints a more accurate representation. I hope this will help with us over all representation for Latino’s and we will continue to see more visitors come out and feel welcomed on their public lands.

 I think this event really helped me grow independence as I was the main lead that helped coordinate and plan for this event. I had the privilege to collaborate with the local chapter of Latino Outdoors based out of Las Vegas. I also had the help a non-profit organization called Get Outdoors Nevada, as well as the help of a Great Basin Institute Ranger. Together we planned for the event in terms of selecting the sweet bread we wanted, the flyers we developed and the advertisement of the event itself. This experience has been a great way to network and work with others. I believe this is a great example of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s goal, which includes “working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.”

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service

Location: Desert National Wildlife Refuge

These past five months of my internship out at Desert National Wildlife Refuge have flown by! With countless activities it is difficult to keep track of time. Being from Illinois, coming out to Nevada has been a drastic change in terms of the landscape. Spending time out in the desert and getting to see the seasonal changes has been quite fascinating and beautiful. I never thought I would view the desert this way and having this more personal experience has been quite transformational. My main duty for this internship involves providing support for the visitor center, that has entailed covering the front desk. Visitors typically will come in and ask about certain things they would like to do or see. This can range from asking about the trail system that we have outside the visitor center, to questions related to the wildlife that can be observed in the immediate area. We also get plenty of questions related to the exhibits inside the visitor center as well as the informational kiosks along the trail. Some other visitors like to do more extreme activities such as driving or exploring the backcountry. In these cases, we like to make sure that the visitor knows that the backcountry roads are rough and not paved, we notify them that they will lose cellphone coverage in case they do not already know. We just want visitors to know that they should be prepared for the worst, as the backcountry is very remote.

Aside from the visitor center work, I do have various activities and projects that I work on. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partners with non-profit organizations such as Get Outdoors Nevada, which has provided me with the opportunity to participate in after school programs. These programs are directed to engage the community, specifically communities that are predominantly minorities. I really enjoy this as it fits in with one of my goals, which is to have the underrepresented groups have more representation in public lands. This exposure at a young age can potentially help us see a higher representation of not only Latinos but minorities in general on public lands which will help encourage diversity and inclusion. Other activities that I have participated in include an overnight backpacking trip up to Hidden Forest, which is one of the most popular locations on the refuge as it has a cabin that has historical context. Other coworkers and I took the 5-mile hike up there and cleaned trash along the way. We knocked down fire rings and put-up signs that said no fires allowed, as that specific canyon is prone to potentially dangerous fires year-round. That trip into the backcountry has helped me tremendously, so that I am more confident answering questions visitors may have regarding the backcountry. One more immediate project that I am working on, is hosting an event for Latino Conservation week, I will post a separate blog after the event, so keep a look out. Overall, I have had a great experience being an intern here at Desert National Wildlife Refuge. I cannot be thankful enough for Hispanic Access Foundation, for allowing me to have this opportunity to work with U.S Fish and Wildlife. I feel that this experience has not only helped my career grow but has also aided in my own personal growth and has allowed me to be more independent.

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service

Location: Desert National Wildlife Refuge

Cris Flores was raised in a small town in Illinois. He competed in cross country and wrestling in high school. Cris came to the U.S. as an infant from Mexico. He has overcome many obstacles as a first -generation student without access to government grants or loans. He developed a love for the outdoors at S.I.U.-Carbondale, where he hiked and kayaked in the Shawnee National Forest. He recently graduated with two bachelor’s degrees, one in geography with a specialization in environmental sustainability and another in Spanish. He traveled to Puerto Rico with an Illinois College study abroad delegation to work on hurricane relief in 2018. His background has influenced his desire to work in an outdoor setting while using his Spanish language and cultural experience.