Hispanic Access’ Fifth Annual Latino Advocacy Week Kicks Off April 28

Hispanic Access Foundation’s fifth annual Latino Advocacy Week begins on April 28 and runs through May 2, 2025. Latino Advocacy Week was launched in 2021 to help build the capacity and familiarity among Latinos to advocate for themselves, their families, and their communities. This year’s theme in “Our Voice, Our Strength, Our Future”, which is essential as the Latino community continues to shape the nation's social, economic, and political landscape.

Hispanic Access Partners with Renacer Foundation for ‘Senderos a la Ciencia/Pathways to Science’ Hispanic Role Model and Mentoring Project

Hispanic Access Foundation is honored to announce a new partnership with Renacer Foundation through the Senderos a la Ciencia/Pathways to Science Hispanic Role Model and Mentoring Project, funded by the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Through this collaboration, Hispanic Access and Renacer Foundation will work together to build awareness about the value and importance of STEM careers, particularly in Latino communities where access and exposure to these career paths remain limited.

DAILY INDEPENDENT: Water wars: Political divides, lack of Latino voices are devastating the Colorado River

The Colorado River begins in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and flows an astounding 1,450 miles through the American Southwest, passing through 30 tribal nations and seven states. It is a crucial water source for 40 million people, sustains 5.5 million acres of farmland, and fuels a $1.4 trillion economy that supports 16 million jobs.

Hispanic Access’ Statement on Reintroduction of Legislation to Establish Chesapeake National Recreation Area

Today, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) reintroduced legislation to create a Chesapeake National Recreation Area (CNRA) that would operate as part of the National Park Service. In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, issued the following statement:

“The CNRA Act proposes the unification of new and existing parks in the Chesapeake Bay, which would increase public access to the bay for local Latino communities and help fund its restoration. A recent poll showed Latinos in Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia strongly support the CNRA. Polling indicates that 84% of Latino voters in these states would support the creation of the CNRA.

“Lack of access to nature and the outdoors is especially acute in mid-Atlantic states. Throughout the Chesapeake watershed, communities of color are more than three times as likely to live in a nature-deprived area than other communities. Bills like the CNRA Act, reintroduced by Senator Van Hollen and joined by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), that protect nature close to our communities are critical for closing the Nature Gap and creating equitable access to nature’s benefits, as well as honoring our region’s diverse heritage.

“The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the U.S. and is rich with history, culture, and biodiversity, and beloved to coastal and inland communities throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Establishing the CNRA would enhance protections for the Bay’s fragile ecosystems, improve water quality, and support habitat restoration for hundreds of species of fish, birds, and wildlife. This initiative would also help mitigate the effects of climate change by preserving natural buffers like wetlands and forests, which absorb floodwaters, reduce storm surges, and capture carbon. As environmental threats intensify, a coordinated, federally supported effort like the CNRA is crucial to ensuring the long-term resilience of the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding communities.”

Senator Van Hollen first introduced the legislation with then-Congressman John Sarbanes in July 2023. A revised version passed unanimously and with bipartisan support in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in November 2024, followed by unanimous approval on the Senate floor in December. However, the House was unable to advance it before the previous Congress ended. Senator Van Hollen has now reintroduced the bill in the 119th Congress.

Pollinator Conservation: My Internship Takeaway

Hi everyone! As I am writing this blog, it is my last day as a Pollinator Conservation and Outreach Intern with the Minnesota-Wisconsin Ecological Services. I started this internship in July, and since then I have been able to learn so much through several people and opportunities within the service. I’m incredibly grateful for my amazing office, and for the many relationships I have built through these past 7 months. 

Before I started this internship, I was a recent graduate unsure about my path in the environmental field. I knew I had a passion for animals and wildlife conservation, but was stuck trying to figure out where this would leave me. This internship has taught me so much about the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, endangered species, pollinator conservation, ecological data management, and community outreach. And in all of these stages, there is an emphasis on people in conservation. This field requires multiple perspectives, backgrounds, and openness to the unknown. Additionally, our research and science wouldn’t mean much if we can’t translate that to the greater public. Which is why I think it is important to always find a bridge between people and environmental science through community engagement and outreach. Through this internship, I also discovered that I enjoy scientific writing and data management for ecological conservation. Both of these interests, technical writing and community science, are two big components of my upcoming role as a Nature Study Development Coordinator in Reno, NV. 

Working with the MN-WI Ecological Services and MN Valley National Wildlife Refuge has given me unforgettable experiences and memories. Some of my favorite moments were finding 3 Rusty Patched Bumble Bees, seeing Dakota Skippers in the wild, helping with Monarch tagging, and participating in both the Latino Nature Fest and Bat Festival. These moments are just small examples of the amazing opportunities I have had with my office, and they all continued to grow my passion for wildlife conservation.

Chuckwalla National Monument: A Legacy of Love and Preservation

As a pastor, I have dedicated the past 30 years to serving the people of this community in Indio, California. This land is not just a landscape, but a source of life, faith, and heritage. My heart is filled with gratitude and joy for the official designation of the Chuckwalla National Monument on January 14, protecting 644,000 acres of desert in southern California, offering much-needed access to outdoor recreation areas for Latinos, reflecting years of hard work, community advocacy, and a deep love for the beautiful desert we are blessed to call home.

Looking Forward While Looking Back on my First Year in my Fellowship with the NPS-RTCA Program

Over the past several months, I completed the first year of my fellowship with the National Park Service – Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program based in Seattle, and began the start of my 6-month fellowship extension with the same program.

Leave No Trace for a Better Place

In my current internship for the Forest Service, I serve as the Sub-Reginal Volunteer Coordinator for the Cleveland National Forest, the southernmost forest in California and only 5 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.