by Dr. Dulce Gomez, ECOSS Program Manager
Originally posted by Green Seattle Partnership
Among the Latine Conservation Month celebration organizers, our view of conservation can mean more than caring for plants and wildlife – it can include caring for the places we call home and the relationships we build with one another. This September, organizations across Seattle and Yakima are coming together to celebrate those connections through Latine Conservation Month with the hopes of creating opportunities for community members to spend time outdoors, learn about the natural world, and participate in actively caring for our shared green spaces.
Latine Conservation Month is inspired by the longstanding tradition of Latino Conservation Week, an initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation created to support the Latine community in getting outdoors and participating in activities that protect our natural resources. Since its launch in 2014 with just nine events, Latino Conservation Week has grown into a nationwide movement with more than 360 events hosted by community, non-profit, faith-based, and government organizations in 2024.
This year, community organizations are building on that tradition here in Washington by expanding the celebration into a month of opportunities to connect with nature, conservation, culture, and community. With support from the Green Seattle Partnership, organizations including Environmental Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS), Seward Park Audubon Center, and EarthCorps are working together to welcome community members into Seattle’s parks and natural areas.
Connecting community and conservation along Longfellow Creek
Latine Conservation Month will kick off on Sunday, September 13th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a community restoration event at Longfellow Creek.
ECOSS is partnering with Green Seattle Partnership, the Vietnamese Cultural Center, and Beavers Northwest to bring community members together for hands-on restoration. Participants will help remove invasive plant species, giving established native plants more room to thrive and supporting the long-term health of the creek’s habitat.
This event will also provide an opportunity to learn more about the health of Longfellow Creek, as community members will collect water quality samples and connect hands-on restoration with a deeper understanding of the water that flows through our neighborhoods.
Together, these intentional activities demonstrate how conservation can bring people together across cultures and communities. Caring for a place can be an opportunity to learn, share knowledge, and build relationships while making a tangible difference in the health of our urban environment.
A day of community, art, and nature at Seward Park
The final day of Latine Conservation Month will take place on Saturday, September 26th, when several organizations will come together at Seward Park for a day of activities that celebrate conservation through exploration, art, education, and restoration, including the following.
- From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Seward Park Audubon Center will host a guided bird walk through the park. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about local wildlife, practice bird identification, and explore Seward Park’s habitat while learning more about the importance of urban forest conservation. The walk will follow Seward Parks’ 2.4 mile paved outer loop and is open to birders of all experience levels. A Spanish-language interpreter will be present to support Spanish-speakers and make the experience more accessible to the community. Learn more and register for the event here.
- From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., ECOSS will host a community printmaking workshop. Led by Eileen Jimenez, an IndigiQueer leader, community member, educator, and artist, the workshop will invite participants to explore connections to land through printmaking and watercolor. Using pre-carved blocks, participants will create art centered on land, place, and joy. Eileen’s work is deeply informed by her family’s connections to the Ñätho (Otomi) Peoples of Michoacán and Guanajuato, Mexico, as well as her experiences as an artist and community member. Through printmaking and mixed-media techniques, she explores the layered ways that people are connected to the Land and to one another. Learn more and register for the event here.
- From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., EarthCorps and Front and Centered will also host a restoration and education program. The event will offer another opportunity for community members to get their hands in the soil, learn more about the local environment, and participate in caring for the park.
Together these Green Seattle Partnership sponsored events will create a full day of opportunities to experience conservation in different ways, from watching birds and learning about trees to making art, restoring habitat, and sharing knowledge with neighbors.
For more information about Latine Conservation Month events happening in Seattle and Yakima, visit Front and Centered and explore the full event calendar.
Why “Latine”?
Throughout this celebration, organizers are intentionally using the term Latine. Language is always evolving, and there is no single term that every person of Latin American heritage uses to describe themselves. The Chicago History Museum gives a gentle reminder that people may identify through their country or community of heritage, Indigenous identity, local identity, or other cultural identities before using broad terms such as Latino or Latine. “Latine” is a gender-inclusive term that is increasingly used by Spanish speakers and can be more naturally incorporated into Spanish than “Latinx”.
Most importantly, people should be able to describe themselves using terms that feel right to them. For Latine Conservation Month, the term reflects an effort to create an inclusive space for people of diverse identities, cultures, histories, and relationships to our land.
SOURCES
- Latino Conservation Week :: A Hispanic Access Foundation Initiative – About LCW
- Why We’re Saying “Latine” – Chicago History Museum
- A Brief Explainer on Latine and Latinx – Hispanic Executive