As we continue to grow to make equity, justice, and inclusion a core part of our work – we understand that representation matters. Seeing our beautiful and diverse community represented in all aspects of life is essential, whether at work, heading to the ballot box, enjoying life outdoors, or in the stories we choose to share.
We reflect on our participation in Latino Conservation Week this past summer and celebrate Latino Heritage Month by highlighting the people and organizations working to better our communities.
Hosting a Bilingual Clean Water Discussion
With support from the Hispanic Access Foundation, Lucero Sanchez and Rachele Lopez hosted Get to Know Your Water (Conozca Su Agua), a virtual bilingual discussion. Attendees discussed where our water comes from and where it goes, focusing on water accessibility and equity. We also presented safe, affordable water solutions and policy examples that support and protect communities across San Diego.
“It’s exciting to be able to offer bilingual resources to our community so we can move towards water equity together.”
– Campaigns Manager Lucero Sanchez
Discovering Our Wetlands
We also joined San Diego Audubon Society’s Discover Your Wetlands (Descubre Sus Humedales), a bike-and-bird event, for Latino Conservation Week with our students who are participating in our BIPOC Youth Water Quality Monitoring Program.
We watched birds and learned their names and habits on the way to the Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve in Mission Bay. At the reserve, we learned about the ecological importance of wetlands, native plant seed collection, and seine fishing techniques. The students also spoke about the science involved with water quality testing and shared their experiences.
“Educating our local youth about the importance of wetlands and the organisms that live there is critical in our fight against environmental degradation and climate change.”
– Director of Science Rachele Lopez
Check out San Diego Audubon Society’s event recap on Instagram.
About Latino Conservation Week
According to their website, Latino Conservation Week was created to support the Latino community in getting outdoors and participating in activities to protect our natural resources. From July 16 to 24, organizations around the country host events and activities promoting outdoor recreation, appreciation, and conservation. These events and others like them provide opportunities for Latinos to show their support for protecting our land, water, and air. For more information, visit latinoconservationweek.com.
Highlighting Latino Heritage Month
During Latino Heritage Month, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath recognized Lucero Sanchez for her outstanding impact on her North County community. Read her Facebook post below from September 20, 2022.
It’s #LatinoHeritageMonth! From Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, I’ll be highlighting North County residents in celebration of their impact on our community.
Today I want to recognize Lucero Sanchez, campaign manager at San Diego Coastkeeper.
Lucero supports San Diego Coastkeeper’s policy and advocacy work through community engagement. Her passion for environmentalism began in high school, where she spent most of her weekends volunteering at the Aquarium of the Pacific. She has since gone on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Systems at UC San Diego.
Lucero is a firm believer in the need for a multidimensional approach to solving the climate crisis involving scientific, governmental, and societal transformation. Before working with Coastkeeper, she was a campaign organizer, working to elect and re-elect an environmental advocate to congress. Lucero is also a DACA recipient, and her op-ed appeared in Teen Vogue in 2018: How Being Undocumented Inspired Me to Volunteer For A Congressional Campaign.
Thank you, Lucero, for your dedication to protecting our waterways — making [San Diego] a better place to live!
Celebrating and Uplifting Communities
At Coastkeeper, we strive to acknowledge, uplift, and celebrate the people and organizations working to achieve social and economic equity and access to the outdoors among Latinos and other BIPOC communities.
Whether we are learning about our local wetlands, sharing stories of environmental justice in the Tijuana River Watershed, or bridging connections to the future Beyer Community Park – we are doing so together.
