From the Winter 2022 Issue of Wild Works

Thank you Defiende Nuestra Tierra. This was such an amazing event!

The event was sensational, thank you very much!!!

Thank you, see you next year with more outdoors activities for our community.

These were just a few of the many social media comments following ¡Celebremos al aire libre!, our local all-day celebration as part of Latino Conservation Week (LCW) 2022! LCW, an annual event and initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation, was created to support the Latino community getting outdoors. Organizations across the country hold activities to promote conservation efforts and provide an opportunity for Latinos to show their support for permanently protecting our land, water, and air.

Early in 2022, the White River National Forest and the Aspen Institute’s Energy and Environment Program asked Wilderness Workshop and Defiende Nuestra Tierra to join them in creating a local, signature event for LCW. The idea for this event stemmed from a conversation series the Institute conducted with community partners to help inform how the White River National Forest Service can expand equity and access on public lands.

The event also included opportunities for advocacy and the chance to pick up "Unified for Thompson Divide" signs in both English and Spanish.

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico was one of several afternoon performances that graced the stage.

The Saturday, July 23 event that resulted was a raging success with over 400 people participating throughout the day! On Saturday morning, participants joined a myriad of events outdoors – hiking, fishing, biking, a ranch tour, or whitewater rafting. Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs was the hub for the afternoon, which included family activities, advocacy actions, food vendors, lawn games, booths, and live music. Media coverage of the festivities included radio, tv, and print stories from the Roaring Fork Valley to the Front Range.

The success of this event underscores the importance of and our commitment to engaging with the Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valley Latino community on issues related to public lands including access and their protection!

A special thank you to our local rafting companies!

Whitewater rafting was the most-requested morning activity and of the nearly 100 participants who rafted a section of the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon, nearly 90% had never been before. Rafting companies who donated rafts, staff time, and transportation were:

  • Defiance Rafting
  • Blazing Adventures
  • Blue Sky Adventures
  • Glenwood Adventure