Hispanic Heritage Month is a nationally recognized celebration of the contributions and achievements of Hispanic Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
For those of us working in conservation, that means amplifying Hispanic and Latinx voices and supporting those individuals in our field. One way we can all do this is by plugging in to organizations like Latino Outdoors, which envisions a world in which "all Latino communities enjoy nature as a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place--a world where the outdoors is a place to share and celebrate stories, knowledge, and culture, while growing leadership and an active community of Latino outdoor users, mentors, and stewards." Check out the Latino Outdoors website and follow them on social media to learn more about their programming.
The Land Conservancy has also committed to training the next generation of land stewards through our fellowship, internship, and scholarship programs. Justice and inclusion are essential to the future of conservation, and we are pleased to feature Andreia Resende as one of the winner's of this year's new Rochkind-Wagner Scholarship.
While completing her final semester at Montclair State University, Andreia is also an environmental science teaching intern at the School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in Paterson. She was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and grew up in Newark, graduating from East Side High School. In 2019, she was accepted into the National Science Foundation's teacher education program as a Noyce Scholar.
Andreia says, "I want to be a biology teacher because I believe every student deserves to be encouraged and become excited and eager to learn. Just as my biology teacher planted a seed of hope and confidence in me, I will strive to instill those foundations in my own students."
¡Bom trabalho e boa sorte, Andreia!
¡Y buen trabajo y buena suerte a los conservacionistas hispanos!