Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrating Hispanic and Latino Americans' Contributions and Voices in Conservation
By Daniela Zavala, HECHO’s Communications Director.
Celebrated from September 15 to October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to honor and reflect on the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the culture and the history of the United States.
For HECHO, Hispanic Heritage Month is more than just a celebration. It represents an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the powerful conservation legacy of Hispanics across the United States, and the critical advocacy work they continue to do today to shape how we care for our land and water.
While many people may first think of our music, food, and art, as well as our contributions to the economy and achievements in various fields, I have to admit that, even as a Venezuelan-American who has lived in this country for over 20 years, I hadn’t fully realized our community’s significant contributions to conservation for generations until I began working with HECHO three years ago.
Long before there was a mainstream conservation movement, Hispanic communities in the United States practiced sustainable land use. Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, farming, and other uses on public lands like acequias are not just pastimes or livelihoods. These experiences reflect a generational connection to the land founded in stewardship, interdependence, a shared responsibility to care for natural resources, and the duty to pass this legacy on. These are values that Hispanics know as "querencia" and "herencia."
The deep ties of Hispanic communities to land and heritage are increasingly part of the conservation conversation, bringing insight that strengthens the decisions that impacts everyone.
HECHO is proud to uplift the voices and empower Hispanic leaders across the Southwest by bringing them together and connecting them directly with federal decision-makers. By leveraging their cultural knowledge, local expertise, and on-the-ground experiences, these leaders help shape pragmatic conservation policies.
Whether speaking in Washington, D.C., signing off on letters and petitions, or sharing their perspectives through various media, members of our Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council demonstrate that conservation is strongest when it reflects the wisdom and perspectives of the people who live closest to the land and waters in need of protection.
As part of HECHO, it has been truly inspiring for me to see these Hispanic leaders in action to create long-lasting solutions that balance responsible land stewardship, recreation, traditional uses, and economic opportunities for all!
This year, our public lands and waters have faced increased threats, from attempts to sell off public lands, and efforts to reverse oil and gas reforms, to ongoing risks from mining and wildfires. At every turn, Hispanic leaders have stepped up. They have stood against the sale of public lands, advocated to protect water and their communities from mining proposals in Oak Flat, Arizona, and Pecos, New Mexico, and pushed for stronger wildfire prevention and forest management resources. They have also spoken out against staff and budget cuts to agencies that protect public lands, emphasizing how these decisions ripple into communities that depend on recreation economy.
These Hispanic leaders embody a strong commitment to the stewardship of public lands, waters, wildlife, and the traditions that have shaped and sustained their communities for generations, while embracing the belief that we can achieved more by bringing people together, not driving them apart.
Today, with over 60 million Hispanics making up nearly 20% of the U.S. population, our voices and values are shaping the nation more than ever. This Hispanic Heritage Month, I invite everyone to celebrate the countless ways Hispanic and Latino communities contribute to our country, and to learn more about how our values of querencia and herencia have strengthened the fabric of conservation in the United States.