Trails in the immensely popular Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness have received a very special update. KDNK’s Hattison Rensberry spoke with Defiende Nuestra Tierra’s director Omar Sarabia about the new changes and future plans.
"Rensberry: Which of the trailheads in the Maroon Bell-Snowmass wilderness have this new signage?
Sarabia: All of them. We are going to install 26 of the trailheads signage this year so far.
Rensberry: That's super exciting. What benefits come out of bilingual trail signage?
Sarabia: Oh my God, lots. It's a huge step for the Latino community in order to visit more our public lands and forest service lands.
Sarabia: I think once you are reading a signage in your own mother language, like Spanish... like me. I feel welcome and I feel like I belong here. I feel like these lands are mine too.
Rensberry: I know Defiende Nuestra Tierra has had a hand in a lot of this project. Can you talk about that process and sort of how you guys have helped to bring this together?
Sarabia: Last year, on July 15, we launched El Camino Latino Map. And we are trying to highlight 18 sites along the Roaring Fork Valley and the Colorado River valley. And among those sites, we have Forest Service lands, CPW lands and BLM lands as well. And we were trying to, you know, highlight those places for the Latino community to visit.
And then in August of last year, we had a listening session with Latino local leaders from the Roaring Fork and the Colorado River Valley. And one of the recommendations asked from the Latino community was to have bilingual signage. And right away, Kevin Warner [with the US Forest Service] that night said, 'You know what Omar, based on this map and the El Camino Latino map, we're going to install all of the signage that you are featuring this map.'
And then eventually we're going to do the whole White River National Forest, Aspen-Sopris District.
Rensberry: What community responses have you gotten on this particular project? Have you heard anything, you know, that's specific from some community members when you told them that this is what was going to happen?
Sarabia: Oh my god, it's been well received and I just have very positive comments among the Latino community to thank the Forest Service and also to keep doing this with other agencies as well. Like, we need to expand this to the BLM lands, we need to expand this to CPW lands. And eventually all over the Roaring Fork Valley and the Colorado River Valley has bilingual signage.
So that's the goal and I've been receiving very positive comments about the El Camino Latino map. And then one day we, you know, launched this event.
Rensberry: Besides bilingual signage, is there any other project that is coming up that you think would allow for more inclusivity in the outdoor spaces in our valley?
Sarabia: Yeah, we are now working with the Colorado River and the Buddy Program, we are going to launch a self-led young outdoor activity, which is called the YOLO program. It's your Young Outdoor Leadership Opportunity. So basically we are trying to get young folks from college and high school to lead an activity in the outdoors.
It could be a hike, rafting, or rope course in the climbing wall at the CMC campuses. So, and then we are going to pay them for doing that. So that's in the process that we're doing now, and we're obviously trying to engage the Latino community. They are the most who's facing barriers in order to have access to the nature.
So that's in the works right now, but hopefully, the people from BLM/CPW, watch the work that we've been doing here, and doing here, and hopefully, they can duplicate in their own lands, and I'm more than happy to help to do that. We have two restoration projects, they are very exciting and we're going to post those on social media and in our channels.
So just be aware of those. As those are great opportunities to, be out there and to create that connection with nature."
