Lessons Learned From My Beloved Father

by Marisol Morales (7/2020)

Last week was Latino Conservation Week (July 18-26) and I have been reflecting on my own experiences as a Chicana and of people who helped shape my views of the conservation movement.  For me, conservation means stewarding our lands to preserve and respect all living things.  The history of the conservation movement as we know it, is rooted in the destruction of the environment and cultural groups.  The indigenous people who preserved and respected the land and the environment, were attacked.  Their experiences and voices were ignored and silenced.

My father recently passed away, but he left me the most valuable lessons about people and nature.  He believed that people, like plants, need to be cared for and respected.  At an early age, I learned about the impacts of environmental injustice on our essential agricultural workers.  I also learned how to hold a plant in my hand and admire its value and beauty.