Conservation Program - Coachella Vallley

Conservation

The goal of our Conservation Program is to help diversify the outdoors by engaging our community members to advocate for the protection of public lands and increasing the educational and recreational opportunities for Latinx community members in Coachella Valley.

2021 Latino Conservation Week at Whitewater River

Photo courtesy of Colin Barrows

2021 Latino Conservation Week at Whitewater Preserve

Youth with dragonfly in Whitewater Preserve. Photo courtesy of Colin Barrows

2021 Latino Conservation Week at Whitewater Preserve

Photo courtesy of Colin Barrows

Graduation and Posada for 2021 Public Land Defenders

Coachella Valley Staff, Lupita, Sendy, and Vanessa with Executive Director Francisco. Photo Courtesy of Colin Barrows

2021 Public Lands Defender workshop series.

Q&A workshop with Latinx leaders from local and national partner organizations.

2019 Camping Trip at Dos Palmas Preserve

2018 Latino Conservation Week at Mount San Jacinto State Park

2018 National Public Lands Day Big Morongo Preserve, within the Sand to Snow National Monument.

2018 Hiking Trip in Amboy Crater, Movaje Trails National Monument

2018 Land Stewardship at Big Morongo Preserve, Sand to Snow National Monument

Nuestro Desierto Program - CactusToCloud & COFEM

Last October, COFEM Coachella, and our partner CactusToCloud Institute applied for the highly competitive

Outdoor Equity Grant Program from the California Department of Parks and Recreation. CA State Parks & Recreation received 384 applications and only 125 applications were approved. We are thrilled to announce that we are one of the lucky 125 applicants🎉

Ideal applicants for the Nuestro Desierto Program are young adults intending to pursue their education after high school, supplement college coursework, and/or seek early career development. Preference may be given to individuals from low-income or mixed-immigration status households in and near the City of Coachella. Listed below is a sneak peek of what you can expect!

UC Naturalist Course + college credits
Visits to some of the most iconic CA National Parks
Exclusive visits to local UCR Research Centers

Join our interest list HERE.

Public Lands Defenders Workshop Series

This educational workshop series is focused on helping our community members

learn more about their public lands and national monuments. They are offered

twice a year, in English and Spanish.

Registration for our Fall 2022 session in Spanish will open soon. Stay tuned to this

page to register and update!

30 x 30 Campaign

Our staff and our 2021 Public Land Defenders graduates engaged in advocacy

efforts to help ensure our California Deserts were included as part of California's

30x30 Plan by participating in California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA)

meetings for 2021-2022.

COFEM is proud to announce that our Conservation Program Manager was selected

to be the co-lead representing the Inland Empire Region, and continuing this effort on

behalf of our deserts.

Latino Conservation Week Activities

Join other Coachella Valley Latinx community members to explore and help give

back to nature. All events are free to attend, but registration is required.

Registration will start on June 27 for the two events that we will be co-hosting

with our partners this year.

Latinx Voices in Nature (online)
Sunset Walk at Whitewater Preserve

Helping Coachella Valley's immigrant and low-income communities explore and protect their public lands.

Sendy Hernández Orellana Barrows,

Conservation Program Manager

sbarrows@cofem.org

Direct: (760)984-2724

Pronouns: she/her/ella