Join Cherie Wasoff, our Director of Philanthropy, and our partner Hispanic Access Foundation in celebrating Latino Conservation Week and the introduction of legislation to establish the Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge in one of the fastest growing counties in the nation – southern California’s Riverside County.
If enacted, this refuge would provide access to nature for millions of Californians in the densely populated area, protecting thousands of acres for iconic wildlife species, dozens of which are threatened or endangered, and conserving habitat connectivity.
Footage by: CBCOM
Video Transcript:
Cherie Wasoff:
One of the reasons it’s so important to protect the remaining open spaces like this, is that it’s such a big part of preventing further biodiversity loss. You truly start to understand how you save ecosystems, one species at a time.
Cherie Wasoff:
Hi, I’m Cherie Wasoff. I work for Defenders of Wildlife, as a Director of Philanthropy, and I’m based out of Los Angeles. I’m out in Southern California at the site of the proposed Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge.
Cherie Wasoff:
Today we’ve gathered together out at the site with our partners from the Hispanic Access Foundation to celebrate Latino Conservation Week and also to celebrate the introduction of a bill, that would provide US Fish and Wildlife Service refuge status to this very special place and we’re hiking together and we’re all enjoying just the regeneration that comes from being in nature.
Juan Rosas:
I live here. I grew up here. This is my immediate area and to be able to have the Latino community, not just the Latino community, but everyone to come out, be able to hike, be able to go fishing, be able to go mountain bike in this area and protect about 146 species that live here in this immediate area, whether they’re wildlife or plants, so this is why this place is so special.
Cherie Wasoff:
This is a great experience for me personally because I really believe in protecting the species that are out here.
Cherie Wasoff:
This place is so important because not only would 146 species directly benefit from this refuge, but 33 of those species we know to be threatened or endangered.
Juan Rosas:
We know that most Latino communities live in nature deprived areas. In SoCal, we’re being surrounded by blacktops. We’re being surrounded by concrete jungles and we need places like this for the environment, for our kids to enjoy.
Juan Rosas:
Me, as a father of four kids, it is vital that my kids get to hike and fish and go mountain biking and go rock climbing and studying all this beautiful plant life and species that are in the immediate area.
Cherie Wasoff:
We need to lock down these remaining areas that are wild in places like this, Riverside, which is one of the fastest growing counties in the US.
Cherie Wasoff:
What people can do if they’d like to help create this refuge is please contact your representative and encourage them to support the creation of the Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge.
Music
SONG Find Your Way Beat
ARTIST Nana Kwabena
ALBUM Find Your Way Beat
LICENSES YouTube Audio Library
