Guest Blog: Looking to the Past to Guide our Present and Future
I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, which is right on the Texas Gulf Coast. I came from a family that did not have a lot of money, so we did a lot of outdoor things like car camping, fishing, and hiking. The hunting we did was for our own livelihood. My father made it a priority to instill an appreciation for all the things the land offers us, clean air, clean water, and wildlife. These values have informed the conservation practices that have carried on into my life, that I have passed to my own children, and that I look forward to sharing with my grandchildren.
One of my favorite childhood memories is when I got to go hunting. One day my grandfather said, “Bring her! But if you’re coming with us, you’ve got to work. And if you shoot something because you’re going to shoot, you’re going to have to learn how to clean it.” Such a powerful life lesson, and a value that I hope hunters still practice. It was a trip where I vividly remember feeling encapsulated in love that helped me bond with my grandfather.
It is deeply important to me that we take pride in who we are. My family has a strong legacy as Mexican Americans coming from Texas. I believe that we have a responsibility to those who have come before us to recall their experiences, to honor the land that fed them, and to support our future families.
The aquifers, wood to burn, game to sustain us, meant we were able to survive and thrive. Today, these resources and traditions continue to need our protection. I was called to join HECHO’s Advisory Board to advocate for the protection of our public lands and all that nature provides. The connection I cultivated in my family has even impacted my day-to-day decisions, like choosing to re-landscape my yard without grass to help conserve water. During my time on HECHO’s Advisory Board, I look forward to calling for the protection of Bears Ears National Monument, as well as the Grand Staircase Escalante.
Another issue I find to be incredibly important is accessibility to the outdoors. With so many of our community members as frontline workers, who juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet, we need to work with our state and national, even municipal governments to really make a concerted effort to invite our families out. It can even start with a member of your own family taking you out to try something new.
Today, an activity I always go back to that brings me peace and solace is hiking. I hike every day, and that’s what I love about living in Utah. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail is one of my favorites. My friends and I bought inflatable kayaks a few summers ago, and we have gone all over northern Utah with them. It has been a wonderful way to connect with my friends. I also enjoy biking on the Jordan River Trail or Legacy Park Trail.
Nature is a gift that asks for so little in return. Our wetlands are home to over 300 species that migrate to areas that are threatened by development that would fragment their route. We need to cultivate a relationship between our youth so that they choose careers in conservation, so that we can save our environment. We need to innovate, and strategize methods that are not so heavily dependent on extraction.
What we do outdoors is how we connect to our past, we must work hard at these connections every day, maintaining them so that we can build a resilient future of conservationists who are ready to lead efforts to change our world to make it healthier and safer for all.
Maria Stillman Farrington is HECHO’s newest Advisory Board Member in Utah.