HomeNews UpdateCommunity hike highlights San Gabriel Mountains Monument expansion and value of Latino access – Daily News
Community hike highlights San Gabriel Mountains Monument expansion and value of Latino access – Daily News
July 7, 2024
Hikers from Calvary Chapel make their way to Eaton Canyon Falls in Pasadena on July 6, 2024. Pastor Mike Gomez, a member of Por La Creación of the Hispanic Access Foundation, invited members of his church to participate in the hike to celebrate and showcase the natural beauty of the area and promote efforts to preserve it. The area was recently acquired by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
Hikers enjoy a morning at Eaton Canyon Falls in Pasadena on July 6, 2024. Pastor Mike Gomez, a member of Por La Creación of the Hispanic Access Foundation, invited members of his church to participate in the hike to celebrate and showcase the natural beauty of the area and promote efforts to preserve it. The area was recently acquired by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
Hikers from Calvary Chapel make their way to Eaton Canyon Falls in Pasadena on July 6, 2024. Pastor Mike Gomez, a member of Por La Creación of the Hispanic Access Foundation, invited members of his church to participate in the hike to celebrate and showcase the natural beauty of the area and promote efforts to preserve it. The area was recently acquired by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
Hikers from Calvary Chapel make their way along the Eaton Canyon Falls Trail in Pasadena on July 6, 2024. Pastor Mike Gomez, a member of Por La Creación of the Hispanic Access Foundation, invited members of his church to participate in the hike to celebrate and showcase the natural beauty of the area and promote efforts to preserve it. The area was recently acquired by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
Hikers gather at Eaton Canyon Falls in Pasadena on July 6, 2024. Pastor Mike Gomez, a member of Por La Creación of the Hispanic Access Foundation, invited members of his church to participate in the hike to celebrate and showcase the natural beauty of the area and promote efforts to preserve it. The area was recently acquired by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
Hikers from Calvary Chapel make their way to Eaton Canyon Falls in Pasadena on July 6, 2024. Pastor Mike Gomez, a member of Por La Creación of the Hispanic Access Foundation, invited members of his church to participate in the hike to celebrate and showcase the natural beauty of the area and promote efforts to preserve it. The area was recently acquired by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
Pastor Mike Gomez of Calvary Chapel leads a group of hikers on a hike to Eaton Canyon Falls in Pasadena on July 6, 2024. Gomez, who is a member of Por La Creación of the Hispanic Access Foundation, invited members of his church to join the hike to celebrate and showcase the natural beauty of the area and promote efforts to preserve it. The area was recently acquired by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
Pastor Mike Gomez of Calvary Chapel leads a group of hikers on a hike to Eaton Canyon Falls in Pasadena on July 6, 2024. Gomez, who is a member of Por La Creación of the Hispanic Access Foundation, invited members of his church to join the hike to celebrate and showcase the natural beauty of the area and promote efforts to preserve it. The area was recently acquired by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
Hikers from Calvary Chapel make their way along the Eaton Canyon Falls Trail in Pasadena on July 6, 2024. Pastor Mike Gomez, a member of Por La Creación of the Hispanic Access Foundation, invited members of his church to participate in the hike to celebrate and showcase the natural beauty of the area and promote efforts to preserve it. The area was recently acquired by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
Pastor Mike Gomez of Calvary Chapel leads a group of hikers on a hike to Eaton Canyon Falls in Pasadena on July 6, 2024. Gomez, who is a member of Por La Creación of the Hispanic Access Foundation, invited members of his church to join the hike to celebrate and showcase the natural beauty of the area and promote efforts to preserve it. The area was recently acquired by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
It’s been a big year for the mountains of the San Gabriel Valley and the people who visit them.
This was celebrated on Saturday, July 6, in Eaton Canyon when Hispanic Access Foundation’s Por La Creación, a nonprofit organization dedicated to civic engagement and improving the quality of life for Hispanics, led a walk that attracted more than 100 people.
Many see the expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument earlier this year as new opportunities to improve the quality of life, and a way to bring the beauty of the mountains to people who previously had no access to it.
Therefore, the foundation organized a hike with the goal of introducing participants to “the natural beauty of this pristine wilderness and to appreciate the collective efforts to preserve it.”
Those efforts culminated on May 2, when President Joe Biden signed a proclamation expanding the scope of the refuge by nearly 110,000 acres.
The group also used the moment to share about the efforts that led to the expansion.
Proponents have argued for years that the expansion would provide access to populations that have traditionally not had access to mountain recreation areas, including Latinos, who made up much of the crowd that gathered Saturday morning.
“Nature is part of Latino history, tradition and culture. Yet Latinos in California are disproportionately affected by a lack of access to nature and its benefits,” said Maite Arce, president and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation, in a statement. “The San Gabriel Mountains make up 70% of Los Angeles County’s open space and are one of the few places where residents can enjoy nature.”
The walk was led by Mike Gomez, pastor and member of the Por La Creación faith community.
