The area of the Angeles National Forest designated as the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument (SGMNM) is a principle resource used to connect communities to nature. This connection was highlighted in the recognition of the partnership of the Angeles National Forest with the Southern California Mountains Foundation Urban Conservation Corps (UCC). The Forest and the UCC were the recipients of the U.S. Forest Service Regional Forester’s Honor Award in 2012. This award has been just one of many presented to the UCC for their successful efforts in connecting diverse inner city kids from underserved communities, such as Westside San Bernardino, to the forests. The UCC is a nonprofit workforce development program based out of San Bernardino that offers young men and women from underserved communities the chance to become employable citizens by developing workforce skills through conservation work. The program requires young adults to be high school graduates or to be enrolled in the program’s John Muir Charter School in order to obtain their high school diploma. One of the UCC’s projects was the development of a Wilderness Spike Crew in the area of the SGMNM. The Wilderness Spike Crew conducted a wilderness inventory comprised of collecting GPS data of trails, camp site conditions, and recording forest health conditions. Another project involves the annual restoration of the San Gabriel River through litter removal, graffiti abatement, and public education. Sandy Bonilla, Director of the UCC, wrote The Story of Pepito to use as a tool to educate the public about the importance of conserving the San Gabriel River. Pepito is a Santa Ana sucker fish that is native to the San Gabriel River and cannot survive in a contaminated river. Pepito is described as a friend and is illustrated in books as a cartoon. The Story of Pepito is shared with children recreating in the river, who are of mostly Hispanic descent. Sandy explains that having storytellers, such as the UCC crew members, is part of the Hispanic culture and an effective way to communicate with children who in turn educate their parents. As an inner city kid myself, from Southeast San Diego, I had the opportunity to visit a forest twice as a child. Once was with church and another time during sixth grade camp. Fortunately, my parents taught me that a college education was my ticket to the forest. When I turned 18 I started attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where I studied forestry. I interned with the Forest Service and upon my graduation I was hired as a forester by Gabe Garcia, retired District Ranger of the San Bernardino National Forest. Soon after I was hired Gabe introduced me to Sandy Bonilla and Bobby Vega, both residents of San Bernardino. I started to spend my weekends volunteering with Sandy and Bobby in order to expose inner city kids to forestry. This exposure was a strategy to prevent kids from joining gangs and using drugs. The kids were required to sign a contract which stated that as long as they behaved well and attended school they would be allowed to participate in the program. At the time there wasn’t much of a program established and the idea of a gang and drug prevention program didn’t seem to gather much support. Initially, Sandy and Bobby would gather kids from public housing sites and Gabe and I would pick them up and drive them to the forest where we would teach them about the importance of trees, fire safety, forest restoration, and more. In return, the children would implement conservation projects such as tree planting. Gabe, the children, and I were all volunteers. We all gained as we learned from one another and so did the environment. As word spread in their neighborhood about the “conservation” program, more people wanted to join. Eventually an Urban Youth Conservation Crew (UYCC) was formed and soon after the UCC was created. The program kept growing and multiple sources of funding started pouring in to the program when it became known as a “conservation” program, which was still really a gang and drug prevention program that used conservation as a tool. The UCC started getting contracts to do conservation work on the national forests, with the City of San Bernardino, and other government agencies. Today the UCC is certified as California’s 14th Conservation Crew. It has served hundreds of children and young adults and continues to be a success by allowing its members to give back to communities and the SGMNM for centuries to come.
4 Comments
Emily Olsen
6/21/2016 05:12:32 pm
Henry - Fantastic blog! I can't believe I'm just now reading this inspiring story. Cool!
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Henry Herrera
6/21/2016 08:13:50 pm
Thanks Emily! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
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8/5/2022 11:30:30 am
I really enjoy reading your posts where I can get such useful information. Thanks for all your advice. It’s invaluable!
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Henry Herrera
8/5/2022 11:38:37 am
Good afternoon,
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AuthorMy name is Henry Herrera. I am originally from San Diego. After attending Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo), where I studied forestry and natural resources, I became a Registered Professional Forester (RPF). I currently work as a forester for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). I like to spend my free time with my wife and family. Hiking and biking are some of our favorite outdoor activities. I also enjoy volunteering at various community events. ArchivesCategories
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