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Latino Youth Group Visits Warm Springs Refuge

By STEPHANIE BUNKER

Moapa Valley Progress

Youth participants of the Latino Leadership Conference peer into a viewing tank at the endangered Moapa dace during a visit to the Moapa Valley Wildlife Refuge last week. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE BUNKER/Moapa Valley Progress.

It was an afternoon of learning about the outdoors and career opportunities on Tuesday, June 18, for members of the Latino Leadership Conference. About 50 high school kids stepped off the bus at the Moapa Valley Wildlife Refuge in Warm Springs.

For several of the kids it was their first time on a National Wildlife Refuge. Park Ranger, Tim Parker, guided the group along the trail that meandered up the hill overlooking the beautiful oasis of what’s known as Warm Springs. They checked live traps for small rodents and sang silly desert songs as they went.

Ranger Parker taught the kids how the oasis came about through the White River that has gone underground. When the underground water hits a warm pocket it pops up at Warm Springs.

Parker also explained to the students that, although it’s a desert, there are over 20 endangered and threatened species of fish.

“I usually give tours for 5th graders out in Moapa Valley,” Parker said. “It is awesome to do a different age group that is still young enough to go along with my silly songs.”

Parker handed out skulls from different species of animals for the kids to examine and try to determine what animal it was.

The group of kids were part of the Latino Leadership Conference held in Las Vegas. The Conference is held annually and is geared toward giving the youth a positive experience that can inspire them to have a bright future. It was composed of kids from the Las Vegas area. Also in attendance were kids who are a part of the League of United Latin America Citizens (LULAC) which bring kids from all around the country.

“LULAC usually does a conference somewhere in the nation,” said Miguel Soto a leader in LULAC from Oklahoma. “But they found out about the Latino Leadership Conference in Las Vegas this year and decided to combine with them.”

Throughout the seven day conference the youth get to meet business leaders, visit colleges, learn about financial aid, and go through something called a privilege walk.

“The privilege walk is one of our more powerful activities,” said Jose Villalobos, a peer facilitator with the conference. “Our main objective is to teach youth empowerment, interpersonal skills, and self reflection.”

Villalobos a recent college graduate said he wouldn’t have gone to college if he hadn’t attended the leadership conference as a youth.

There were other tours being given by the Park Service on Tuesday, other conference groups went to Hoover Dam, Springs Preserve, and Lake Mead. The main objective of the tours were to show kids the different career opportunities they can pursue. Following the tour of the Moapa Valley Refuge, the kids were able to talk to a panel of U.S. Fish and Wildlife employees to discuss career opportunities in that field.

Student Conservation Association (SCA) sponsored the leadership conference.

“We recognize the importance in showing more diverse population and outdoor experience and developing a relationship with it,” said Diana Wyatt SCA recruiter.

She explained that SCA strongly supports the initiative to create a more diverse work force in federal land agencies.

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