September 29, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For additional information, contact Marci Mowery at 717-236-7644 or [email protected].
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month through Pennsylvania’s Parks and Forests
The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation hosts live panel discussion in Spanish
Camp Hill, PA – In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation is hosting a live panel discussion with members of the Hispanic community who are enthusiastic users of Pennsylvania’s outdoors. The public is invited to join in the conversation and ask questions, learn about the panelists’ experiences in the outdoors and how, together with PPFF, they are working to make Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests welcoming places for all.
The virtual panel discussion, hosted entirely in Spanish, will take place on Tuesday, October 5 at 12pm. The program will be livestreamed on the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation Facebook page and YouTube channel.
With a mission of stewardship for PA’s parks and forests through volunteerism and education, the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation is dedicated to ensuring a place and an experience for everyone in the outdoors. Last spring, PPFF welcomed Margarita Caicedo as staff bilingual Ambassador to work closely with Hispanic visitors in developing outdoor skills, utilizing Leave No Trace principles, and assisting park staff with creating welcoming environments.
In July, Margarita spoke about the importance of the outdoors for human health at Governor Wolf’s unveiling of “Penn’s Parks for All,” the 25-year strategic plan outlined for the state’s parks. With an emphasis on access and ensuring a positive visitor experience, the plan has goals to reach and welcome a diverse audience including the rising demographic of Hispanic park goers. This panel discussion, hosted by PPFF, is a step towards a more inclusive environment for PA’s public lands.
Program attendees will meet Margarita as well as PPFF Board members George Fernandez and Maria Montero. With a passion for marketing and Latino/Hispanic culture, George created Latino Connection, a Harrisburg-based marketing and communications firm dedicated to establishing meaningful connections for the Hispanic community. George enjoys exploring the state’s parks and forests and wants fellow members of the Hispanic community to know these resources are available for their enjoyment as well.
Maria is a first generation American, born and raised in Pennsylvania. Maria’s service milestones led to an executive appointment in the Commonwealth as the Executive Director for both the Pennsylvania Commission for Women and the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs (GACLA). She currently serves as the External Affairs Manager for the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority. She is passionate about community engagement, public service, and advocating for her home state’s public lands.
All three panelists are personally and professionally dedicated to helping diminish language and cultural barriers that might impede the Hispanic community’s enjoyment of the outdoors and are working with PPFF to make everyone welcome in Pennsylvania’s parks and forests.
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About the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation
The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation supports 121 state parks and 2.2 million acres of forest by coordinating volunteers, activities, and donations through its 48 chapters. The mission of the foundation is to inspire stewardship of Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests. To learn more about PPFF, visit https://paparksandforests.org/.
This program will be livestreamed on the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Facebook: @PennsylvaniaParksAndForestsFoundation
YouTube: https://ppff.events/youtube-hhm
Twitter: @PaPFF
Instagram: @paparksandforests
LinkedIn: Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation