Inspiring Community and Connection in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Environmental BIPOC Campout
By: Lizbeth Bárcena, California Naturalist and ABF Member and Volunteer
Nature lovers come from all walks of life. On a sunny November weekend, thirty nature enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds gathered at the Borrego Palm Canyon Campground to share the joy of conservation. I had the opportunity to partake and volunteer for the 1st SoCal BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Environmentalist Campout in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and spend time outdoors with like-hearted environmental activists and indigenous educators. I was thrilled to meet others who shared the same passion for protecting the environment through stewardship and education and with a similar multi-lingual and multi-cultural lens as myself. The desert was the perfect setting for community and connection under a big blue sky, surrounded by eons-old geology, creosote, and ocotillo spread across the tilting terrain.
The event was run by Nature for All in collaboration with Latino Outdoors, Anza-Borrego Foundation (ABF), and CA State Parks. Nature for All is a nonprofit organization that aims to build a diverse base of support to ensure that everyone in the Los Angeles area has equitable access to nature’s wide range of benefits. Latino Outdoors is a Latin-led organization that supports a national community of leaders in outdoor recreation, conservation, and environmental education. Nature for All, Latino Outdoors, and the ABF collaborated to organize the activities and supplies for the event. Stacy also brought ABF goody bags with swag. Everyone did a stellar job at making this a smooth and enjoyable campout.
From family-style potluck and communal meals, campfire mingling, nighttime scorpion scavenges, sunrise meditation, a Land Acknowledgement presentation by ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan, basket weaving, a nature journaling workshop, a zine-making workshop, soul-food conversation, vista hikes, and a naturalist-guided hike, the weekend was a big success! It was the best way to honor our desert, earth, and those who inhabit it with gratitude.
And the desert showed itself in all its glory: majestic orange and blue sunrises, sparkling celestial bodies in the night sky, and the sounds of the howling yips of coyotes. Cottontails, white-crowned sparrows, canyon bats, coyotes, and even a lone desert sand scorpion all appeared.
For me, the weekend’s highlight was leading a small group on a naturalist-guided hike through the Palm Canyon Trail. For many seasoned outdoor enthusiasts, this was their first time visiting Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and for others, it was their first time hiking on this trail. Excitement was high, and with bellies full of delicious burgers and hot dogs from lunch, we made our way up the canyon to the California fan palm oasis. Along the hike, I stopped to talk about the natural history, geology, flora, and fauna in the canyon washes and bajadas and the relationships between plants, animals, microorganisms, and the Native People.
As a naturalist, there was so much I wanted to point out; the Palm Canyon Trail is a treasure trove of education and discovery. And though there was no water to be found at the palm oasis, we found each other connecting with the desert and embracing our commonalities with broad smiles.
