Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project
Grants Awarded
The La Mancha Wetlands Restoration Project, initiated by the Southwest Environmental Center and now managed by Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, works to sustain the area as a natural carbon sink and filtration system, a key habitat for local species, minimize soil erosion, and serve as a local education and recreation hub in Las Cruces, Southern New Mexico. In partnership with New Mexico State University and adjacent property developers, the project involves necessary refurbishments for public safety and access enhancement, management plan implementation for wetland conservation, and the development of new trails by a youth conservation crew, all of which ultimately promote community engagement and greater appreciation for ecological restoration efforts.
Nuestra Tierra's youth initiatives foster a strong connection between marginalized communities in Las Cruces and Albuquerque and the great outdoors. The program provides engaging outdoor experiences like fishing, archery, wetland restoration, and conservation education, while also empowering youth to care for, protect, and advocate for public spaces. With an established network of partner organizations and resources such as the David Soules Scholarship for New Mexico State University (NMSU) conservation students, the program not only exposes more youths to nature, but also nurtures a future generation committed to environmental justice within their communities.
Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project’s mission is to ensure historically and deliberately excluded communities have access to the outdoors and that their history, values, and people are authentically reflected in public land and water management decisions. The organization was founded in 2017 by a group of friends from Las Cruces, New Mexico who noticed the lack of opportunities for Latino people, living in the State, to engage with public spaces. Since acquiring 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 2019, the organization has launched a plethora of successful state and national campaigns such as the New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund, the national Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E Initiative, the 30x30and Justice 40 initiatives led by the Biden-Harris presidency, and the addition of two new national monuments in partnership with the Monumental Shift Coalition.