Mary Cummins Wildlife Rehabilitation Animal Advocates News Los Angeles California

Friday, July 15, 2022

Animal Advocates Celebrates Latino Conservation Week July 17, 2022 in Los Angeles, California

Animal Advocates Celebrates Latino Conservation Week, July 17, 2022, Mary Cummins, Los Angeles, California, wildlife, animaladvocates.us, marycummins.com, wildlife rehabilitation, rescue,  

Animal Advocates was founded 20 years ago by Latina Mary Rivera Cummins in Los Angeles, California. Animal Advocates is a bilingual nonprofit organization serving the predominantly 55% Latino Los Angeles community. The organization rescues ill, injured and orphaned native wildlife for return back to the wild. Most of the wildlife that enters our care are a direct result of the negative interactions with humans in the outdoors. Animal Advocates also offers wildlife and outdoor education. 

Communities throughout the country will enjoy and connect with the great outdoors during the 8th annual Latino Conservation Week (LCW), an initiative of Hispanic Access Foundation. From July 17 through July 25, Latino communities, organizations, families and individuals will participate in a variety of activities, both virtual and in-person, like hikes, park clean-ups, online expeditions, roundtable discussions, Q&A sessions, scavenger hunts, film screenings, etc., with nearly 140 events being celebrated nationwide.

“Latino communities are passionate about the outdoors and hold a strong belief that we have a moral obligation to be good stewards,” said Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. “Latino Conservation Week helps break down barriers for Latino communities to access public lands and waters, encourages new opportunities for engagement and inspires the next generation of environmental stewards. LCW was first launched in 2014 with 9 events, and grown has grown tremendously to 140+ events.” 

The Latino population has grown to more than 60.6 million people  -- more than 18 percent of the nation’s population  --  and are projected to become nearly one-third of the population by 2050. Yet a 2020 Outdoor Industry Association report found that only 11.6 percent of Latinos were engaged in outdoor recreation activities. In simple terms, the future of public lands depends on engaging and welcoming our diverse youth and Latino communities to take care of it. But it doesn’t end with engaging with the outdoors. While advocacy has always been a part of LCW, this year, after the inaugural Latino Advocacy Week, the importance of the overlap between the two has only been heightened. The voice of the communities at the frontlines of climate change (Latino, Black, Indigenous communities) must be heard by national decision-makers. The platform created by Latino Conservation Week raises and highlights the voice of the Latino community in the decision-making process.

"During this past year with the global pandemic, we learned that virtual advocacy is not only possible, but also more accessible than traditional advocacy, which relies on in-person meetings between constituents and legislators,” said Shanna Edberg, Hispanic Access Foundation’s director of conservation programs. “Armed with this knowledge and findings, this year’s Latino Conservation Week features the “traditional” type of event, especially now that we’re gathering in person, but will also provide a platform for continuing the conversations started in March during Latino Advocacy Week by engaging elected officials in events and encouraging Latinos to take action, advocate and bring these issues to the forefront to help bridge that gap.”

More than 200 parks, organizations and community groups have joined Latino Conservation Week as partners and sponsors. Sponsors of Latino Conservation Week include Southern California Edison, Patagonia, REI, Colorado Partners in the Outdoors, Defenders of Wildlife, and the National Park Foundation’s Latino Heritage Fund.

The activities span several states and a full listing of events is available at www.LatinoConservationWeek.com. Celebrate online by following #LatinoConservationWeek and #LCW2022 on social media.
Latino Conservation Week Nuestra Tierra F.C. Latino Outdoors Mary Cummins #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #outdoors #environment #latino #latinx #espanol 

SPONSOR AND PARTNER QUOTES

"The 8th edition of Latino Conservation Week is here and Latino Outdoors is proud to be a part of it together with Hispanic Access Foundation and the growing number of people, communities, and organizations that have increasingly joined the celebration over the years," said Luis Villa, Executive Director of Latino Outdoors. "We congratulate and thank Hispanic Access for this annual initiative centered around las comunidades Latinas enjoying and protecting the outdoors."

“Latino Conservation Week is an exciting time to come together and celebrate the generations of Latinos that have helped preserve our shared natural and cultural heritage,” said LaTresse Snead, chief program officer at the National Park Foundation. “Through our Latino Heritage Fund, the National Park Foundation is honored to support ongoing efforts, including those of the Hispanic Access Foundation, to preserve and elevate Latino stories and contributions to the U.S., past and present, in national parks.”
“Latino Conservation Week is an important time to celebrate the Latino community’s voice in environmental stewardship and outdoor engagement. We must continue to advocate for bold action to confront the environmental challenges our community faces around equal access to the outdoors and the impacts of the climate crisis.” - Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44)

“As Latino Conservation Week gets underway, I’m reminded of the opportunities I’ve had to visit our public lands and waterways. But I’m also reminded of how much more we have to do to secure nature equity for underserved communities nationwide. In order for us all to be great environmental stewards, we have to ensure Latino communities have local greenspaces to enjoy and proper access to our national parks. By guaranteeing equitable access to the outdoors, we’ll improve our public health and uplift the cultural and environmental education necessary to protect and preserve our public lands.” Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

"For far too long, the Latinx community's contributions to conservation have gone unnoticed, and at worst, ignored, despite being rooted in conservation traditions and sustainable living practices,” said Gabe Vasquez, Las Cruces City Councilor. “Latino Conservation Week presents an opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the love we have for this planet, and the importance of being good stewards of our environment. In the City of Las Cruces, Latino Conservation Week has become an annual tradition that brings out the best in our community - artists, organizers, hunters and anglers, elected officials, business people and more - who celebrate the practice of taking care of our air, land and water in the Southwest desert." 

"Latino Conservation Week is a celebration, invitation, and invocation. As the diverse community we are, we celebrate our role in this work, we invite others into it, and invoke the power and leadership we have as active participants for the protection and stewardship of our public lands and natural spaces." - Jose Gonzalez, Founder of Latino Outdoors and Partner at Avarna Group. 

“Latino Conservation Week is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the countless contributions of the Latino and Hispanic communities to conservation in New Mexico and all along the Continental Divide,” said Teresa Martinez, Executive Director and Co-founder of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. “Our communities have lived and stewarded these lands for generations, and this week invites people of all backgrounds to learn about the conservation heritage of Hispanic and Latino peoples and to enjoy New Mexico’s public lands together.” 

“Hosting Latino Conservation Week is simply one of the many steps we are taking to reach and engage diverse audiences as we aim to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards,” said Mandy Santiago, Executive Director of Tyler Arboretum. “We hope our visitors will participate by attending one of our outdoor fitness programs, enjoying one of our many nature tours, and exploring our hiking trails, unique collections and exhibits such as the Butterfly House and Lucille’s Garden. The full event schedule can be accessed at: tylerarboretum.org/calendar.”

“Defiende Nuestra Tierra is excited to partner with the Hispanic Access Foundation once again to elevate the importance Latino Conservation Week on the western slope of Colorado,” said Beatriz Soto, Director of Defiende Nuestra Tierra. “Now more than ever we need to ensure our public lands are part of the climate solution, Latino and all BIPOC voices must be centered in this conversation. Time and time again, solutions have been created for us, without us at the decision-making table; as we face a warming planet, where many in our communities will be the most impacted, we no longer wish to perpetuate the status quo, we are ready to help create solutions that will serve ALL, we know that we need a just and equitable society in order to meet our climate goals and protect our land, air and land. ‘Nada para nosotros, sin nosotros’.”

"As we continue to see the horrific effects of the climate crisis unfold, each of us has a sacred duty to be good stewards of our environment. This fight is personal to me. Conservation is deeply embedded in so many of our histories, traditions and cultural practices. Yet, as Latinos, we often find ourselves on the frontlines of climate catastrophes. That’s why this Latino Conservation Week is so important – it encourages our community to embrace and reconnect with the great outdoors. Our planet is beautiful, and Latino voices are necessary to not only helping it survive, but flourish.” Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29)

La Octava Semana Anual de la Conservación Latina comienza este fin de semana (del 17 al 25 de Julio)

La iniciativa derriba las barreras al aire libre e inspira a los administradores del mañana

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Las comunidades de todo el país disfrutarán y se conectarán con el aire libre durante la octava Semana de la Conservación Latina (LCW), una iniciativa de Hispanic Access Foundation. Desde el 17 de julio hasta el 25 de julio, las comunidades, organizaciones, familias e individuos latinos participarán en una variedad de actividades, tanto virtuales como en persona, como caminatas, limpieza de parques, expediciones en línea, mesas redondas, sesiones de preguntas y respuestas, búsquedas del tesoro, proyecciones de películas, etc., con casi 140 eventos que se celebran a nivel nacional.

“Las comunidades latinas sienten pasión por el aire libre y creen firmemente que tenemos la obligación moral de ser buenos administradores'', dijo Maite Arce, presidenta y directora ejecutiva de Hispanic Access Foundation. “La Semana de la Conservación Latina ayuda a derribar las barreras para que las comunidades latinas accedan a tierras y aguas públicas, fomenta nuevas oportunidades de participación e inspira a la próxima generación de administradores ambientales. LCW se lanzó por primera vez en 2014 con 9 eventos, y ha crecido enormemente a más de 140 eventos.”

La población latina ha crecido a más de 60.6 millones de personas, más del 18 por ciento de la población de la nación, y se prevé que se convierta en casi un tercio de la población para el 2050. Sin embargo, un informe de la Asociación de la Industria al Aire Libre de 2020 encontró que solo el 11.6 por ciento de los latinos participaron en actividades recreativas al aire libre. En términos simples, el futuro de las tierras públicas depende de involucrar y dar la bienvenida a nuestras diversas comunidades jóvenes y latinas para que se ocupen de ellas. Pero no termina con la interacción con el aire libre. Si bien la defensa siempre ha sido parte de LCW, este año, después de la Semana inaugural de la defensa de los latinos, la importancia de la superposición entre los dos solo ha aumentado. La voz de las comunidades en la primera línea del cambio climático (comunidades latinas, negras, indígenas) debe ser escuchada por los tomadores de decisiones nacionales. La plataforma creada por Latino Conservation Week eleva y destaca la voz de la comunidad latina en el proceso de toma de decisiones.

"Durante el año pasado con la pandemia global, aprendimos que la defensa virtual no solo es posible, sino también más accesible que la defensa tradicional, que se basa en reuniones en persona entre electores y legisladores", dijo Shanna Edberg, directora de Hispanic Access Foundation programas de conservación. “Armados con este conocimiento y hallazgos, la Semana de la Conservación Latina de este año presenta el tipo de evento“ tradicional ”, especialmente ahora que nos estamos reuniendo en persona, pero también brindará una plataforma para continuar las conversaciones iniciadas en marzo durante el evento Latino Advocacy Week al involucrar a los funcionarios electos en eventos y alentar a los latinos a actuar, abogar y traer estos temas al frente para ayudar a cerrar esa brecha ".

Más de 200 parques, organizaciones y grupos comunitarios se han unido a la Semana de la Conservación Latina como socios y patrocinadores. Los patrocinadores de la Semana de la Conservación Latina incluyen Southern California Edison, Patagonia, REI, Colorado Partners in the Outdoors, Defenders of Wildlife y Latino Heritage Fund de la National Park Foundation.

Las actividades abarcan varios estados y una lista completa de eventos está disponible en www.LatinoConservationWeek.com. Celebre en línea siguiendo #LatinoConservationWeek y #LCW2022 en las redes sociales.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

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Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate Services has been in real estate since 1983, over 35 years. She is licensed by the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Mary Cummins was an agent and broker licensed with the California Department of Real Estate selling residential income, commercial buildings, raw land and homes for Merrill Lynch Realty in Beverly Hills and Westside Properties in Los Angeles before concentrating on appraisals. Mary Cummins currently provides real estate appraisals, expert witness testimony, historical research, legal real estate research for mortgage brokers, banks, lawyers, factors, insurance companies, financial consultants and private individuals. Mary Cummins was born and raised in Southern California. Cummins attended Beverly Hills Good Shepherd Catholic School and Beverly Hills High School. Besides being on the Dean's list, Mary Cummins was a top ten national swimmer and competed on the men's water polo team. Mary Cummins began college at the age of 15 attending the University of Southern California on scholarship, majoring in Psychology/Sociology. http://www.animaladvocates.us http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Lauren Bon, Metabolic Studio Webinar on Post-Human Infrastructure, by Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

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lauren bon, metabolic studio, los angeles, california, annenberg foundation, saic, mary cummins, animal advocates, not a cornfield, bending the river, 100 mules walking, LA river, los angles river, aqueduct

Lauren Bon of Metabolic Studio is an environmental artist in Los Angeles, California. She gave a really good one hour presentation about our influence on the environment and Mother Earth. She also talked about her various projects in Los Angeles such as "Not A Cornfield," "100 Mules Walking the Los Angeles Aqueduct" and her current project "Bending the River Back into the City." I visited the "Not A Cornfield" project as I used to jog around that park. Later in the project someone brought goats to maintain the cornfield. They were gated into a specific area to clear the brush.

Below are just a few slides from Lauren Bon's presentation. The presentation was recorded. I'll post a link to the video when it's available. You really need to see the entire presentation and listen to what Bon stated about our responsibility to the environment and our world. She also talked about what she, her colleagues and her team have done to try to compensate for the destruction caused by humans. Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studio have been friends to the environment and native wildlife for many, many years. We met employees of the studio around 2010 when they found orphaned squirrels which we picked up then released back to the wild when they were able.

Bon stated we need to be more like plants and photosynthesis. Plants give and take. We humans take more than we give back.

She said one good thing about the pandemic lock down was being able to have video meetings with colleagues to be able to talk about these important issues. She posted part of a conversation with Newton Harrison. She said some of the slides about the Great Lakes came from Harrison and his wife.

She sang a song of forgiveness to the buffalo for the destruction caused by humans. I feel the same way about all the death and destruction we humans have inflicted on this earth. We have destroyed so many animals and their habitat. That is why we rescue ill, injured and orphaned native wildlife for release back to the wild. 99% of these animals were harmed by humans and our development.

She stated "artists need to create on the same scale as society has the capacity to destroy." Agreed. Sadly I feel human's destruction is at such a scale that it's impossible to keep up. Just look at global warming.

She did the case study "100 mules walking the Los Angeles aqueduct" for almost a month. She shared the trailer for the film. There are 240 miles of LA River. It was a four minute trailer from November 2013. Here's the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEzyvt7vQEE

Her case study 1 was "Not A Cornfield" on 32 acres. She stated "Bending the River" will deliver some of the LA River water to that site.

Bon has been transforming part of the LA River. She's included some performative actions which she says are optional. She showed video of edgy roller skaters with some cool music.

She posted photos of wildlife at the LA River site including a cottontail, crow and a coyote. My comment, coyotes use the LA River to travel all over LA. It's LA's wildlife highway.

Lauren Bon owns the private water rights at Metabolic Studios on the LA River. She wants to make it non private because she feels water should not be privately owned. Wish I'd thought about buying land with LA River water rights 20 years ago. Would have been a great place for our wildlife sanctuary and a way to conserve the river and environment.

She said it's the responsibility of artists to be part of the web of life.

She thanked everyone at Metabolic Studios and the school. Below are a few slides.

"Lauren Bon is an environmental artist from Los Angeles. Her practice, Metabolic Studio, explores self-sustaining and self-diversifying systems of exchange that feed emergent properties that regenerate the life web. Some of her works include: Not A Cornfield, which transformed and revived an industrial brownfield in downtown Los Angeles into a 32-acre cornfield for one agricultural cycle; 100 Mules Walking the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a 240-mile performative action that aimed to reconnect the city of Los Angeles with the source of its water for the centenary of the opening of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Her studio’s current work, Bending the River Back into the City, aims to utilize Los Angeles’s first private water right to deliver 106-acre feet of water annually from the LA River to over 50 acres of land in the historic core of downtown LA. This model can be replicated to regenerate the 52-mile LA River, reconnect it to its floodplain, and form a citizens’ utility. Lauren Bon is the 2021-2022 Mitchell Visiting Professor in SAIC’s Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects.

This lecture is supported by the William Bronson and Grayce Slovet Mitchell Lecture Series in SAIC's Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects."

Monday, April 25, 2022

Animal Advocates nominee for Nonprofit of the Year by Los Angeles Business Journal Citizenship Award

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is pleased to announce that it was selected as a nominee in Los Angeles Business Journal's 2022 Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards in the category of Nonprofit of the Year and Most Innovative Awareness Campaign Award Category. The event honors the contributions of the non-profit community along with the corporate citizens and businesses that support them.

“This is an extraordinary honor for Animal Advocates, and its leadership, and we couldn’t be prouder of the important work and diligent effort our organization has put in these past 20 years for our Los Angeles community,” said Mary Cummins, President of Animal Advocates.

The Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2022 Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards honor the contributions of the nonprofit community along with the citizens and businesses that support them. The award looks to highlight the tireless work of nonprofit leaders, teams, and programs, alongside the efforts of individuals and companies who donate their time, funds, and efforts to improve the Los Angeles communities they serve.

Message from Los Angeles Business Journal.

"With all that is going on in the world, corporate philanthropy – and the spirit of generosity in general – play an even more important societal role than ever.

There are many important and meaningful organizations right here in Los Angeles County doing incredibly important work and we have taken the opportunity to thank and celebrate some of the very best of them with our Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards.

Held on April 20th, this free virtual event gave us a chance to shine a spotlight on the impactful and often heroic work performed by the nonprofit organizations, philanthropic companies, and individual leaders, volunteers and donors in the Greater Los Angeles community. These are the people and organizations that have made a difference.

The award honorees and finalists are all detailed in these pages, and as you’ll see, it is an incredibly inspiring class. From the tireless work of nonprofit leaders, teams and programs, to the efforts of individuals and companies who donate their time, funds, and efforts to improve the communities they serve – it was truly a pleasure to pay tribute to this unique Community of Business™.

Another highlight of the event was a fascinating keynote presentation by Alex Wilson, co-founder of the Giving Block; and a spirited and insightful panel discussion bringing together some of Los Angeles’ most insightful nonprofit decisionmakers.

Thanks are due to our section sponsors who make this volume possible and many thanks to you, our readers who have taken the time to consider the needs of your community." - Josh Schimmels

https://labusinessjournal.com/business-journal-events/event-recaps/2022-nonprofit-corporate-citizenship-awards-recap/

Mary Cummins

Chuck Bonham, Charlton Bomham, Director California Department Fish & Wildlife, Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

Chuck Bonham, Charlton Bonham, Director of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, speaking at the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing groundbreaking event by Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates.

"How y'all doing? (applause) Okay, so it's a big complicated project. It has science, it has law, it's got economics, engineering, inevitably, it has politics. Not a lick of that matters today. On a day like today it's the human spirit, it's your soul, it's your heart, it's your insurmountable imagination and fortitude to make California better. So, on behalf of the Department of Fish & Wildlife, your Department of Fish & Wildlife, as Director the joy makes you want to cry. I'm so damn happy we're here getting this project done. And I'd like to give, hear from you a big hallelujah and amen!" (hallelujah, amen!) Transcription by Mary Cummins.

About Chuck Bonham

"Charlton “Chuck” Bonham was appointed as Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, effective September 6, 2011. Prior to his appointment as Director of Fish and Wildlife, Mr. Bonham served in a number of roles for Trout Unlimited over ten years, including since 2004 as the organization’s California director.

Mr. Bonham was responsible for developing, managing, and implementing TU's programs in California. These programs include the California Water Project, Sportsmen’s Conservation Project, and restoration and watershed projects in both northern and Southern California. In addition, Mr. Bonham was a senior attorney for the organization.

Mr. Bonham also served on the Board of Directors of the Delta Conservancy, whose mission is to conserve, sustain and enhance the cultural, agricultural, recreational, wildlife and natural habitat resources of the River Delta region, as well as develop and promote sustainable protection, management and stewardship programs through research and education.

Mr. Bonham received his J.D. and Environmental and Natural Resources Law Certificate from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College, in Portland, Oregon. Before Trout Unlimited, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, West Africa, and an instructor and guide at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, in Bryson City, N.C.

Mr. Bonham brings a diverse background and a longstanding appreciation for the outdoors to the position."

Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins Wildlife Rehabilitation Animal Advocates News Los Angeles California

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Friday, July 15, 2022

Animal Advocates Celebrates Latino Conservation Week July 17, 2022 in Los Angeles, California

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Lauren Bon, Metabolic Studio Webinar on Post-Human Infrastructure, by Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

Monday, April 25, 2022

Animal Advocates nominee for Nonprofit of the Year by Los Angeles Business Journal Citizenship Award

Chuck Bonham, Charlton Bomham, Director California Department Fish & Wildlife, Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

Ted Lieu at Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing Groundbreaking by Mary Cummins Animal Advocates

US Representative Adam Schiff at Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing groundbreaking by Mary Cummins

Wallis Annenberg, Governor Gavin Newsom at Wildlife Crossing Groundbreaking by Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates