Sana sana, Yanaguana. The Urban Bird Project partnered with Latino Outdoors, San Antonio River Authority, and Books in the Barrio for Latino Conservation Week in San Antonio, TX “Agua es Vida; Water is Life,” which highlighted the importance of protecting our oceans, rivers, and creeks at Confluence Park.
Rosie Torres, indigenous dancer and choreographer performed a bilingual reading of the book We Are Water Protectors, written by award-winning Ojibwe author Carole Lindstrom. Ms. Torres began the program by leading children and their families through a dynamic Land Acknowledgement filled with movement, song, and a call to the four directions. The reading was followed by a water ritual at the banks of the river and a nature walk led by the Urban Bird Project (UBP). UBP members guided children and their families on the proper way to use binoculars and drew attention to the birds and the incredible biodiversity the River supports. Throughout the nature walk, the guides shared water and bird stories rooted in Indigenous wisdom. The goal of this program was to highlight the idea that by protecting our waters, we are protecting life. Registered families received a FREE copy of the book We Are Water Protectors and were invited to share aguas frescas and turtle-shaped conchas.
Water is our most sacred natural resource, and we hope this program will help connect children to nature and encourage them to become defenders of plants, wildlife, and our rivers and creeks these species depend on.