Students from Doña Ana Elementary were invited to join U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich on a special hike on Tuesday morning to discuss preservation, outdoor equity, and the importance for all children to have access to public lands. Their Principal, Cherie Love and members of the Doña Ana Village Association accompanied students.
The day comes in celebration of a new park and walking trail coming to the Village Doña Ana. The announcement was made by Senator Heinrich with support from the Doña Ana Village Association (DAVA), a community driven organization founded in 2021 that advocates the need for resources for the historic Colonia of Doña Ana. Recently, DAVA applied for an Outdoor Equity grant from the state to help benefit the needs of the oldest federally designated Colonia in southern New Mexico. Senator Heinrich says this is just phase one of what is to come.
“There are also opportunities to build on the Equity grant, with National Park Service grants, with state-side Land and Conservation funds — so this is just the beginning, and we’re just getting started,” Heinrich said.
During the hike, students had the opportunity to ask Senator Heinrich questions about his role representing New Mexico in Washington D.C. Students engaged in conversation about wildlife native to the land, the importance of land conservation, the benefits of staying active outside, and which hiking trails Senator Heinrich enjoys the most in New Mexico.
“I think what we are learning is we have to be intentional, we have to build those coalitions, and find very specific ways to make sure that all of our kids are having that outdoor time,” Heinrich added.
Israel Chavez, Chairman of the Doña Ana Village Association talked about the history of the Village of Doña Ana, remarking how it is the only community in the United States to have a national historic trail running down the center of the village. Chavez discussed the importance of protecting and advocating for the community, as Colonia’s are known to lack basic services such as water infrastructure, housing, or sanitation. A problem he says activists before him worked hard to establish for the Village of Doña Ana. He says the goal is to build something that will benefit others in the community for years to come.
“The vision here locally is that we create a space where youth feel welcome and invited, where we help uplift families so they have connections to resources that they need whether it be legal (representation), housing, or food, we want to help address some of the struggles other families have to deal with,” Chavez said.
Senator Heinrich made time to listen to people who have been living in the Village of Doña Ana for many years. Community members discussed the need for more streetlights, sidewalks, better roads, transportation, and projects to support outdoor equity efforts.
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