- Mayra Pelagio
- Posted On
Tuleyome Tales: The Monuments for All movement is a movement for all
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – As we near the 112th anniversary of the Antiquities Act on June 8, I want to share one of my most memorable experiences on our public lands.
Last November, with the political climate as hostile as it currently is, I was deeply saddened and searching to make sense of my role in all the mess. I was looking for peace and most crucially I was looking for strength to face the struggles ahead.
My prayers were answered, and I was invited to a weekend campout led by the Sierra Club Mother Lode Chapter and Tuleyome. It was a weekend getaway to bring awareness to the Monuments for All movement, with youth from underrepresented backgrounds.
Getting to our site was quite the adventure. Our first detour occurred when we entered the wrong campsite and discovered we had no wood for fire. It was late, the forest was filled with mist, and there was only an hour of daylight left. We needed to find our campsite.
At the entrance of the campground we found some chopped tree trunks. We didn't have an ax or any tool that would allow us to chop wood for the fire but being the ingenious folks that we are, we figured out a way to get our logs: we used two rocks to chop our wood. One rock sat on the tree trunk and we used another to pound it so the impact would split the trunk. It worked!! And we had wood to burn.
After splitting enough wood, we continued to look for the correct camp site where our guide was waiting. We took a few detours, but we were soon on our way.
Our adventure didn’t end then. There had been a storm a few days prior and it had left puddles, fallen trees, and portions of the road had been transformed to mud. When we found a fallen tree across the road, we thought it impossible to continue. The tree had fallen from a hill and the roots were still in the ground.
We could have given up. We could have turned around and been done for the day. After all the earlier detours we had taken, we were tired. But, we pushed forward. We chose to find a way through.
How did we move the tree? Ee grabbed hammock straps, attached them to our vehicle, and reversed until the vehicle dragged the tree to the side opening enough space to drive through (thank you 200-pound strap capacity)!
We drove on and reached our campsite with just enough daylight to set up our tents. Alas, we found our stoves did not work. But, no worries, as we simply cooked over the fire.
We had a fantastic dinner, enjoyed each other’s company, and the beautiful starry sky. The next morning, we hiked up Berryessa Snow Mountain into Wilderness. The views were breathtakingly beautiful. There was a strong sense of community in our group that made me felt centered and peaceful.
It was an incredible trip, and if I learned anything is that we must never give up. Though it may be difficult, we have to keep trying and we have to do what we can with the pieces we are given.
The Monuments for All movement is a movement for all. I would like to encourage all people from underrepresented communities to share all the resources available to them for outdoor activities with their communities.
After our trip I felt refreshed with a renewed joy of life. I am ready to tackle the challenges to come; the racism, the threats to our environment and attacks on our public lands. I know I am not alone and I stand with our community beside me on the battlefield.
Everyone deserves to enjoy the beauty and healing powers of nature and it is important that the users of our public lands reflect the demographics of California. Diversity, youth, families, people of faith all must have this opportunity. It is all of us who will work to protect our public lands into the future.
Our public lands are a national treasure that must be preserved for future generations. We will do everything in our power to protect them.
Mayra Pelagio is a recent graduate from UC Davis with a BS in environmental science. She is currently working on contract with Tuleyome assisting with their Hispanic/Latinx outreach and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Tuleyome is a501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, Calif. For more information, visit www.tuleyome.org.