What We Do
At ecoLatinos, we are proud to lead and support projects that create lasting environmental and social change within Latino communities across the Chesapeake Bay and the Mid-Atlantic Region. Our work focuses on engagement, education, and empowerment, ensuring that environmental justice is accessible to all, especially Spanish-speaking and under-resourced communities.
Green Infrastructure Training for Latino Landscape Professionals of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Partners in this program include:
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Green Infrastructure Training for Latino Landscape Professionals of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
ecoLatinos’ Sustainable Landscaping Training Program empowers Latino landscape professionals in the Chesapeake Bay Area with essential skills in sustainable practices such as rain gardens, rain barrels, and tree plantings. Delivered entirely in Spanish, the program focuses on the unique needs of the Latino community, offering over 24 hours of training, including both classroom and hands-on sessions in the 2023-2024 cohort. The program received over 200 survey responses and more than 100 registrants, resulting in 34 engaged participants. The landscapers had the opportunity to gain real-world experience while contributing to local environmental conservation efforts. Upon completion, participants receive a Proof of Completion and a stipend for their participation.
Program Highlights
Comprehensive Training
Participants engage in over 24 hours of both classroom instruction and hands-on training, learning key skills such as rain garden installations, rain barrel setups, and tree plantings. Entrepreneurial lessons are also integrated to support the development of business acumen within the green infrastructure field.
Practical Experience
After completing the training, participants gain real-world experience by applying their newfound skills in environmental projects within their communities. This not only reinforces their learning but directly contributed to local environmental conservation efforts.
Incentives
Upon Successful completion of the program, participants receive a Proof of Completion as well as a stipend, providing financial recognition for their dedication and enhancing their professional credentials in the green jobs market.
Through this initiative, ecoLatinos is empowering Latino landscapers with essential skills in green infrastructure, fostering a culture of environmental stewardship, and promoting career advancement within the community. By supporting sustainable practices, the program helps create lasting impacts on both the environment and the local workforce.
Program Modules
This program was designed based on surveys of the Latino landscaping community, to ensure accessibility and relevance through:
- Green Infrastructure Training: Bilingual training using the CBLP-A curriculum, tailored to Latino landscapers.
- Workforce Development: Focused on developing business skills, networking, and providing resources to help participants start their own landscaping businesses (LEDC).
- Green Industry Job Opportunities: Connections to employers, contracts, and professional networks for long-term success (CWP).
- Real-World Project Experience: Participants gain hands-on experience by working on actual installations, enhancing their technical skills and confidence (Hyattsville Site).
ecoLatinos offered high school students a wonderful bilingual experience of environmental and personal education in engaging afterschool sessions. This program offered extracurricular sessions to predominantly Latino communities in Montgomery and Prince George’s County.
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Youth Environmental Program
Funded by the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways Trust
Latino and other minority youth have opportunities for environmental education, outdoor field trips, and green career exploration through year-long experiences! During the school year, an after-school component brings industry experts to foster diversity and inclusion in green careers. Then, students can participate in our summer camp. This program offers an array of destinations for high school students to have greater access to outdoors, be exposed to environmental experiences, and have fun!
High school students from two schools in Prince George's and Montgomery County, one in each county, participate in this educational opportunity.
These Programs have been funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust Funded by the National Park service, The Youth Environmental Program (YEP) is an initiative created to inspire, empower and educate young Latino leaders in Prince George’s and Montgomery County. Taking place over two weeks in the summer, participants explored Maryland’s natural landscapes through exciting field trips to various environmental sites and organizations. Along the way, they explored real-world conservation efforts, connected with environmental professionals, and discovered the many career paths available in this growing field. This program is hands-on, eye-opening, and focused on equipping the next generation of environmental leaders with curiosity and tools to protect their communities and the planet.
To help fund more programs like these please consider donating!
Expanding Latino Outreach and Engagement in the Prince George's Rain Check Rebate Program - St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Hyattsville
This partnership provides classes to Spanish-speaking church members about stormwater runoff and environmental education, followed by installations of rain barrels in the homes of training participants.
Members of the church's youth program receive training while engaging in a storm drain mural project and two local cleanup activities that provide awareness and care of the environment.
Bioretention System Design - St. Mary's Catholic Church, Landover Hills, Maryland
This project consists of a partnership between ecoLatinos, Inc., St. Mary's School, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Bengal Engineers, and the support of Prince George's Councilmember Jolene Ivey to address a stormwater runoff problem. The school has experienced flooding in the school playground and recreational field. This situation has made the recreational area inaccessible for use by school or local community children. This project will develop a comprehensive stormwater best management practice plan to include the installation of a bioswale and underdrain system to increase the water filtration capacity. Significant reduction of Nitrogen, phosphorous, and sediment loads will be achieved with the project, effectively mitigating non-permeable pavement and improving drainage area.
St. Catherine Laboure Church, Wheaton
In partnership with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, ecoLatinos provided outreach to the Latino community with an environmental program with the installation of rain barrels, cisterns, gardens, tree planting, and conservation landscaping. In 2022, ecoLatinos expanded the program to include training for the maintenance of installations from previous years.
Tree Planting
With the support of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, ecoLatinos helped plant 54 much-needed trees around Saint Mary’s of Landover’s church, school, and parking lot. Volunteers from the community, including environmental enthusiasts from DuVal High School and Boy Scout Troop 1249 from Bowie, MD, joined us in this effort. We were honored to support Father Evelio in taking this important step toward a greener future.
Community Clean-Up: Caring for the Anacostia
ecoLatinos has proudly adopted a section of the Anacostia River that flows through Langley Park. In collaboration with Father Erick and dedicated volunteers from Saint Camillus Church, we’ve removed hundreds of bags of trash, as well as discarded bicycles and tires. Our mission is to restore joy and beauty to the green spaces that nourish our communities.
Rain Barrels for the Latino Community
Through our partnership with the Rock Creek Conservancy, ecoLatinos provided outreach consulting that connected Hispanic homeowners in Aspen Hill and Wheaton with stormwater mitigation systems. This initiative links families to Montgomery County's green infrastructure programs, promoting water conservation and environmental resilience.
Making Connections That Bring People Together
ecoLatinos played a key role in the Year of the Anacostia project, providing bilingual outreach to celebrate the river’s history and restoration efforts. By making events more accessible and meaningful to the region’s growing Hispanic community, we fostered deeper connections between people and the environment.
Community Tree Stewardship in Action
Supporting LillieLeaf Solutions, ecoLatinos promoted urban tree stewardship in Hispanic communities across Langley Park, Bladensburg, and Riverdale Park. This project, part of the Environmental Justice Initiative under the Chesapeake Bay Tree Canopy Strategy, empowers residents to take active roles in caring for their local environment.
Enhancing Access, Expanding Audiences
ecoLatinos provides bilingual support services to the Alice Ferguson Foundation, helping to make educational resources—like the Trash Free Schools Guidebook and cleanup site planning materials—available to Spanish-speaking teachers and students, fostering environmental awareness from a young age.
Training for Green Jobs
Through bilingual outreach for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, we’ve helped Spanish-speaking contractors access training in rain barrel and rain garden installation via the RiverSmart Homes program. This training, provided in their native language, supports green job development within the Latino community.
Bilingual Social Marketing
ecoLatinos supports OpinionWorks with bilingual marketing strategies, connecting with Spanish-speaking communities across the U.S. and Latin America. We provide program management, opinion interviews, and focus group recruitment, giving Spanish speakers a voice in shaping programs and policies that impact their lives.