This Land IS Your Land

In a follow up to our program in July with photographer and author Dudley Edmonston, we bring you This Land IS Your Land, a community conversation with prominent local nature enthusiasts of color on October 5th at 7pm. Click HERE to register. 

Speakers include Sharon Richardson, Carlos Castro, Mariska Rivas, and Brett Hankins. Learn more about them below.

Learn how their experiences shaped their feelings about nature and wild places. Were they encouraged? Could they find mentors? Were our outdoor areas welcoming to them or did they have to break barriers?

Share your own experiences and explore ways we can encourage more people of color to discover the great outdoors and how green open space improves the wellbeing of ALL of our residents in this diverse community. Nature is for everyone!

Program Speakers:

	Sharon Richardson represents the Woodbridge District on the Prince William County Parks, Recreation and Tourism Commission. She says, “Whether it's a simple walk in my leafy, green neighborhood with my dog or standing on the shores of a lake, river or ocean, I always experience fantastic benefits: stress relief, mental clarity, feeling like I can "breathe."
	Carlos Castro is the founder of Todos Supermarket, a locally owned and operated grocery store that specializes in Hispanic and International Foods. Our natural resources are the greatest gift we have. It is upon us to enjoy them and to preserve and share with others.
	Maritza Rivas has been serving Virginia State Parks, where she started in 2014 at Leesylvania State Park as a seasonal Park Interpreter, became the Parks first female Hispanic Chief Ranger and is now the Assistant Park Manager. She spends her time off hiking around the Blue Ridge, boating on the Potomac, and spending as much time possible with her family.
	Brett Hankins is an avid outdoorsman: hunter, former Pro Archer, cyclist.  He has spent much of his adult life in the outdoors in some capacity.  He’s had his share of less than welcome circumstances but refused to let the situation dictate his desire to participate in something he found interest in.

Sponsored by Prince William Conservation Alliance with the NAACP Prince William, Todos Supermarket, Northern Virginia Community College, Prince William Wildflower Society, Unity in the Community, Coalition to Protect Prince William, Prince William County Parks, Wetland Studies, and the National Park Service - Prince William Forest Park.