In Guatemala, we had the pleasure of meeting our newest TWP team member, Marlen Garcia (CAP Coordinator), reconnecting with our newest partner FUNDEBASE while visiting local communities around the Quiche Department, and visiting the community of El Tarral and other efforts by our partner Utz Che’.

In the midst of media chaos, uncertain climate futures, and economic instability, our youth are facing both complex and unprecedented challenges. Our Tribal partners have always known the importance of cultivating and empowering youth to be future leaders through knowledge sharing, cultural immersion, and granting opportunities.

Youth development is a big part of our work here at Trees, Water & People (TWP). In Colorado, we partner with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s (UMUT) local charter school, Kwiyagat Community Academy (KCA), and other local organizations to involve youth in outdoor play and environmental stewardship work.

The community of La Bendición continues to stand out for its strong leadership and capacity for self-management. The most vital part of this community is not only its inhabitants and leadership, but also their beautiful lush forest. With the support of Utz Che’, the community groups (youth group, women’s group, and general assembly) have been a part of forest conservation projects, and its proper management and care for years. This year, in collaboration with TWP, Utz Che’, and Colorado State University, the community participated in their first biodiversity project.

For decades, the community of Aldea de Suyapa has followed in a Latin American tradition of creating an Easter procession route through their community, marked by a series of sawdust carpets, designed and created by local youth. This is a tradition dating back hundreds of years, with strong continuity in Mexico and Central America.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Youth Development”? To us at TWP, we think of it as: acknowledging that the next generation will inherit the earth, and need to be involved in its care today.

Passing on the traditional values of environmental stewardship and reciprocity with the land has played a role in Indigenous cultures for time immemorial. Though the spirit of traditional learning remains the same, in today’s society, the way information is shared and passed down to the next generation has changed.

On October 13, 2022, second graders from Kwiyagat Community Academy (KCA) in Towaoc, Colorado, participated in a planting event in the Mancos Canyon on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation.