On Sept. 19, the New England Aquarium opened its doors to host a screening of two short films produced by the Hispanic Access Foundation, debuting “Beyond Borders: Tales of Monarcas, Rivers and Two Nations” and “El Canto Del Mar.” A four-person panel followed the screening.
“Beyond Borders” highlights four Latine conservationists across the country who focus on protecting natural resources. The conservationists show great care for the Mississippi River and its watershed, particularly as climate change has become a greater threat to the environment in recent years.
One symbol the film uses is the monarch butterfly. As the butterflies go north for the spring and summer seasons, they feed off of milkweed leaves, which the Mississippi River is a host to.
The film highlights the conservationists’ efforts to grow more milkweed and other plants native to the Mississippi in order to maintain the watershed and preserve natural life.
But outside of its physical connection to rivers and the ecosystems of the Americas, monarchs hold a profound meaning for various Latine cultures. In the film, it is mentioned that monarchs are a symbol of perseverance and hope across generations. For the indigenous peoples of Mexico, monarchs are believed to be the souls of their ancestors who return every fall season.
The conservationists speak about protecting the Mississippi River and their own desire to make positive local impacts against the effects of climate change. They also talk about their work to make other communities aware of the harm climate change causes on a local level.
“El Canto Del Mar” focuses on four generations of Latines in the United States as they describe their journeys and experiences with the sea.
Everyone featured in the film describes how important it is to protect the sea. They remind us that there are cultures and peoples that depend on the sea — either for recreation, travel or for their livelihood.
The panel that followed the movie was composed of four people whose current work is largely geared towards engaging Latines with public spaces and contributing to the fight against climate change.
Joye Williams, co-founder of the Boston Harbor Women of Color Coalition, reflected on the challenges that people of color face when it comes to the climate crisis.
“[They] are bearing the brunt of climate impacts and are not only [not given] a seat at the table, but [they] aren’t the architects of these conversations,” she said.
Maya Smith, director of partnerships and program development at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, discussed managing taxpayers’ money to invest in programs that aim to engage underserved communities in and around Boston.
“I manage about $300,000 of your money to make sure that we’re getting our community out to these public spaces,” Smith said. “About 80% of the grant funds that we give go out to organizations led by people of color, led by folks who do not primarily speak English, people with disabilities [and] queer folks.”
Moy Hernandez, executive director of the Hope Center, was a cast member in “Beyond Borders.” During the panel, he talked about giving back to the Latine community and giving more opportunities to those who might not have had such opportunities otherwise.
“I went back to my community, and I launched a non-profit. We focus on agriculture, technology and housing. We have an indoor garden with hydroponics and aquaponics, so we’re focused on not only feeding our community … but also getting them connected to those major parks.”
Oscar Hernandez, park ranger for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was also in “Beyond Borders.” He shared his thinking behind getting people who might not like outdoor recreation to go outside and do their part to protect their local environments.
“The lakes that I would grow up going to, the parks that are near my neighborhood, those are the places that I really connect with, and those are the ones that have the most meaning to me,” he said, “Trying to find what that means for everyone else in my community … has been really impactful because once they start to care about what’s near them, it’s a lot easier to get them to be advocates and to be stewards of their own lands.”
