Equitable Landscaping Training aims at bolstering Latino workforce

Editor's note: This story originally comes from The Bay Journal and can be read in full on its website.

Ruby Stemmle, founder of ecoLatinos, said she nearly froze last October teaching participants in her nonprofit’s program how to plant trees outside a church in Hyattsville, MD. But the chill was worthwhile if it meant getting fellow Latinos excited about environmental work.

EcoLatinos launched its Equitable Landscaping Training program last year as a pilot program. It empowers Latinos to be environmental stewards in the Chesapeake Bay watershed by teaching those in landscaping fields how to build green infrastructure to manage climate concerns in communities. Stemmle said it was a “total success” and plans to bring it back this fall.

During her time helping former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley reach underserved communities, Stemmle noticed a gap. Many Hispanic and Latino people had little input on environmental issues despite meeting many who had suffered from the effects of drought and flooding firsthand. So, she founded ecoLatinos in 2018 to help people in the Latino community become better stewards of the environment in the Chesapeake Bay region.