Why Language Matters in the Environmental Field

“¿Qué dice? ¿Qué es eso?” My mom would often ask me.

“What does it say? What is that?” Growing up, those were common questions my parents would ask me. My parents, originally from Mexico, have struggled to understand English their whole lives. They would often come to me with questions about their mail and important documents, trying to grasp the information. I was fortunate to know both English and Spanish, so I did my best to translate and relay the information in a way they could understand.

It was these experiences that taught me the importance of language accessibility—having information and services available in Spanish as well as English. It’s important to understand that using both languages can allow people to participate in conversations and access information that otherwise may be unavailable to them. In my own experiences, I’ve often seen that Spanish speakers have fewer opportunities and services than English speakers. That includes my dad, who could never advance as a construction laborer, primarily due to language barriers.

I also realized how important it is to break down those language barriers, particularly in the environmental field. Those questions my parents asked me were often about my field of interest, marine science. They were curious about what it involved, but they had difficulty understanding the concepts. It’s one of the reasons I joined Maryland Sea Grant as an environmental science outreach intern. I wanted to learn how to translate scientific concepts into simple and comprehensible language for Spanish speakers.

As an intern, I have been able to research best practices for effective communication and engagement with Hispanic communities. I have also had the opportunity to work with ecoLatinos, a community-based nonprofit dedicated to engaging and educating Latino communities in the Chesapeake Bay region.

One project I helped with was the Equitable Landscaping Green Infrastructure Training—a Spanish-language, culturally appropriate, green infrastructure and maintenance program developed by ecoLatinos. The program was designed for underrepresented and under-resourced Latino landscape professionals in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas. EcoLatinos partnered with several regional experts, including the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council, to bring this training to people interested in conservation landscaping.

They held trainings in October and November 2024. Over the course of three days, participants attended lectures, watched videos, and joined field exercises. They learned about best management practices, integrated pest management, worker safety, and how to build a business. They also applied their knowledge through hands-on experiences, including creating a rain garden, planting trees, and installing rain barrels and a cistern. At the end of the training, participants received a stipend, a certificate of participation from ecoLatinos, and a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional-Associate certificate from the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council.

Through this project, I had the opportunity to see exactly why language matters. EcoLatinos received an overwhelming number of requests to participate in the training. People were clearly excited that an opportunity like this was available. Participants told me how glad they were that this program exists, as they were excited to learn more about conservation landscaping. They even asked for more information on further certifications. Again, this highlights the importance of having programs in Spanish that may help people advance in their careers.

More than ever, I am encouraged to continue working with Hispanic communities to help them access information and resources, especially about environmental issues. There is a need for more programs like the Equitable Landscaping Green Infrastructure Training, and I have high hopes that we will continue to develop them. In general, language accessibility has always been important for these communities to feel included and valued. Perhaps, if more language accessibility had existed when I was younger, I would have heard less of, “¿Que es eso?” (“What is that?”) and more of, “Mira, eso es…” (“Look, that is…”).