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The 3rd Annual Americas Latino Eco Festival came to a close October 18th with several activities held at both the Colorado History Museum and the Denver the Denver Art Museum in Downtown Denver.

Workshops at the Colorado History Museum included youth training sessions designed to provide participants with a broad understanding of climate change and its physical and cultural dimensions. Other topics “Why Climate Change? Why Us? Story telling through personal contact and public space communication.

The days was highlighted with a “Discover Mi Tierra Family Day at the Denver Art Museum that included story telling for children and book readings for adults. Huitzilopotchili and Fiesta Colorado Dancers from Jalisco entertained the crowds. Various environmentally themed films were also shown throughout the day. Among the films show was “Mercury Uprising: Featuring interviews with forest ecologists Tom Lovejoy and Luis Fernandez, along with the Peruvian Minister of the Environment Manuel Pulgar Vidal, this companion piece to the award-winning documentary, Amazon Gold, delves deeper into the issues of climate change, accelerated deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, illegal gold mining and the devastating effects of mercury, the dangerous toxin used in the mining process. “Estamos Aqui: was the Debut of Latino Outdoors film trailer celebration Latino connections with nature, conservation, and the outdoors. Presentation and discussion to followwith Latino Outdoors director Jose Gonzalez on film and communities connecting Latinos with public lands, was another of films shown at the festival. Various vendors with ecological ties also provided a variety of information to all attendees.

Several artists took part throughout the three days showcasing a variety of works. Artemio Rodriguez Printmaking Bus (Graficomovil) was an especially big hit with museum goers and festival attendees.

The Americas Latino Eco-Festival (ALEF) is the largest multicultural environmental annual event of its kind leveraging Latino leadership for conservation gains. ALEF establishes a home for advocates and leaders from the leading organizations with Latino constituencies and environmental mandates. ALEF advocates for an integrated local and national conservation agenda committed to advancing Latinos’ connections with nature and experience of the outdoors that in turn may inspire future stewardship of our natural resources. ALEF 2015 will launch an authoritative climate training program as well as call for actions on climate stewardship, land conservation, and the transition to renewable energies.

Photos by Teddy Gomez. Xposer Photography for Latin Life Denver Media

Photos by Joe Contreras, Latin Life Denver Media