(pronouns: she/her/hers) 

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Yadira Flores is the Community Mobilization Director for County Park Friends (CPF), a local nonprofit working to preserve, protect, improve, and promote the use of Santa Cruz County parks. Yadira believes that educating local youth about Santa Cruz County biodiversity fosters pride in the community and cultivates a desire to engage in land stewardship. By inspiring the next generation to connect with the land and its heritage, she works to build a deeper sense of belonging and responsibility among youth and the land. In her role, Yadira leads Park Activities Design and co-directs the Young Outdoor Leaders program. She honors, explores and shares her skills and passions through classes and workshops outdoors. Yadira’s work is inspired by her Mexican heritage, blending her native roots and culture, folklore, and biodiversity. She grew up in Querendaro, a small town in the Tarasco / Purepecha territory near Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. Through her projects, Yadira hopes to inspire artists young and old to get in love with their roots and culture, to strengthen legacies and traditions, celebrate their Native roots, utilize art as a way of healing in and with nature. 

In recognition of her efforts during the pandemic, Yadira has received numerous accolades and awards, including the Women's Commission’s Phoenix Award, and a Letter of Recognition from the office of Congressman Jimmy Panetta in 2021. These honors acknowledged her work in keeping the community informed and designing safe, hopeful activities in the parks. She also holds a Community Health Worker certification from Cabrillo College.