Hello everyone, for those of you that do not know me my name is Cristhian Flores Trujillo. I am the current Visitor Services intern at Corn Creek Visitor Center (Desert National Wildlife Refuge). This refuge is made up of 1.6 million acres providing the public with a large piece of land to explore. One of the more popular locations to go backpacking is up to the Hidden Forest, this 5.2 miles one way hike transports you through various life zones as you make the ascend. During my internship, I have had the privilege to go backpacking over night to Hidden Forest twice. The purpose of our trip each time was to clean up any garbage that visitors may have left. We also dismantled fire rings because in this canyon fires are never allowed, as the threat of a wildfire breaking out is very high in this location. We also put-up signs that stated no fires are allowed so that people were aware. On the two occasions we went up there, we tried to contact hikers and campers to remind them that fires are not allowed and to please pack in and pack out their trash. I believe having these conversations with hikers and campers are a good way to interpret information so that they can understand why we have certain rules and regulations in place. If we have those conversations rather than confrontations, I think people may be more willing to comply. This can help us preserve areas that are delicate so that future generations can enjoy it as well. The trip itself has helped me develop skills related to being in the backcountry, such as preparing enough food and water, and setting up my own tent. Since making these trips I feel a lot more confident about speaking about this specific location as I have visited there before. Being able to explore the refuge in such a primitive location has allowed me to a develop a more intimate relationship with this public land. I hope to share my knowledge with the public in general, but specifically for the Spanish speaking community as they are underrepresented.