Community Inclusion Statement
The Wenatchee River Institute (WRI) celebrates diversity as the cornerstone of thriving communities. Just as a rich ecosystem depends on a variety of species, our differences make our community strong, resilient, and beautiful. We encourage all to respect, defend, and celebrate diversity in each other.
Our mission is to connect people, communities and the natural world. To achieve this, outdoor spaces, hiking trails, parks, and careers in science and conservation must be safe and welcoming for all people. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn about, engage with, and develop a love and appreciation for the natural world, no matter their backgrounds, identities, and abilities. We live by our values of respect, responsibility, relevance, and connection in hopes to instill belonging in all who cross our path.
We pledge to match our words with actions and will set program and organization goals to ensure we move forward in expanding our community connections. We commit to continuing our own learning and inspiring others to learn.
This advisory committee of the Board of Directors is empowered to hold WRI accountable in our actions to the above values.
Here are some ways that we are putting these values into action:
- Honoring the original stewards of this land, the p'squosa (Wenatchi) band by building relationships with tribal members, amplifying Indigenous voices, and providing outdoor education infused with Indigenous ecological knowledge to students throughout North Central Washington.
- Sharing a land acknowledgement created in collaboration with p’squosa band members at every program.
- Bringing environmental education to schools throughout North Central Washington that serve a high population of low income and historically underrepresented students.
- Removing financial barriers for youth and community programming by utilizing a Pay What You Can fee structure.
- Creating a more inclusive space with interpretive signs and information in multiple languages such as the p’squosa traditional language, nxaʔamxčín, Spanish, and English.
- Diversifying our Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers to better reflect the communities we serve.
- Developing programs that are culturally responsive and representative of our local population.
- Creating an inclusive space for people of all backgrounds, identities, and walks of life to share their stories, be respected for their authentic identities, and participate in programs.
- Prioritizing our limiting factors – and investing in making necessary changes – to make our programs and campus more accessible and inclusive for all.
- Supporting a committee of staff, board, and community members to regularly discuss topics pertaining to community inclusion at WRI.
- Implementing our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan to increase our reach, build community, inspire action, and be a great place to work.
We hope that these actions make our organization a more welcoming, safe space for learning, exploring, and building community. We will continue to learn and seek other ways in which we can provide hope through connection with nature — as is our mission — to a wider, broader, and diverse audience. To that end we ask our community to hold us accountable and continue your own journey of learning. Feel free to contact us at info@wenatcheeriverinstitute.org to share ideas and feedback. Thank you!
Click here to read our Land Acknowledgement.
