Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Statement
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. Discrimination is just as real on our public lands as it is in our cities. To instill a sense of connection to the environment, we will not tolerate any discrimination in our spheres of work and influence – education and environmentalism.
We pledge to match our words and resources with actions and will set program and organization goals to ensure we move forward with equity, inclusion, and diversity. We commit to continuing our own learning and inspire others to learn.
What we have already done:
- Honoring the original stewards of this land, the p'squosa (Wenatchi) band
- Land acknowledgement created in collaboration with p’squosa band members
- Including the p’squosa traditional language on signage
- Building relationships with p’squosa band members and attending their advisory group meetings
- Bringing environmental education to schools throughout NCW that serve a high population of low income and BIPOC students who may not afford to come to the WRI campus
- Creating a Pay What You Can structure for youth and community programming to help remove financial barriers
- Creating a more inclusive space with interpretive signs and information in multiple languages
What we are still working on:
- Diversifying our Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers to better reflect the communities we serve
- Developing curriculum that is culturally responsive and representative of BIPOC
- Continuing to honor the original stewards of this land, the p'squosa (Wenatchi) Band
- Holding a space for BIPOC to share their stories
- Removing financial barriers for youth and adults participating in our programs
- Creating a more inclusive space with interpretive signs and information in multiple languages
We will continue to 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. You can contact us at info@wenatcheeriverinstitute.org to share ideas and feedback.
Click here to view a working list of resources on diversifying the outdoors and continuing to learn.
