We flourish together
iI have always loved the courage, passion and dedication with which land trusts go about their work. But never in my 25 years working in the land trust community have I been more inspired and impressed than I am today.
Driven by a commitment to their communities, land trusts are bravely stepping forward to publicly speak up for justice, equity and tolerance. How does this relate to land conservation? As the Bainbridge Island Land Trust says: "Acts of racism, discrimination and brutality work against our mission, because we fundamentally believe that nature and communities of all colors and backgrounds flourish together."
Last year, the Los Angeles Times ran an article ("Hate makes a comeback in the Pacific Northwest") that included this observation: "White nationalism has been on the rise across the U.S., but it has particular resonance along the Idaho-Washington border, where the Aryans espoused hate and violence for years." The Idaho-Washington border is home to the Kaniksu Land Trust, which is leaning in against hate and violence: "We don't want to go back to normal if that means we go back to hiding our heads in the sand about systemic discrimination, injustice and racism. That's not what we stand for. We must be part of the solution. KLT will continue to tackle food security issues, provide equitable access to the outdoors, introduce all children to nature, and acknowledge the ongoing trend of indigenous land loss. However, we know we need to do more. We are committed to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. That's what inclusive conservation means." When I wrote the executive director a note thanking her for these words, she replied, "We are all in, Wendy!"
A big thank you to all of the land trusts who are courageously "all in." I hope their words — you can see other examples here — inspire you to consider how your land trust wants to engage around these important issues.
Because in the words of Glenn Lamb, executive director of the Columbia Land Trust in Washington state, "As long as people fear that the everyday act of venturing outside could be perceived as a threat and met with violence — as long as the outdoors are clearly not safe and inclusive spaces for everyone — we still have plenty of work to do."
Wendy Ninteman is Western division director of field services for the Land Trust Alliance.