Resources
We believe that learning is essential to transformation.
So we have pulled together a working archive of some of our favorite readings, activities, media and tips & tools. As we learn about and gather more resources, we will upload them here. You can filter by subject and then resource type below (activities, media, readings, tips & tools).
A Guide and Call to Honor Native Land
From the website: “Created in partnership with Native allies and organizations, the Guide offers context about the practice of acknowledgment, gives step-by-step instructions for how to begin wherever you are, and provides tips for moving beyond acknowledgment into action.” Visit the US Department of Arts and Culture’s website to download the guide and take steps towards equitable reconciliation.
Bias Interrupters toolkits
From the website: “Bias interrupters are tweaks to basic business systems (hiring, performance evaluations, assignments, promotions, and compensation) that interrupt implicit bias in the workplace, often without ever talking about bias. We offer menus of bias interrupters that organizations can implement into their business systems, as well as steps that individuals can take to help level the playing field in their workplace.” Check out the toolkits here.
“Seizing opportunities to diversify conservation”
An article in the journal, Conservation Letters, outlines the issues and possible solutions to diversifying the conservation movement.
DownloadGeography of Hope
This video collection by the Center for Humans and Nature captures moving and thoughtful reflections from the biennial Geography of Hope gathering in Point Reyes Station, California. Meeting themes range from “Ancestors and The Land: Our Past, Present and Future” to “Mapping a New Geography of Hope: Women and the Land.” This series is a collaboration with Black Mountain Circle, US Forest Service, and Point Reyes Books. Watch the videos here.
Wildness: Relations of People and Place
Wildness, an anthology of essays edited by Gavin Van Horn and John Hausdoerffer, explores the different relationships between people and the concept of “wildness.” We like this book because it has stories by people with marginalized identities about their community’s relationships with wildness. These types of stories often aren’t told in the dominant narrative. We also like this book because it distinguishes “wildness” from “wilderness,” which is a political construct. If you’re looking for stories of how people connect to land beyond hiking, biking, and climbing, this is the book for you. Buy the book here.
Chinese in the Woods: Lumbering and Logging in the American West
This book by Sue Fawn Chung explores the relationships between East Asians in the U.S. and their environment from the perspective of Chinese who lumbered and logged the West. Often dominant environmental history doesn’t address the presence or participation of people of color, and it is especially hard to find resources about East Asians. We’d recommend this books for conservation organizations interested in understanding the myriad ways in which Americans of different races connect with nature. Buy the book here.
Lumbersexuality and Its Discontents
“One hundred years ago, a crisis in urban masculinity created the lumberjack aesthetic. Now it’s making a comeback.” In this Atlantic essay, Willa Brown addresses class as it relates to the “lumbersexual” aesthetic that is prevalent in the outdoor industry. This is a great think piece that prompts questions such as: (1) was outdoor recreation always aimed at the middle and upper classes?; (2) does the industry’s “lumberjack” aesthetic constitute cultural appropriation of a particular class of people? Complicated, but a great read if you’re interested in how class has played into the aesthetics of outdoor recreation. Read the article here.
Environmental Education Better Results Toolkit
This toolkit, developed by Learning for Action, is useful for any environmental, outdoor, or place-based education organization seeking to evaluate its programs and build tools to measure impact. Though the toolkit doesn’t have a DEI lens, coupled with DEI practices such as the Avarna Group’s 3R framework for building culturally relevant, responsible, and responsive curriculum, this toolkit can really support showing positive impacts of DEI work in program/curriculum design.
Diné Bikéyah Book
This book, written and published by the Navajo people, provides history and context on the people and lands of the Diné Bikéyah. This is useful for any organization interested in more meaningfully engaging indigenous peoples of the 4 Corners (e.g., in connection with the Bears Ears National Monument).
DownloadCommunity Based Participatory Action Research Toolkits
This website has multiple toolkits, codeveloped by the Advancement Project and Healthy City, on topics such as Community Research, Participatory Asset Mapping, and a Short Guide to CBPAR.