Creating a Vision for Community-Centered Conservation

As a conservation community, we are working toward a visionary, inclusive land trust sector that connects more people to land and nature and better serves the diversity of our communities. Ultimately, the journey is about personal, organizational and systemic change. And change is hard. 

This workshop will help Colorado land trusts explore tools for engaging diversity, equity, inclusion and justice principles in your conservation approach, including methods for building self-awareness by exploring your individual identity, culture and connections to land and community. As a participant, you will enhance your understanding of key concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice and how those concepts and principles interact with conservation work. We will explore the primary components of DEIJ work in an organizational context and identify points of opportunity for growth and development as you shift and reframe your organization’s approach to integrating DEIJ principles in an internal and external context. Join DEIJ expert and inclusion strategist Jasmine Williams as she leads you through individual and small group exercises and dialogue to expand your ideas and capacity to engage this work. 

Here is a look at what we’ll cover: 

• Defining the key concepts and ideas that guide DEIJ approaches and systems change.

• Understanding the components of an effective DEIJ strategy.

• Developing self-awareness through exploration of individual identity, culture, and connections.

• Connecting DEIJ principles to land conservation work

This workshop is open to all regardless of level of understanding of DEIJ concepts. No matter where you are in your DEIJ journey, you will find new tools for centering DEIJ personally, professionally and organizationally.

The Land Trust Alliance and Keep it Colorado are partnering to advance land conservation by supporting organizations through diversity, equity, inclusion and justice work and piloting innovative approaches to advance statewide needs related to private lands conservation. This session will be offered to members of Keep It Colorado and Land Trust Alliance land trust members based in Colorado.

Jasmine Williams, Equity & Inclusion Strategist 

Jasmine Williams (she/her) is an award-winning organizational development strategist who partners with organizations of all sizes and across various industries to uncover the unique way they can pursue equity through their world changing work. A Certified Strategy Planning Professional, her work includes developing a racial equity learning experience for a national membership association, working with a national public health organization on developing a strategy and implementation plan for its racial equity, diversity and inclusion work, facilitating inclusion and diversity training for a global consumer packaged goods corporation and conducting an assessment and action plan for a state court commission. Jasmine worked with Keep It Colorado to further embed an equity lens in their internal organizational operations, facilitate dialogue and provide development opportunities for the staff and board, which resulted in Keep It Colorado’s DEIJ Action Plan. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from the IU School of Social Work Indianapolis and her Juris Doctor from the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law and is a Certified Professional Diversity Coach. Parson Williams Group is a professional affiliate member of the Land Trust Alliance.