Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
The Urban Greenspaces Institute is committed to inclusion and diversity, and to eliminating barriers to participation on the basis of economic position, gender, race, creed, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, national origin, and disability. We recognize that diverse perspectives are crucial to responsible and representative decision-making. We recognize that there are systemic inequities that need to be addressed. We believe inclusiveness and diversity enhances the organization’s ability to respond more effectively to changing conditions and needs. We strive to take actions to eliminate the systemic barriers that create inequitable outcomes based on a person’s identity.
Next Steps:
To advance our equity work, our board and staff are committed to taking equity training, developing a new strategic plan that puts equity and environmental justice into the core design, and continuing to move ourselves and partners in the conservation field along in this journey. Our staff is joining the Intertwine Alliance’s Equity Cohort to learn about how to bring changes among others.
Our work in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion:
In recent years, the Urban Greenspaces Institute has pursued initiatives to diversify the conservation community.
ViveNW - we helped with and launch and served as its fiscal sponsor from 2015-2019 for ViveNW.
OakQuest - three emerging Native women leaders were employed and mentored in conservation science, leading an effort to map Oregon white oak across the region.
KelipiCamas - which engaged Portland State University’s Indigenous Nations Studies Program and Native American Youth and Family Center. As part of the ongoing KelipiCamas effort, urban Native Americans explore traditional ecological stewardship practices at natural areas, as means to assist with site restoration and strengthen community within the urban Native American youth.
Water conservation - More recently, we have cultivated partnerships with affordable housing providers to help them envision water conservation retrofits and access utility fee discounts.
Urban Forest Collective - Currently, we are partnering with the African American-led Blueprint Foundation to launch a regional urban forestry collaborative that accelerates action and investment in urban trees. We believe these active conservation partnerships with BIPOC-led organizations offer fertile opportunities for two-way learning and UGI is a stronger organization as a result.
In 2014-17, we sponsored a series of projects co-led by urban Native Americans organizations to support emerging Native American leaders, offer mentorship and networking assistance, and provide leadership roles in addressing regional conservation priorities.