Our Mission
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Ecoinclusive provides resources for leadership at cultural, interpretive and environmental education sites to aid them in building a culturally diverse and pluralistic staff that reflects the populations that they educate.
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Ecoinclusive strives to tell the stories of...
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People and Connections.
Anyone who cares about protecting the integrity of and access to great outdoors spaces should care about the issues of inclusivity. People have trouble protecting places they don’t feel a connection to. As environmental educators and interpreters connections are important to further our work. People connect to the outdoors every day, in many ways, but sometimes the ways that they connect are excluded from the greater dialogue.
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The Environment All Around Us.
Nature is all around us, even in our cities. For the first time in human history, more of us lived in urban environments than in any other setting. People who live in urban environments perhaps have the greatest need for connection to natural environments, because urban settings present a variety of environmental challenges for their residents. Because urban environments are host to a large array of biodiversity they can be rich and engaging classrooms. Outdoor learning develops a sense of community especially when the learning takes place in your local area. Connecting people to the nature in their local area is a challenge that is only intensified when organizations are not culturally competent in their approach. Inclusive teaching is necessary to help all people understand that their continued action is necessary for the survival of the planet.
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Inclusivity on All Levels.
Inclusive organizations are diverse at all levels. Inclusivity acknowledges that diversity comes not only in the form of culture, race, and gender but also includes elements such as socio-economic background, education level, geographic location, sexual orientation, thought, and many others. Implementing inclusive practices within our organizations can appear in many forms, ranging from cultural competency training to providing opportunities for the community to share feedback on your organization’s performance. When organizations invest in growing the skills and systems required to truly solicit, hear and embrace a diverse set of internal and external opinions, they also expand their capacity to make world change.
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