Building Relationships – We value and seek diversity in our community relationships. We understand building relationships takes time, active listening and shared experience- and ultimately brings more opportunities for life-giving connections.
We are…
- Working with Indigenous community members to plan and lead programming.
- Partnering with local affordable housing communities to offer accessible, nature-based programs.
- Supporting internships with educational institutions.
- Collaborating with organizations serving migrant and refugee children in our community.
- Committed to learning about, supporting and partnering with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and LGBTQIA+ led organizations in our community.
- We are grateful for our partnerships with Westgate Resident-Led Affordable Housing Community, Atowi, Community Asylum Seekers Project, Ethiopian Community Development Council, Boys and Girls Club of Brattleboro, Landmark College, Antioch University New England, Community College of Vermont, and others!
Financial Accessibility – We strive to make our programs financially accessible for all.
We are…
- Maintaining the trails at BEEC as free and open to the public, year-round, dawn to dusk.
- Providing public programs sliding scale to donation-based.
- Offering scholarships for youth programs.
- Centering partnerships with public schools in our region to support hands-on science learning and nature connection for local students.
- Exploring equity pricing models to apply to events and programs.
Inclusivity and Belonging –We seek to foster learning experiences and nature connection in a way that is welcoming, inclusive, and relevant for all.
We are…
- Orienting our work toward a more just, resilient and regenerative future for all.
- Educating ourselves about the Indigenous history of this land and current Indigenous-led organizing in our region.
- Working to understand the ways the conservation and environmental education fields have been linked to racism, settler colonialism, resource extraction, and other social injustices
- Annually revisiting and updating staff handbook and training to address and include strategies for
- Responding to racism and other forms of bias.
- Pronoun use and supporting nonbinary, transgender and gender-expansive participants and staff.
- Meeting the needs of neurodiverse participants and staff.
- Collaborating with classroom teachers to support the’ full inclusion of all learners, including emergent multilinguals and students with disabilities or learning differences.
- Launching a DEI committee of staff, board and community members.
We recognize that we have a lot of work to do! We are committed to listening, learning and growing. We welcome feedback and suggestions, and also invite community members to join our board and DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) committee. Please email for more info.