This month, the Steering Committee of the Women’s Forest Congress is launching an invitation to form a coalition of groups that support women in environmental, natural resources, forestry, and related fields. This action has been incorporated into the WFC’s strategic plan and governance as part of the strategic goal to Implement the WFC Declaration and Call to Action.

 

The WFC Declaration recognizes that the products and services of the forest affect all people throughout their lives, and the care of forests requires holistic and integrated thinking about the complex relationships on which these systems depend. Women are essential to the care of forests, provide leadership, and are catalysts. The work of the WFC includes building grassroots community strength and increasing access to tools and information for creating opportunities and skills building. Examples of our efforts are available in our blog posts, event recordings, and newsletters.

 

The WFC Declaration includes a specific section addressing “Supporting Each Other”.  In this section, we have identified these values and goals:

  • FOSTER and ESTABLISH systems for supporting each other, including training, mentorships, educational services, health and wellness, and human resource advancements. 
  • GATHER and TELL our stories to ensure that learning diverse perspectives continues as a shared value. 
  • INVITE colleagues, allies, and contacts to join our efforts to foster vulnerability and connectivity. 
  • ENSURE forests and the sector are safe, inviting, and welcoming workspaces for all; support those who report or discuss acts or threats of physical, mental, or emotional violence, and allow workplaces to benefit from greater employee wellness.

 

It is in the spirit of this section of the Declaration that our invitation is being launched to form a coalition of groups that support women in environmental, natural resources, forestry, and related fields.

 

We invite organizational leaders to connect with us in the spirit of shared purpose. The Women’s Forest Congress Steering Committee believes now is the time to come together—to explore alignment in our missions, recognize one another’s efforts, and consider partnership opportunities that strengthen our communities. The mission of the WFC is to create community and cultivate change. Together we create safe spaces to connect, inspire, and act as catalysts for change for the benefit of forests and all who rely on them now and for the future. We would like to explore the development of a coalition of mission-aligned organizations working in a similar space as WFC for information sharing, increased impact, and community building across efforts. This would offer a space to connect around shared values and better navigate a shifting policy and operating landscape. 

 

Together we may choose to engage in shared actions, cross-sharing of events and resources, and discussion of strategy – what has worked well for organizations operating in this space, how have they responded to challenges, etc. We could start with a convening of leaders and representatives from groups that are interested in forming a stronger community.  From those discussions, we can collectively determine what the next steps are for our shared work.  There are many possibilities to explore and discover together. 

 

Our goal is to collaborate and build a community around identified mutual needs and interests. We invite your feedback, ideas, recommendations, etc to info@womensforestcongress.org.

 

Sincerely, 

Women’s Forest Congress Steering Committee

Amy Doty

Principal & Event Strategist, Meetings & Such

Ara Erickson 

Vice President, Corporate Sustainability, Weyerhaeuser

Asia Dowtin, PhD

Assistant Professor of Urban and Community Forestry, Michigan State University

Caitlyn Pollihan

CEO and Executive Director, International Society of Arboriculture

Daphne Yin 

Director of Land Policy, Carbon180

Eliza Meyer

Project Director, Dovetail Partners

Jaana Korhonen, PhD

Research scientist, ORISE-Fellow at U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA FS)

Lily Brod 

Forester, Manulife Forest Management

MaryKate Bullen 

Managing Director, Head of Business Development & Sustainability, Forest Investment Associates

Rebecca (Becky) Turner

Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer, American Forests

Tia Beavert 

Tribal Forest Manager, Yakama Nation Tribal Forestry