DEIJ Community of Practice for Wisconsin Conservation

What is the DEIJ Community of Practice?

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Community of Practice is a network of Wisconsin conservation organizations committed to engaging in and collectively advancing DEIJ work.

Established in 2021, the goal of this Community of Practice is to provide an intentional space to learn together, to set goals for personal and professional growth and improvement, and to catalyze action for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within Wisconsin’s conservation sector. 

We recognize that the conservation field historically has not been inclusive, equitable, or diverse, and we want to take action to change this. This Community of Practice will support organizations with goals such as integrating DEIJ into their operations and programs; making the conservation field more inclusive and diverse; and building relationships with, amplifying the voices of, and supporting the work of communities that have historically been excluded from conservation.

The Community of Practice will allow us to exchange ideas and resources related to DEIJ, while holding each other accountable as we strive to move this important work forward.

Spur Lake State Natural Area in Oneida County, Wisconsin. Photo by Joshua Mayer.

What will we do together?

• Meetings

The Community of Practice will meet virtually every two months, inspiring participants to keep this important work moving forward. Meetings will provide space for participants to share their experiences, learn and discuss on specific topics, and hold each other accountable. Meetings will be coordinated by the Natural Resources Foundation, and we will rotate which organization leads the meeting and sets the agenda.

• Continued Learning

The Community of Practice strives to offer continued learning opportunities to keep our broader conservation community learning and engaging in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Opportunities such as book clubs, presentations, webinars, and more will be offered based on the interest and capacity of participating organizations. DEIJ Community of Practice participants will share responsibility in organizing and moderating these events.

• Communications

The DEIJ Community of Practice uses a Slack workspace designed to enable participants to communicate with each other. Discussion channels on the Slack workspace allow participants to share ideas, inspiring stories, and resources; ask questions; post upcoming training opportunities, events, job postings, and more.

Our hope is that this Community of Practice will be a starting place for organizations to begin learning from each other and supporting each other in our DEIJ work. We encourage all participants to make the most of this network and find ways to engage that support you and your organization’s DEIJ efforts.

What are my responsibilities as a member of this group?

Members of the DEIJ Community of Practice are expected to actively participate in meetings and take turns leading meetings and/or organizing continued learning opportunities. We expect participants to commit to and actively work towards their organization’s own DEIJ goals and use this group to support those efforts, doing work in between meetings. The accomplishments of the Community of Practice depend on the engagement and involvement of participating organizations, and we hope you will join us in putting in the effort to make positive changes for our conservation sector!

How can I join?

Participants in the Community of Practice include staff, board members, volunteers, and other representatives from Wisconsin conservation, natural resource, and environmental education organizations. Some groups may choose to delegate a point person to participate on behalf of the organization, but we welcome anyone who commits to actively participating and engaging in the Community of Practice.

To join the DEIJ Community of Practice email list and our Slack workspace, fill out this form. You will receive email updates for meetings and invitations to participate in the Community of Practice.

If you have any general questions about the Community of Practice, you can send them directly to Caitlin Williamson, Director of Conservation Programs with the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.

We hope you join us in this important work!

2025 Meeting Dates

Here are the 2025 DEIJ Community of Practice meeting dates—join our participant list using the email above to receive a Zoom registration for each meeting as they are planned:

Tuesday February 4th, 12-1:30pm

Tuesday April 1st, 12-1:30pm

Tuesday June 3rd, 12-1:30pm

Tuesday August 5th, 12-1:30pm

Tuesday October 7th, 12-1:30pm

Tuesday December 2nd, 12-1:30pm

Coordination Team Members

Ashley Gries, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
Shelly Rothman, Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project
Lindsey Taylor, Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin
Brian Vigue, Audubon Great Lakes
Andy West, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Student Experience & Talent
Creal Zearing, Gathering Waters

Natural Resources Foundation of WI
Northland College
Northwoods Land Trust
Office of Outdoor Recreation
OpenSciEd
Pheasants Forever
River Alliance of Wisconsin
Rock River Coalition
Sand County Foundation
Schmeekle Reserve
Sweetwater
Teacher-Powered Schools Network
The Joy Trip Project
The Nature Conservancy
The Ridges Sanctuary
The Wildlife Society – WI Chapter
TransCenter for Youth
U.S. Green Building Council
UW-Green Bay
UW-Madison
UW-Madison Division of Extension
UW-River Falls
UW-Stevens Point
UW-Superior
Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center
Upper Sugar River Watershed Assoc.
Urban Ecology Center
USDA NRCS
Wild Rivers Conservancy
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Art & Letters
Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education
WI Bird Conservation Partnership
WI Department of Natural Resources
WI Department of Public Instuction
Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education (LEAF & KEEP)
Wisconsin Forestry Center
Wisconsin Master Naturalist
Wisconsin Society for Ornithology
Wisconsin Wetlands Association
Wisconsin’s Green Fire
WisCorps
Woodside Elementary
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Zoological Society of Milwaukee