VCN’s Environmental Advocacy Fellowship program aims to build up our pipeline of professionals of color by facilitating opportunities for underrepresented communities in our conservation movement. Fellows work directly under a VCN manager to gain first-hand experience and knowledge in Virginia’s environmental network in long-term projects designed specifically for their interests in either policy or outreach.

Over 60 environmental professionals have graduated from VCN’s Racial Equity Cohort over the last two years as part of our work in building a more just and inclusive conservation movement. Our Racial Equity Learning Series furthers this work by facilitating the deepening of VCN members’ racial equity journey. Participants in this four-month training series includes leaders from our Partner organizations, ranging from directors to operations managers, program managers, and board members. The training series is designed to expand upon the knowledge of VCN Network Partner Organizations  on their racial equity and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) journey.

With mentorship from Ebony Walden, a leader in equity, inclusion, and justice in organizations, the Cohort’s educational program allows participants to:

• Recognize, explore, and address how white dominant culture and implicit bias manifests in themselves and in their non-profit organizations;
• Evaluate their organization’s culture, programs, and policies on measures of DEIJ;
• Develop organizational plans to implement changes in culture and practices;
• Discuss identity, privilege, implicit bias, microaggressions, allyship, equitable hiring, leadership development, and more.

In order to avoid policy recommendations that may have an adverse impact on environmental justice communities – specifically low-income communities, communities of color, and rural communities – a team of Network Partners serves on the Equity Review Committee for Our Common Agenda Environmental Briefing Book. The committee reviews all briefing paper drafts to ensure that policies won’t have unintended consequences and looks for opportunities where policies can lift up historically marginalized communities. Recommendations offered by the Equity Review Team are considered by the co-authors and integrated to the best of their collective ability.

The 2024 Equity Review Committee included a strong team of VCN Partners:

• Rowena Zimmermann, Blue Ridge PRISM
• Grace Rogers, Environmental Defense Fund
• Faith Harris, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light
• Maribel Castañeda, Our Virginia Outdoors
• Weston Gobar, BlackOak Collective
• Victoria Higgins, Chesapeake Climate Action Network
• Mary Cromer, Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center
• Jeanette Cadwallender, Garden Club of Virginia
• Alexis Dickerson, Potomac Conservancy
• Kendyl Crawford, The Climate & Clean Energy Equity Fund
• Pamela Bingham, Bingham Consulting Services
• Nicole Vaughan, Virginia Conservation Network

One of the best ways to dismantle systemic racism is by supporting Black-led organizations, diversifying hiring, and promoting Black leaders in our organizations. By teaming up with BlackOak Collective (BlackOak), we are expanding the pipeline of Black professionals launching careers within Virginia’s environmental movement through our “Black in Green” Conservation Career Panels. These virtual career panels connect young Black professionals launching careers within Virginia’s environmental movement with Black environmental advocacy leaders. Through this connection, Black In Green creates space for the Black environmental leaders of today to guide and inspire the Black leaders of tomorrow.

See the featured Black leaders within the Virginia Conservation Network who have joined these conservation career panels:

VCN publicly releases our annual DEIJ Workplan to hold us accountable to our words while also providing a platform for partners and advocates to give us feedback and to share ideas for partners to implement in their own organizations. You can see below our progress report on the 2023 work plan as well as an updated DEIJ work plan based on that progress and feedback from Partners at our Annual Meeting: