We believe the environmental movement must evolve as a field to better care for the planet, people and all beings. It will require a system-wide shift in how we approach environmentalism, our relationships with each other, and our place within the natural world. Our work focuses on growing a strong and diverse network of leaders to envision, instigate and guide this transformation.
After months of careful consideration, CDE’s board and staff have decided to wind down the organization over the months ahead.
For more context and information, visit our FAQ page.
For K., authentic connection goes beyond the language of equity and inclusion — words that, when used imprecisely, can lose their meaning and even have the opposite effect. What does it feel like to be truly whole, within oneself and together as a community?
Were you taught that humans are separate from the natural world? That nature is a place to “go out to?” That’s white supremacy culture at work, and G. is striving to interrupt it.
Changing your worldview on a fundamental level can be painful work. But for P., it’s worth the reward: a deeper, more compassionate connection with people and nature.
We work from the inside out, engaging people’s minds, hearts and hands. Our minds bring us to new awareness and analysis; our hearts drive our motivation to engage in this work; and our hands lead us to action.
We offer transformational leadership opportunities for individuals who wish to become effective change agents in their organizations and communities.
We support organizations along the change continuum, from the establishment of a solid foundation to customized programs that help them navigate this nuanced work.
We support coalition building, network coordination and community engagement to bridge the historical divide between the highly funded, white dominant environmental movement and Indigenous, Black and People of Color who have been excluded from decision-making tables, and whose cultural values have been silenced in mainstream dialogue.
Since our beginning in 2008, we’ve supported organizations and individuals to build their ability to shift power within the environmental movement. We believe everyone has a role in this evolution. We work with people of all backgrounds and identities, while centering the leadership of communities most impacted by environmental racism. We were founded and continue to be led by Indigenous, Black and People of Color.
In her 2021 book Finding the Mother Tree, forest ecologist Suzanne Simard discovers that when trees that have survived fire,…
“With no more strength than there is in a bundle of sticks, I tried to dance, to dance the dance…
“What if our human civilization and our experiences were structured by and oriented toward the delightful exploration of the finer…
“Decolonizing is removing and breaking down long-established systems that maintain the power of the smaller group of people who have come in and taken power, and allowing for self-determination of the Indigenous communities.”
—CDE course participant