Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (Healing Severed Connections)

We are building a landscape stewardship movement in California, and we recognize that there is much work to be done to ensure this movement is rooted in justice and equity. The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Roundtable (Healing Severed Connections) is a group of people from a variety of racial backgrounds, organizational and movement roles, and geographical locations. We are all active thought leaders and movement builders in the effort to create a more justice-focused landscape stewardship movement. And, as active participants in the California Landscape Stewardship Network, we leverage this commitment to support the Network in advancing all priorities described in the Strategic Roadmap from these fundamental values.

We are actively collaborating to create tools, approaches, and meaningful conversation that help evolve the work of landscape conservation to be more inclusive, equitable, and culturally relevant. We strive to support the leadership of communities of color and those who have faced historic disinvestment, and we recognize these are often the people who have long stewarded the land or been denied access to it.

We know that biodiversity loss and lacking access to nature disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), low-income, and disabled communities here and around the world. Inclusive, truly equitable decision-making is needed to ensure effective stewardship and a resilient future. Our JEDI Roundtable leaders are committed to the following principles and practices, to help ground our work and make it useful to the field of practice:

We recognize history and the impacts of settler colonialism on the models and outcomes of traditional conservation practices.
We seek to shift power to local communities and Indigenous land stewards.
We stay rooted in place, meaning that our tools and solutions must be relevant to specific communities and their landscapes, or be broadly understood and replicable at the state or national levels.
We work to heal severed connections, which means we work through complexity and intersectionality, looking for solutions to systems-level problems and investigating where change can be supported from the individual to the societal scales.

Offerings

Mycelium Map: An interactive theory of change from the CLSN's Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Roundtable

Events

It's Back! Equity Leaders Speaker Series

The JEDI Roundtable for Healing Severed Connections is pleased to continue this series of conversations focused on how California is centering equity, justice, Tribal sovereignty, and inclusion. This year will feature updates from equity-focused leadership positions across state agencies, as well as practitioners and emerging leaders from across California and beyond. Upcoming events are listed below, check back here for more upcoming and for links to register!

Click on the links below to see recordings of past events.

October 23, 2023: Geneva E.B. Thompson, Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs (CA Natural Resources Agency) and Moises Moreno-Rivera, Deputy Secretary for Environmental Justice, Tribal Affairs and Border Relations (CA Environmental Protection Agency) (watch the video)
August 10, 2023: Rising Leaders Panel. Join rising leaders Barbara Camacho Garcia (Grassroots Ecology) and Benjamin Chang (California Climate Action Corps) (watch the video)
May 31, 2023: Katherine Toy, Deputy Secretary for Access, California Natural Resources Agency presenting on the CNRA’s Outdoors for All Initiative (watch the video)
Dec 6, 2022: Chanell Fletcher, Deputy Executive Officer of Environmental Justice, California Air Resources Board (watch the video)
August 30, 2022: Moisés Moreno-Rivera, Assistant Secretary for Equity and Environmental Justice (watch the video)
June 29, 2022: Geneva E.B. Thompson, Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs (watch the video)
May 19, 2022: Katherine Toy, Deputy Secretary for Access at the California Natural Resources Agency (watch the video)

To learn more about our work, please contact roundtable leads Shelana deSilva or Jose Gonzalez.

Shelana deSilva

Writer, Organizer, Policy Consultant

Shelana deSilva is a writer, organizer, and policy expert who is dedicated to creating a just and resilient society. She has a strong track record helping national and statewide nonprofits develop partnerships, lead campaigns and initiatives, design federal and state-focused legislative strategies, and secure public funding to achieve their missions. The proud daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants, Shelana has established the first government affairs program for a California-based, 100 year-old land trust, co-founded a new regional coalition focused on social equity and climate resilience, and helped secure tens of millions of dollars to steward California's landscapes, build parks, and support climate adaptation. Shelana holds a BA in Sociology, with a minor in Gender Studies from San Francisco State University, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in writing from California College of the Arts. Working at the intersection of storytelling, justice, and land stewardship practice, Shelana is actively decolonizing land conservation in California. Her service on the California Landscape Stewardship Network's Steering Committee is an important expression of this horizon goal, given that this role enables her to work collaboratively towards systemic changes for the benefit of communities and the landscapes they cherish.

Roles

Steering Committee member
DEI Roundtable co-chair
Funding and Legislation Working Group member

Contact

wordwallah@gmail.com

José González

Founder, Latino Outdoors and Partner, The Avarna Group

Listen to José's colleague introduce him!

José G. González is the Founder of Latino Outdoors. He is an experienced educator as a K-12 public education teacher, environmental education advisor, outdoor education instructor and coordinator, and university adjunct faculty. He is also an illustrator and science communicator.

Roles

Contact

jose.g.a.gonzalez@gmail.com

Victor M. Bjelajac

District Superintendent, North Coast Redwoods

Contact Victor about: Project development/management, cultural compliance for CEQA, partnership development, Management of California State Park Lands

Victor has been with California State Parks since 2007. His collaborative work with resources, people and programs, spanning management jurisdictions, began in earnest in 2008 and includes work with local tribes, federal, state and local agencies as well as non-profit organizations. He has been involved with the development of One Tam, Redwoods Rising and California Landscape Stewardship Network collaboratives and continues working in partnership to manage landscape scale resource projects and programs with partners in California’s North Coast region. He is a member of California Natural Resource Agencies Environmental Justice Quarterly Roundtable, representing Park Operations and Tribal Relations for California State Parks. Victor was recently awarded the Leadership and Vision Award (CDPR Director’s Recognition program) for his work on the North Coast of California. He is a Registered Professional Archaeologist and has a B.A. and M.A. in Anthropology from San Francisco State University.

Roles

California State Parks/North Coast Redwoods: District Superintendent
Redwoods Rising: Partner
CA Network: Representative

Contact

Victor.Bjelajac@parks.ca.gov
707-445-6547, ext 11

Tom Gardali

CEO, Audubon Canyon Ranch

Tom Gardali has worked in the field of conservation for nearly thirty years, focusing on climate change, ecological restoration, at-risk species, and collaborative conservation. His impact includes developing innovative ways to design restoration projects that are resilient to climate change resulting in thousands of acres implemented; partnering with local, state, and national organizations and agencies to develop and deploy practices that increase ricelands as surrogate wetlands for migratory birds; and facilitating the development of the California Landscape Conservation Partnership Strategic Plan. Tom has authored or co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications. Tom is currently focused on helping to create the conditions for conservation to be successful by investing in people, inclusive partnerships, stewardship, and workforce development. He is a board member of two Joint Ventures – California Central Coast and San Francisco Bay.

Roles

Contact

tom.gardali@egret.org
415-342-8909

Michela Gentile

Project Assistant, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

Contact Michela about: CA Network Operations and Communications

Michela supports the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy’s Stewardship and Conservation department with project coordination, principally with the One Tam initiative. Prior to this, she most recently worked to implement sustainability policies and programs in local government. She has background in environmental science, sustainability, and public outreach. She has earned a MS in Natural Resources and Environment (University of Michigan) and a BS in Environmental Science (Ohio State University).

Roles

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy: Project Assistant
One Tam: Operations and communications support
CA Network: Operations and communications support

Contact

mgentile@parksconservancy.org
415-561-3541

Barb Kipreos

Engagement Officer, San Mateo Resource Conservation District

Barb Kipreos is a second-year graduate student in UC Irvine’s Masters in Conservation and Restoration Science Program. She grew up in Georgia and got her start in bird conservation while interning for Georgia Audubon. Through her internship working with Parks California and the CLSN JEDI Roundtable for Healing Severed Connections, she learned how to combine her passions for social justice and conservation through expanding DEI in collaborative conservation. Barb has worked within her role as a master’s student to help reform UCI’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department as a council member in the ARDEI (Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Council. She co-created a DEI subcommittee as a board member and secretary of the nonprofit Friends of Harbors, Beaches, and Parks to expand the organization’s mission. Barb has since joined the Western Collaborative Conservation Network’s Emerging Leaders working group to help lower barriers for upcoming leaders in collaborative conservation. In the fall, Barb will serve as a committee member in the California Natural Resources Agency’s grant review committee for the 2022 Youth Community Access Grant Program, which aims to expand youth access to natural and cultural resources, focusing on communities of color and under-resourced communities.

Roles

Contact

bkipreos@uci.edu

Dr. Kishan Lara-Cooper (Yurok/Hupa/Karuk)

Distinguished Professor & Chair, Child Development - Cal Poly Humboldt

Dr. Kishan Lara-Cooper (Yurok/Hupa/Karuk) is a Yurok Tribal member from Chapekw, Espeu, and Morek. She is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Child Development at Humboldt State University, where she teaches courses in child development, language development, history, social and cultural considerations, and instructional practices in American Indian education. She was recently awarded the Distinguished Faculty of the Year Excellence in Teaching Award and is the co-editor and author of “Ka’m-t’em: A Journey Toward Healing.” Dr. Lara-Cooper earned her Doctor of Education degree from Arizona State University in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Indian Education and a specialization in language revitalization, community-based education, and culturally-based pedagogy; her Master of Arts degree in Linguistics from the University of Arizona; and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Native American Studies from Humboldt State University. She has a vested interest and dedication to the preservation of language, culture, and ceremony. She cherishes her relationships with elders, the community, the natural environment, and the spiritual elements of the world. As a professional, she understands the impact of language, culture, and ceremony on healing, identity, self-esteem, and self-efficacy. She is an advocate of shifting the paradigm of educational and institutional frameworks.

Roles

Contact

kishan.lara@humboldt.edu

Chandni Navalkha

Associate Director, Sustainably Managed Land and Water Resources, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Chandni Navalkha is the Associate Director, Sustainably Managed Land and Water Resources, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, where she works on projects to advance and accelerate the enduring protection of land and water resources worldwide. Prior to joining the Lincoln Institute, Chandni was a fellow with the Sri Lanka Program for Forest Conservation, conducting research on the impacts of conservation on local livelihoods near the Sinharaja World Heritage Site. Chandni has worked for organizations in North America, Latin America, and South Asia supporting urban, peri-urban, and rural communities involved in voluntary land and resource conservation, and earlier in her career worked in change management for private and public sector organizations as a consultant with Accenture. She holds a Master’s in Environmental Science from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a dual Bachelor of Arts in English and Economics from Cornell University.

Roles

Contact

cnavalkha@lincolninst.edu
609-933-8678

Naomi Owens-Beek

Treaty Rights & Environmental Protection Manager, Saulteau First Nations

Roles

Contact

nowens-beek@saulteau.com

Yakuta Poonawalla

Associate Director, Community Stewardship and Engagement, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

Yakuta was born and raised in India, and her love affair with nature began during her first trek to the Himalayas. Since that initiation, she has enjoyed trekking in northern India and Nepal, and has worked with various nonprofit organizations to educate, inspire, and cultivate love and respect for the environment. She has led various outdoor trips and programs to introduce youth to nature, and to the need to preserve it.

After studying Social Communications Media at Sophia College in Mumbai, India, she worked with a social enterprise in the cold, arid, Spiti valley—located at 12,000 feet in the Western Himalayas. She worked with the indigenous population to promote sustainable development, and encourage conservation of the local ecology and resources. After moving to the US, she worked with the Sierra Club in San Francisco to increase participation of diverse youth in various Sierra Club initiatives, and coordinate volunteer and employee workshops for the Beyond Coal Campaign. She was also selected as an International Outings Leader for the Sierra Club.

Since joining the Conservancy, Yakuta has been managing the community and volunteer programs in San Francisco. She loves running and hiking in the region, and so when she’s not working, you will most likely find her on a trail in the Marin Headlands.

Roles

Contact

ypoonawalla@parksconservancy.org
917-689-8515

Becky Rittenburg

Resource Stewardship Programs Manager, Parks California

Becky Rittenburg is currently Resource Stewardship Programs Manager at Parks California, the statutory non-profit partner to California State Parks (CSP). In this role, she leads the development of an emerging conservation program that works in collaboration with CSP’s Natural Resources Division to advance landscape scale stewardship. She has worked at the intersection of resource management and education for nearly a decade. Her previous roles have focused on groundwater sustainability planning for basin-scale conservation initiatives, program management for a Californian urban water conservation district, and development of watershed education programs in northern Idaho and southern California. Becky completed her Ph.D. in Watershed Science and Management at the University of Idaho, and her B.A. in Environmental Science at Colorado College.

Roles

Contact

Brittenburg@parkscalifornia.org

Claire Robinson

Managing Director, Amigos de los Rios

Claire Robinson is founder and serves as Managing Director of 501c3, Amigos de los Rios, the ‘Emerald Necklace Group’ in Los Angeles, California. Her multi-disciplinary background in art & design education, sustainable city planning and entrepreneurship has led to unique success of Amigos in catalyzing a collective impact coalition of agencies to engage community based planning and development of a culturally relevant Emerald Necklace Natural Infrastructure network throughout East LA County. Amigos’ work is inspired by first peoples’ sustainable life within the LA BASIN’s watersheds and the 1929 Olmsted Bartholomew Plan for LA Metro Area.

Amigos has pioneered creation Emerald Necklace Natural Infrastructure at Schools: what if we see each school as a microcosm of greater watershed? We are committed to integrating natural infrastructure elements into public school campuses for the physical fitness, mental health and academic performance benefits they confer. Claire trained as an architect at Cooper Union in NYC / and studied European cities at University of East London and has an MBA from UCLA Anderson School. She is committed to mentoring next generation nontraditional designers into the field of natural infrastructure planning, and has taught at RISD, Carleton University in Canada, served as visiting faculty for myriad schools.

Roles

Contact

Claire@AmigosdelosRios.org

Laurel Wee

Project Lead, Grassroots Ecology

Laurel is a Project Lead for Grassroots Ecology, an environmental non-profit organization based in Palo Alto that does habitat restoration through community projects. She is interested in environmental stewardship that connects community engagement, education opportunities, and climate solutions. Laurel is an alumnus of UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, where she specialized in Conservation Planning with a Strategic Environmental Communication and Media focus. At Bren, she participated in the student Environmental Justice (EJ) Club and Curriculum Committee to increase EJ in the curriculum and inclusion at the school.

Her participation in the CLSN’s JEDI roundtable began when she was working for Parks California as a Resource Stewardship Intern. During the internship, Laurel researched tools used by park planners to balance public access and resource protection. Previously, Laurel worked in environmental education for four years as a Teacher and then as a Program Director. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Biology from UC Santa Cruz.

Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (Healing Severed Connections)

Offerings

Events

It's Back! Equity Leaders Speaker Series

Shelana deSilva

Roles

Contact

José González

Roles

Contact

Victor M. Bjelajac

Roles

Contact

Tom Gardali

Roles

Contact

Michela Gentile

Roles

Contact

Barb Kipreos

Roles

Contact

Dr. Kishan Lara-Cooper (Yurok/Hupa/Karuk)

Roles

Contact

Chandni Navalkha

Roles

Contact

Naomi Owens-Beek

Roles

Contact

Yakuta Poonawalla

Roles

Contact

Becky Rittenburg

Roles

Contact

Claire Robinson

Roles

Contact

Laurel Wee

Roles

Contact

The Stewardship Network

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