No JDEI Meeting tonight Please see all that we are doing below

[Dawne Piers-Gamble]

Hello all and Happy New Year,

As many of you were part of our annual WMA Excom planning meeting yesterday, Bill and I thought it best to postpone our JDEI meeting until February after the Summit. I will share the initiatives that were discussed and committed to so far, Those starred (below)were voted our two top priorities and work began on both. It seems that going forward that there is commitment on the part of the WMA committees to plan for JDEI initiatives with the support of the JDEI committee.  Please forgive the length of this email, but it has been a busy winter so far.

1.Get Feedback

1. 1. Implement Trip Evaluations

   2. Consumer Database

2. Improve Leadership Training

1. 1. People Skills

   2. Technical Skills

   3. In-person/online

*3. Attract New Members

1. 1. Nominating Committee

   2. New Leaders

   3.  Increase Diversity (across groups)
      

   4. Increase Family involvement
      

   5. Consumer Data

   6.  Increase Hampden/Franklin county involvement
      

*4. Strengthen and Create Partnerships in/out AMC

1. 1. Diversity

   2. Barrier-Free

   3. First Peoples

   4. Noble View Outdoor Center

5. Embody Conservation

1. 1. Conserving WMA natural lands/resources

6. Attract New Audiences and communication

1. 1. Within AMC

      1. Inter/Intra area communication

      2. AMC Influencers

   2. Outside AMC

      1. Social Media

      2. General Outreach Raising Brand

      3. Other Media Outlets

• Following the successful presentation for the DEI Speaker Series with All Out Adventures  and Mary MacDonald of Rest Stop Ranch in December,  and other collaborative efforts, it was decided that a partnership between AMC WMA and  All Out Adventures could be a model for other partnerships going forward. A tool in development is a draft partnership template that has been developed by the JDEI  committee, in conjunction with WMA paddling and All Out Adventures. I will forward it too you for comment once some details are worked out.
• In early December, I wrote up the following response to the violence experienced by the LGBTQ+ population in Colorado. AMC corporate approved our putting it on the Western MA diversity page at the end of December.

  The AMC Western MA JDEI Committee is deeply troubled and saddened by the mass shooting in Colorado Springs at an LGBTQ+ club, a place presumed safe by the community. This horrific event brings to the fore the all too frequent acts of hate and violence experienced by members of the LGBTQ+ community. As we reflect on these tragedies, let us recommit ourselves as leaders and participants to AMC's goal, “To be an inclusive, equitable, and kind community...where we are united in our adventures by mutual trust, collective safety, respect for the natural world, and appreciation for our time together outdoors." 

• In the works is a partnership with Nolumbeka , a group representing the Indigenous peoples of the Connecticut River Valley.  It is our hope that they will be presenting for the DEI Speaker Series in March, will help guide us through a formal land acknowledgement  at Noble View Outdoor Center, that women connected to the organization will present and/or participate in the AMC WMA Women's Weekend on Indigenous People's weekend 2023 (Oct 6-8, 2023) and provide input on the All Access trail that is going to be built at Noble View beginning this summer. In exchange we provide stipends for their participation, promote and participate in their events and define a mutually beneficial  action plan for future collaboration .
• The WMA Chapter website is in the process of being revamped I will be working to update JDEI  page if you have ideas  please let me know asap! I have asked Lisa the webmaster to make the following changes One thing I noticed and I am hoping AMC changes on their site as well, is that the better way to state Noble View's location is in the Connecticut River Valley rather than Pioneer Valley (colonialism reference) Also I believe the Code of Conduct, and the Language Guide which are essential to the physical and emotional safety of all, should be added to the leadership tab as a references. They are on our Diversity/ JDEI link already. She said the calendar does not meet accessibility criteria and is buggy, so she has omitted it for the time being.
• Two Women's Affinity programs are in the works, both will be in collaboration with Women Outdoors. Paddling at Littleville Lake in July TBD and Women's Weekend October 6-8
•  WMA JDEI will continue to be involved DEI Speaker Series, however it has been expanded to be a whole AMC Series via the DEI Vol Reps, so as to reach a broader audience  within AMC and outside of AMC. Our first  presentation is with City Kids it is called Exclusive Spaces: Mitigating the Risk of Racism in Outdoor Spaces it is Tuesday, February 21 at 7:00pm  The link to register is here City Kids. Please promote this event.
• In March we plan to have film series Indigenous Voices and a panel from the Nolumbeka Project as our speakers and April will will have Venture Out do a presentation.
• I want to acknowledge that at the Summit, (Feb 4), Chao (our own JDEI  committee member extraordinaire, from Boston ) has been selected to receive a much deserved formal recognition for all that he does to make AMC better. Chao we are so grateful for you!  Congratulations!
  

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or thoughts. I look forward to meeting in February.

Best wishes,

Dawne