Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Statement
As a national leader in coastal conservation for over 25 years, Restore America’s Estuaries has helped to move the needle on impactful coastal and estuarine restoration projects. However, we also recognize and acknowledge the systemic inequities facing past and present marine, coastal, and estuarine project implementation, policy formation, and grant distribution. We believe that we can leverage our national reach to help address these injustices by more intentionally integrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice throughout our work in coastal restoration and preservation. We hope to effect lasting systemic change and equitably distribute the benefits of conservation across all communities.
RAE – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Mission
As a stakeholder convener, grant facilitator, and project implementer, our goal at Restore America’s Estuaries is to foster a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive space for community engagement and stakeholder convening, and to help guide this field to become a more just space for all to engage in and benefit from the protection of our nation’s invaluable coastal resources and habitats.
In 2019, Restore America’s Estuaries updated its strategic plan to include a new core pillar explicitly focused on the integration of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. We believe it is essential to evolve and expand how estuarine and coastal restoration is practiced.
RAE – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Vision
At Restore America’s Estuaries we aim to engage a more diverse and inclusive community to increase the scale of our conservation efforts and achieve widespread coastal protections that lead to healthy and resilient estuaries and bays and coastal communities. Our hope is that an equitable approach to coastal and estuarine restoration will benefit both the richly diverse populace of this nation and its many coastal habitats.
RAE – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Goals
Restore America’s Estuaries has set goals to accompany this statement and plans to update goals as new opportunities and knowledge arise. As of 2021 RAE will:
- Continue to expand the reach and scope of RAE’s webinars and actively work to invite diverse and emerging leaders in coastal and estuarine science, policy, and projects
- Increase outreach to smaller, lower resourced conservation organizations
- Continue to publicize DEIJ efforts within coastal conservation throughout RAE’s newsletters and social media platforms
- Continue to expand the reach of DEIJ at RAE through the intentional incorporation of equity principles throughout our projects, committees, and campaigns
- Ensure that future RAE staff training and onboarding includes implicit bias and environmental justice components and DEIJ coursework to promote a more inclusive and equitable workplace
- Encourage RAE staff to engage in diversity and equity issues within coastal conservation by supporting participation in workshops, conferences, webinars, and other acts of engagement within DEIJ
- Increase efforts to diversify RAE staff by intentionally recruiting and retaining staff, consultants, fellows, and interns with varied skills, abilities, experiences, and backgrounds
- Dedicate to the successful realization of the Inclusive Coasts Initiative workshops for grantmakers and project implementers
- Publish all findings and resources from the workshops to our audience via our website and social networking platforms, free of charge
- Expand reach by translating one-page summaries of findings post-workshop
