Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Howell Nature Center is committed to modeling diversity and inclusion for all of our programs, and we strive to maintain an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all.

At Howell Nature Center, we pride ourselves in being a second home to any person who wants to Heal, Grow, and Be Wild in nature.

Our Camp Wonder helps to raise the next generation of leaders and changemakers. In order for this to happen, every child who sets foot at camp must feel safe, comfortable, and respected. As such, Camp Wonder is inclusive of all children regardless of race, age, religion, color, gender, gender expression and identification, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental ability, or immigration status. Every one of our campers is a wonderful individual and we encourage them to be open about who they are and where they come from.

We acknowledge that there are systemic barriers and social injustices that may impact a child’s ability to attend camp. We are actively working to identify these issues, and are constantly developing and modifying protocols and procedures that address these challenges.

We believe that our mission is best accomplished with a diverse team. We hire qualified people from a wide variety of backgrounds because we know it makes our organization stronger. If you share our core values and our enthusiasm for making the world a better place for children and wildlife, then you will find a home at the Howell Nature Center.

In order to build a richly diverse and inclusive team, we recognize that we must acknowledge and eliminate systemic barriers and injustices that otherwise limit an individual’s ability to join our family. Our efforts to create an equitable environment are ongoing and evolving as we continue to learn and grow. As such, the Howell Nature Center is prioritizing the advancement of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our hiring process and overall strategic plan. We are developing specific goals and benchmarks, and will hold ourselves accountable as we build a path toward an equitable future.

The Howell Nature Center will:

  • Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and continually update and report organization progress.
  • Explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interfere with inclusiveness.
  • Advocate for and support board-level thinking about how systemic inequities impact our organization’s work, and how best to address that in a way that is consistent with our mission.
  • Help to challenge assumptions about what it takes to be a strong leader in our organization, and who is well-positioned to provide leadership.
  • Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions. Commit time and resources to expand diverse leadership within our board, staff, committee, and advisory bodies.
  • Lead with respect and tolerance.