Aleida Fuentes-Boles, our Board and Donor Experience Officer, is soon to join an internal committee that works on issues of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) across the organization. Being relatively new to Island Conservation, I was excited to become a member of this committee and learn about how an international organization handles key justice-oriented issues both internally and externally. I quickly learned that Island Conservation is committed to its work and considers itself an environmental justice advocate for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations affected by climate change. As an islander, I know how important it is to take seriously local place-based knowledge, especially in fragile and unique ecosystems.

My joy at learning about Island Conservation’s commitment to sustainable, high-quality partnerships and supporting existing communities was compounded when I heard Aleida talk about her experience reading Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez. I got the opportunity to ask Aleida some questions about how DEI functions at Island Conservation, learning about how authenticity, representation, decolonialism, and human rights are central to our ethos.

I’m thrilled to share Aleida’s thoughts! I hope that transparency from conservation organizations about the motivating ethic of our work can help increase awareness of environmental justice. But more than that, I also hope it can boost the confidence of our supporters and the members of the communities we serve. It’s not just about protecting species–it’s about protecting entire ecosystems, of which human communities are an important part.

Interviewing Aleida Fuentes-Boles

BR: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are often seen as internal issues for organizations to promote wellbeing for their employees and make workplaces safe for everyone. But for organizations that work directly with vulnerable populations, like Island Conservation, these key issues take on an external valence. What are the benefits of a strong internal ethic of DEI when enacting our mission around the world?

AFB: In one word: Authenticity. It’s important to have a strong internal ethic towards DEI if you endeavor to advance your mission around the world while practicing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Whatever that mission is–you must start by living and breathing DEI at “home.”

I arrived at Island Conservation when a huge undercurrent was already moving and had pushed DEI to the forefront. The organization was grappling with how to ensure that the conservation staff who spend long periods of time out on the field were taking adequate time off and given ample opportunities to do so. Our CEO had co-founded a nonprofit organization called Planet Women, whose vision is a world where the vibrant diversity of earth’s people collaborate on equal footing to care for the planet. These two examples are some that motivate an authentic desire and actions to solve problems in “our house.” And that really models how we, as an organization, go about our work.

I think it is because, and only because, there are genuine, meaningful DEI practices carried out daily at Island Conservation that we can apply these principles in our work by listening, respecting, and including our partners and island communities at the table when carrying out our mission to restore islands for nature and people. If we were not experiencing it in our daily work life, and growing with it, we would not be able to apply it genuinely and effectively out in the world.

BR: What do you feel it’s important for conservation organizations to consider regarding DEI, both externally and internally?

AFB: First of all, I think the number one thing (western) conservation organizations need to do is LISTEN. Modeling what I have seen here in Island Conservation, I feel it is important to connect with the community at multiple levels and hear their voices.

We need to ask: is our effort authentic? How should we share news that involves our partner communities? Island restoration results in multiple benefits to island ecosystems, communities, and oceans. For conservation organizations, it is customary to celebrate scientific findings—the fruits of rewilding efforts–which offer exciting rays of hope in conservation news. But when it comes to people, how do we share that news in a way that respects and elevates the voices and knowledge of the community that helped unearth this science by building on their own academic, cultural, or indigenous knowledge?

DEI work is ongoing work. It requires constant attention, self-reflection, and input—preferably from someone who might offer a different perspective. Partners from island communities can offer candid feedback to help staff remain authentic to DEI goals, over time. With field offices led by local staff in Chile, Ecuador, Hawaii, New Zealand, Palau, and Puerto Rico, I think Island Conservation has a good chance at remaining authentic over the years it takes to study, implement, and monitor the results of a restoration project. Being intentional in fostering good relationships with local communities will be key in our ability to obtain candid feedback and remain authentic.

We must also ask: Who is at the table? Conservation organizations should ask ourselves if our leadership, staff, partners, and beneficiaries are a diverse group. If not, why not? What are our membership, nomination, and hiring practices? So far, our DEI committee has instituted a special fellowship role designated exclusively for BIPOC candidates, and we hope to continue expanding the space reserved for marginalized voices inside our organization.

Finally, we need to ask: Who benefits? Conservation organizations should ask themselves who benefits from our work and how we describe these benefits. As Island Conservation prepares to enter a new phase of strategic planning, we are investing in new roles for impact monitoring that focuses on the benefits to vulnerable populations of humans, which will help us describe and quantify the results of our work. We’re also seeking partnerships with organizations that will help us do community-led impact monitoring.

BR: What did you learn from Dr. Hernandez’s book?

AFB: I learned about the experience of an indigenous Latina(x) environmental scientist who explores the intersection of colonialism, Indigenous displacement, land degradation, and conservation practices through her personal narratives and memories of racism in academia and historically. I got to see these issues through her lens, and the lens of many who have the same or similar experiences as indigenous women. She introduced key terms that I feel will be helpful for us in our internal and external discussions:

Ecological Grief: This term describes the mourning experienced by indigenous peoples and others due to their loss or destruction of the natural environment and ancestral home lands, often as a result of climate change and colonial practices.

Ecocolonialism: Dr. Hernandez discusses ecocolonialism as a phenomenon where non-indigenous settlers govern indigenous lands without consulting indigenous people. This often exacerbates climate change and results in displacement of indigenous people (and other living things).

Reading her book and hearing her voice demanding equity and inclusion for indigenous voices helped me realize that Island Conservation hit the mark with the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge, which we co-founded last year with Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Re:wild. There is an incredible opportunity to elevate diverse voices as we build the science in collaboration with diverse island communities. The Challenge aims to restore and rewild 40 islands by 2030 by explicitly supporting and learning from the communities that live on them. It provides a framework for key local partnerships to ensure an integrated, unified approach that is led by local knowledge and specific to each island. As a result, communities might benefit from new economic opportunities in ocean-based technologies, renewable energies, aquaculture, and many other ‘blue growth’ sectors.

BR: How does Island Conservation’s mission promote environmental justice and indigenous science?

AFB: Island Conservation’s mission to restore islands for nature and people is inclusive of everyone, but what really aligns this work with environmental justice is where it is happening. It is happening on islands- where the effects of climate change are acutely felt. Islands where a significant portion of their landmass sits below 10 meters elevation are vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather, which can be mitigated when strong near-shore ecosystems are enriched by healthy land. Moreover, ocean acidification and lack of nutrients can create food insecurity for indigenous communities who then must rely on mainland food resources. Even more specifically, invasive species introduced by colonial forces wreak havoc on islands, disrupting their local economies and sources of food–not to mention spreading zoonotic disease and predating on important species, eroding cultural identities that are connected to them.

The extinction, ocean health, and climate crises are global concerns, but they acutely impact island communities. Islands have been the sites of the majority of the world’s reported extinctions, with invasive species playing a major role in this loss of biodiversity. These crises threaten vital island industries such as farming, tourism, fishing, and guano harvesting, directly affecting the livelihoods of island residents.

Island Conservation understands that addressing these issues is not just an environmental concern but a matter of human rights. The organization’s projects in Latin America and Puerto Rico bring environmental justice by involving local communities in conservation efforts and respecting their native and historical knowledge. This approach includes elevating local experts and leaders in conservation efforts and creating sustainable jobs in regions such as Chile, Ecuador, and Puerto Rico. Island Conservation also advocates for community involvement in environmental decision-making.

These efforts have led to significant conservation successes, such as protecting endangered species such as the Peruvian Diving Petrel, bolstering local economies, and enhancing food security. One of our favorite wins happened in Alaska, where the removal of invasive rodents allowed native Aleut people to successfully petition for the renaming of “Rat Island” back to its indigenous name, Hawadax.

The organization’s restoration projects also support the reintroduction of locally extinct species, benefiting ecotourism and sustainable agriculture. Investments in community engagement, from educational initiatives to training and workshops, are crucial components of these efforts.

BR: Why is it important that people know about our internal politic and our unique approach to justice in our projects?

AFB: It takes humility to open up and share where you are in your DEI journey. Partners, community members, and supporters need to know where we are in order to make informed decisions about how to engage with us. If a partner organization is further along and enacting principles of justice that we admire, we can learn from them. Being transparent in sharing our principles will give us an opportunity to listen to the reactions and feedback of the communities we serve.

Moreover, supporters need to know about our commitments when they are choosing where to lend their support. Charity Navigator already ranks financial transparency, leadership and adaptability, and culture and community among its most important factors for donors to know about; we hope that the more they know about us, the more confident they can feel about what they’re actually supporting. Seeking engagement from all the people with whom we interact will help inform our next steps.

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