skip to Main Content

Our river is our great connector

Our river and its watershed connect us all. Just as each stream and tributary is integral to the river’s quality and flow, every person and their actions in our watershed are integral to the health of our community. We collectively share in the enjoyment of, stewardship of, and responsibility for the North Fork. We all have the right to equitable access to the ecological, aesthetic, recreational, economic, and social benefits that the river provides. Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River (FNFSR) commits to bringing more diverse voices representing a broader range of different perspectives into the work we do in order to make our great connector healthier and more equitably accessible for all.

We value diversity, equity, inclusion and justice

Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River acknowledges that human environments that value diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice enable communities to thrive, just as natural environments thrive and actively benefit from diversity within their ecosystems. We actively work to improve the quality of the environment and the cleanliness of water, improve access to the river, and increase the diversity in the representation and reach of our environmental organization. Historical and cultural context shapes which communities are disproportionately affected by environmental contamination and degradation, as well as which communities have access to healthy and safe natural environments. Our organization is intended to benefit everyone, so we commit to working towards justice, fostering diversity, and implementing inclusive and equitable practices.

We understand that this work is a complex and evolving process

There is a lot we don’t yet know about how to become more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just as an organization. We are making a long-term commitment to changing how we, as an organization, uphold our values. Our priority is to continue to build Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River programming that is inclusive to all members of our community. We are beginning by evaluating our own organizational practices relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion on all levels, including individual, staff, board, and membership. Acknowledging the complexity and iterative nature of putting these commitments into practice, we commit to an ongoing process of organizational assessment, self-evaluation, and reflection. 

Collaboration is central to our focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice

Collaboration is central to what we do. We are committed to building equitable and inclusive spaces that welcome all individuals and communities to collaborate with and join us in pursuing our mission. In order to facilitate meaningful involvement of perspectives representative of the full diversity found in the communities within our watershed, we seek to build multi-cultural programming and to foster collaboration so that we may make progress towards the shared goal of a healthier environment for all.