The Students of Color Environmental Collective (SCEC) and the DeCal Decolonizing Environmentalism are hosting a three-day, two-night retreat in early Spring 2025 (February) to foster community-building and engage in activities centered around decolonizing environmentalism. This retreat will serve as a space for reflection, education, and collaboration as we explore how environmental justice intersects with historical and ongoing practices. We will examine frameworks that challenge dominant narratives and empower marginalized voices within the movement. A key focus will be on decolonizing nature by examining how colonial legacies shape environmental policies and conservation efforts. Participants will explore how Indigenous knowledge systems and community-based stewardship are often excluded from mainstream environmentalism. Together, we’ll reflect on ways to reimagine our relationship with the natural world through practices rooted in reciprocity and respect, moving beyond extractive Western frameworks. This retreat will focus on decolonizing nature by questioning how colonial legacies shape the way we understand, engage with, and manage the natural world. Participants will explore how land conservation and environmental policies often reflect exclusionary histories that ignore Indigenous stewardship and the relational ways communities of color interact with ecosystems. Through intentional activities, storytelling, and dialogue, we will reimagine what it means to be in harmony with nature beyond Western, extractive frameworks.

Approved