We are committed to putting into action our values of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. 

We believe that the conservation of the Sonoran Desert and its biological diversity is best advanced by the inclusion and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, experiences, beliefs, and cultures. This is one of our core values here at the Coalition.

Past inequities have led to environmental and climate injustices and a lack of accountability, including in the conservation movement. We know that, as a result, some groups are left more vulnerable to biodiversity loss and without power over how landscapes are managed. 

We are committed to making our work as accessible as possible and believe accessibility is critical to achieving inclusion and equity. 

Another way to think about these values is to consider their opposites.*

• The opposite of diversity is supporting segregation, homogeneity, and uniformity.
• The opposite of moving towards equity is hoarding resources.
• The opposite of being more inclusive is exclusion.
• The opposite of accessibility is restricting access. 

While we fully acknowledge that we have work to do to put these values into action and practice, we do strive to continually improve in all of these areas. 

What has this looked like here at the Coalition? A few examples include:

• In 2021, we restructured our internal hiring processes to reduce bias and encourage diverse job applicants. 
• To improve access to our work, we offer a comprehensive benefits program to our employees with competitive salaries, remote working arrangements, paid time off, generous leave allowances, mileage and home office reimbursements, and healthcare.
• We have focused on including diverse community voices in our communications and increasing the accessibility of our education, advocacy, and volunteer opportunities. 
• We have aimed to create accessible volunteer opportunities outdoors, with activities for any physical abilities and transportation and other facilities provided for. We also have fully remote volunteer opportunities for those who may not be able to travel or need to work around other schedules.

Looking ahead, some of our current goals include strengthening our board’s community representation; translation of more of our materials into Spanish and local tribal languages; clarifying what we mean by community, and how we reach and include our community; and expanding and diversifying the geographic scope of our programs. 

We consider this work critical for our Coalition’s success and will continue to put these values into practice in the months and years ahead.

* We were inspired to think about these values in this way by a February 2025 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education.