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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility at Awbury

Awbury formed a diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) committee in the summer of 2020 to better reflect and connect with the people and communities we serve. We recognize that we have fallen short in a number of ways, and we apologize for any actions we have taken which have caused people to feel unwelcome or disregarded. We will continue to work towards a more welcoming space and ensure we are thoughtful neighbors. Through our policies, programs, and community interactions, we are working to foster an environment that acknowledges and respects differences and is equitable, inclusive, and respectful of all people.

Becoming an antiracist institution is an ongoing process that requires us to listen, learn and change.

We are taking a hard look at ourselves. To date, we have made and are continuing to make some progress, including:

• Hiring a DEIA consultant with expertise in nonprofits in February 2021 and accepting the consultant’s final report and recommendations
• Establishing the Community Planning Committee to ensure transparency and accountability of the staff, Board, and committees of the Awbury Arboretum Association related to plans for capital projects, programming, and landscape or facilities changes
• Increasing diversity on the Board and among the Staff
• Developing a more transparent and inclusive Board nominating process
• Raising awareness of our programs in our immediate neighborhood to better serve our local community
• Reserving space in our camps and afterschool programs specifically for under-resourced families to increase access

As we review everything at the arboretum through a DEIA lens, be it programming, hiring, vendor relationships, or even the historic landscape designed in an idealized 19th-century English style, we must acknowledge the existence of the arboretum reflects some very hard truths, namely that the preservation of this beautiful piece of the landscape came at the expense of Native peoples being driven from their lands, wealthy White European landowners amassing wealth on the backs of enslaved people, and poor working-class immigrants having their homes razed to create an expansive park. While keeping these historical truths in mind, we at Awbury must look to a better, more equitable future, both for the Arboretum and for the neighborhood in which it finds itself.

We are committed to this ongoing and long-term effort.