Two Coyotes Wilderness School has been growing and changing, and supporting kids to fall in love with nature since 2000. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are looking backward in order to look forward – examining our history, our roots, and the lineage of our nature mentoring practices – so that we can dream into our future with a clear vision of the next phase of our growth.
Our Commitment to Equity
The work we do at Two Coyotes is a response to a history that began, on this continent, with the forcible removal of indigenous people from their land, continued as nature and wilderness environments became white spaces in America, and persists today as urban residents lack easy access to safe outdoor spaces in their community. In addition, today’s youth, regardless of their racial background, socioeconomic status, or zip code spend more time indoors and in front of screens than any other generation, whether at home or in school.
Our response is a deep commitment to equity, justice, and collective liberation. We believe that to be in right relationship with the Earth is to seek to repair where harm has been done, to nurture a sense of belonging, and to uphold dignity for all beings. Through our programs, we seek to raise future ancestors who are whole, healthy beings that embody their interconnection with nature, foster a caring community, and who are committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive world for the next generation.
At Two Coyotes, we cultivate a community where each of us can learn and realize our full potential through honest and courageous relationships with the land, our shared histories, and each other. We acknowledge the harm, past and present, in our good work. Therefore, we commit to daily actions of practicing repair and fostering the conditions for healing and liberation to take root.
We practice this vision by noticing and interrupting white supremacy and other oppressive societal norms, both within ourselves and in our communities. We draw on courage, curiosity, and presence in order to build the capacity to face what arises. We act in service to something much larger than, but not separate from, ourselves.
Our commitment to inclusivity means widening the circle, noticing who is missing, lowering barriers to participation, and honoring the unique gifts each person brings. We see inclusion as an emergent and co-created practice. Together, through the ongoing cycles and seasons of relationship, we learn, listen and repair so that we may seed a freer and more connected future for the next generation.
Read more about the justice journey we have been on here!
Our Vision for the Next 25 Years
Our journey so far has been one of establishing our mentoring style through a process of learning and unlearning, consistently regrounding ourselves in our values and vision, all while adapting to the world as it changes around us. This work has included:
- – Welcoming 500 children to our school year and summer programs annually
- – Improving staff retention and care
- – Developing shared leadership and decision-making models
- – Developing new community partnerships, and
- – Integrating equity and justice into nature connection to become more welcoming and accessible
As we look ahead to the next 25 years, are are focusing our time, energy, and resources on putting our commitment to equity into practice. In particular we are focusing on the most critical parts of our mission: People, Land, & Community.
People – As our amazing mentors help to raise your children, we want to support them by offering livable wages, health care, and meaningful professional development. We also seek to establish a Council of Elders and strengthen our Board in order to give foundational leadership to our team and community. Finally, we are strengthening our commitment to equity and belonging through deepening our work with neurodivergent youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and their parents.
Land – We want to be able to work in partnership with landowners to implement sustainable land management practices and incorporate more stewardship projects into our activities with the kids. Our big dream is to someday co-own land. We are also working with our Relationship to Land group to honor the land we hold programs on in even more meaningful ways and hold programs for our community.
Community – We want to offer more to our community of families and supporters, who believe so deeply in our mission. We want to provide immersive opportunities to share more about the magic at Two Coyotes, why we mentor in the way that we do, and how our approach can be brought into family or professional life, or apply it to new models of community care.
Two Coyotes is like a living tree and every part of our community – from our students and families, partners, and donors – is a part of our story, feeding the rings of growth. What we nurture today will become the fruit, shade, or shelter for those who come next.
If you want to become part of our 25 year vision, please consider making a monthly or one-time donation today! You can also sign up for one of our programs at the Vision Keeper tier.
We are in this work for the long haul. We will do our best to address challenges that arise along the way, and we know that we will not get it right every time. We welcome accountability in this process and invite you to join us in this essential work. Please contact our Executive Director, Maggie Gotterer, at Maggie@TwoCoyotes.org with your feedback, questions, or concerns at any time.