This interactive workshop will explore racial equity in society, and especially focus on the history of racial inequity in conservation and the environmental movement.

Due to public health advisories, the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board (NRB) will meet virtually for the September board meeting to consider authorizing several preliminary public hearing and comment periods and informational items.

The COVID-19 pandemic, the associated economic downturn, and a heightened awareness of racial and environmental justice have brought new challenges and a new urgency to addressing longstanding environmental and natural resources issues in Wisconsin. Our panel of legislative and agency leaders will unpack some of today’s biggest conservation issues and predict what we can expect in state policy in 2021.

Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold will share insights from his career in politics, his international work for the U.S. State Department, and his more recent efforts as Global Ambassador for the Campaign for Nature. From the campaign to save biodiversity in Africa to the growing threats to conservation closer to home, Russ will help us put our work in a global context and navigate through challenging times.

This session caps off a full month of diverse programs. Now come meet our staff and members and learn more about our work! We will distill and discuss what we’ve learned over the past year and how we can be most effective. Our members will lead a discussion exploring future directions for Wisconsin's Green Fire with your input using breakout groups.