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Dear Friend,

At the time of publication, we are witnessing relentless fires burn in Southern California, even as we grieve the losses from numerous hurricanes and other climate disasters. These winter fires are a manifestation of climate change, and we will continue to demand policies that rise to the severity of the crisis. May we shine the light on collective care and community as we lend a hand to our not-too-distant neighbors in these challenging times.

In community,

Your Friends at Earth Island Institute

In this edition of IslandWire: New board leadership, a strategic planning kick-off, a thank you to readers, the announcement of a second Women and Rivers Accelerator, a timely wildfire science video series, the fight for two orcas, and the Green 2.0 equity report.

We’re excited to announce new leadership on our Board of Directors. After eight transformative years as chair, Josh Floum has stepped down (effective January 1, 2025) but will remain an active board member. Francisco Martinez, formerly vice chair, is stepping into the role of chair, bringing nearly a decade of experience with Earth Island, including leadership in finance, development, and succession planning. Ariela St. Pierre, a seven-year board member, will now serve as vice chair and will also continue her impactful work on governance and litigation matters. We’re grateful for Josh’s leadership and thrilled for Francisco and Ariela’s vision as we chart our next chapter!

We’re launching of an ambitious strategic planning process, which will shape our future and strengthen our impact. We are partnering with Tamila Gresham and Simon Mont of Harmonize, experts in helping organizations create coherence through vision, strategy, structure, processes, and culture. As we focus on this critical work over the coming year, you may notice some adjustments to our regular programming and communications. Stay tuned for updates and opportunities to share your voice as we chart the path ahead for Earth Island's continued success. Thank you for your support!

We love hearing from our readers! Thank you for sharing your thoughts in our 2024 Readers Survey, which ended last month. We’ll be busy reviewing your responses, so please look out for upcoming changes in 2025.

In collaboration with International Rivers, Women’s Earth Alliance recently celebrated the launch of a second Women and Rivers Accelerator (WARA). This program equips 15 women from five South Asian countries with tools, mentorship, and resources to protect rivers, water sources, and surrounding communities. Since WARA launched in 2022, 38 women river protectors have participated, representing 11 nations and collectively working to protect over 50 rivers around the world. Learn more about the WARA program.

Starting this month, the John Muir Project (JMP) will continue its commitment to exposing the spin put on wildfire science by agencies like the U.S. Forest Service. A new video series will directly respond to the Forest Service's SCIENCEx Fire series. JMP's chief ecologist and other independent scientists will fact-check agency assertions and fully distill what the current science is telling us about fire and our forests and how to protect communities. Please join the JMP now through April 29, as we Stop the Spin on wildfire science.

Dave Phillips, a scientist who helped to rewild Keiko, the orca who starred in “Free Willy,” is working to help two other killer whales, Wikie and Keijo, move from a closed marine park in France to a sea sanctuary in Canada. This story was recently featured by People Magazine. Congrats to the entire team at the International Marine Mammal Project! Photo credit One Voice.

We need an equitable environmental movement to build a just and sustainable future. For the past eight years, the nonprofit Green 2.0 has held our movement accountable to this promise. Read the 2024 Transparency Report to understand key patterns in equity indicators across environmental organizations. Access the report.