Awesome Women

At the beginning of December, I found myself in the Costa Rican jungle with a group of women from around the globe that made me in awe of what's possible if you are not just passionate, but clear minded.

I was at a women's leadership retreat for environmental and social change. The incredible Bryony Schwan and Secky Fascione were the ones responsible for bringing us together. I felt like I had arrived in just the right place at the right time. The room was filled with women in their twenties, thirties, forties and fifties, and what tied everyone together was the passion and dedication to create systemic change. 

My biggest goosebump moment was during the last night where the group shared their reflections from their time together, and what qualities they wanted to take back into their organisations. Folks wanted to take back clarity, confidence and a priority to have time for themselves but there was also an overriding desire to lead with love. So powerful.

I wanted to give a shout out to these wonderful, insightful and incredibly capable women. Here are just a few examples of the women whom I met who are working to protect our planet.

Melissa is with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A Federal Government Agency in the United States of America. www.fws.gov
Their mission is working with others to protect fish, wildlife, and plants for future generations.
She leads teams in developing digital communications for the agency. She creates stories, pictures and videos on their website and social media, mainly for programs like International Affairs and the National Conservation Training Center. She is really really into animals, the natural world and birds, in particular. She always saw and heard animals that I didn't. Her connection to the living creatures around us really pulled me into the moment. I could see how much I miss when I am not curious and appreciative to what is around me.

Emma Fisher is Deputy Director and Co-Founder of climatecabinetaction.org
Her organization created the first national tool to hold state legislators accountable for their votes on climate and environmental justice legislation.
Whattt! How fabulous is that? And she is under 30. I was so impressed with the impact of her clarity on how her organization can make a difference. She was also very thoughtful and sweet to spend time with.

Meet Daisy. She is smart, passionate and a lot of fun to hang out with. www.WCs.org
"I am a registered lobbyist and my main function is to build relationships for my organization and garner both general and financial support for it. I strategize ways to develop these relationships, so I closely monitor current events and the engagements that the elected officials participate in and fund, to see if there are connections between my organization and their interests. People who do this type of lobbying work are often categorized as disingenuous and selfish, but for me, I get to do this work for the benefit of caring after the animals at our zoos and aquarium, while also helping to invest in communities of color to develop the next generations of STEM leaders. So for me, the job is well suited for someone like myself who sees the higher purpose on those relationship outcomes."

If you are curious about the incredible location, check out Brave Earth.

The vision of this long-term social change and sustainability project is food for thought. If you ever get to stay, the actual food is largely grown on the land and amazing, cooked by the warmest, sweetest people. I left feeling full of love and connectivity.

Thank you to everyone at Brave Earth.