Seth Engelbourg, Naturalist Educator and Program Manager at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation in Nantucket, Massachusetts
This past June in honor of Pride Month, the Linda Loring Nature Foundation (LLNF) in Nantucket, Massachusetts, established a new partnership with Nantucket Pride to run two Queer Ecology programs. The first was a lecture presentation at our local library, the Nantucket Atheneum; followed the next day by a queer-lens hike at the LLNF trails.
If you have never heard of Queer Ecology, it is a field that strives for a truer understanding of the world. By recognizing that nature is complex and that species are vastly varied in their biological sex, sexual orientation, and social structures, Queer Ecology allows us to minimize harmful binary views of nature and celebrate diversity.
Unfortunately, in the past few years, science (or in some cases pseudo-science) has been weaponized to diminish LGBTQ+ people. Queer Ecology aims to support LGBTQ+ people by shining light on the true nature of the world around us and allowing queer people to feel safe in the field.
At the Linda Loring Nature Foundation our goal is to reach people of all ages and backgrounds. However, we are aware that queer people have historically been excluded from nature-based educational programming and some may not feel comfortable participating. To grow our audience and allow queer people to be authentically involved, we knew it would take both a targeted effort and a strong community partner.
Establishing our partnership with Nantucket Pride was not an achievement made overnight. LLNF staff started informal conversations with the organizers of Pride over 12 months in advance of when we hoped to debut these programs. This allowed us time not to simply discuss program logistics, but rather get to know each other on a personal level. This model is based on prior collaborations we have developed at LLNF; one of our organization's guiding quotes is that “change moves at the speed of trust.” After taking the time to develop a strong relationship, we then still needed to spend several months figuring out the logistics of our Queer Ecology programs, but by this point we all knew each other’s workstyles and the planning became easier.
Participants on a Queer Ecology hike at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation.
Both Queer Ecology programs that we ran were a success. One of the key metrics for us was when looking at program participation, more than 75% of attendees were new people who had never previously interacted with LLNF. Although more qualitative, during the programs we also received excellent feedback and questions from participants, many of whom openly identified as LGBTQ+.
It was clear that these participants felt appreciated and comfortable in nature, and to be able to provide that opportunity was impactful for our organization. Additionally, including these programs benefited Nantucket Pride by incorporating an environmental component to their schedule.
Beyond this collaboration, LLNF and Nantucket Pride plan to continue our partnership. We are hoping to offer more events in June of 2025 but also spread programming throughout the calendar year. Despite the success of Pride Month, we are committed to supporting queer people in nature not just in June but in all seasons.
I highly recommend that other ANCA members consider developing similar partnerships in their own communities. Over the past several years, the nature center field has advanced initiatives to promote equity and inclusion, and forging partnerships with diverse groups moves these goals toward action.
However, it is important when working with vulnerable populations and under-resourced groups to approach partnership development with intentionality. Please remember that true relationships take time to bloom and that in life people are often busy. Do not be discouraged if it takes months or years to reach your objective, because the time spent on the project will elevate your partnership from transactional to transformational. Above all, the goal should not be to elevate your organization or create publicity but to truly serve an audience in need.
I wish all success in forging these partnerships. When we support one group and make them feel included, we elevate the whole field. Only by accepting and appreciating our diverse audiences can we ensure a positive future for nature centers.
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