Thoughts from the Columbia Mountain Institute’s Responsible Recreation Conference
Two weeks ago, I attended the Columbia Mountain Institute's Responsible Recreation Conference. It was amazing to see so many passionate people in a room together, talking about ways to lower our collective impacts on the land. I wanted to share a collection of brainstormed thoughts from participants during the Ideas Generator at the Ethical Space and Recreation workshop I hosted. A collection of brainstormed thoughts from workshop participants during the Ideas Generator.
Ethical Space is a journey
Do your homework and ask questions. Don’t make assumptions
Who is in the room?
Who is not in the room?
Who should be in the room?
Ask yourself
What are you seeking?
What can you give?
What can you commit to?
What can you give up?
Traditional systems? Power? Control? Timeframes and deadlines?
Spend time to reflect on your own ethics
“Paddle down the river in the same direction”
Consider how you present information (visuals, reports, stories)
Is this inclusive to all? Are there other ways to share information?
No one way will be good for all
Transparency is fundamental to a strong, lasting foundation
Take time to get on the land
Set an intention and stay true to it
Find connections and shared interests - start there first
Use a facilitator
Is recreation the right frame for this work? Recreation is a non-Indigenous, capitalist,
settler-based industry. Should we instead come together to discuss respecting and
connecting with the land?
An Ethical Space and safe space might not be the same
Acknowledge you will not always agree - this is not the objective
Agree on a shared timeline for working together
Speak your truth from a place of neutrality
Practice active listening
Recreation or RE-creation?
It was beautiful to see so many people come together and share ideas for working in Ethical Space toward a common goal. Together we can make a difference!
