At the initiation of the INPCA, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee was established with the goal of creating a diverse and inclusive group of people to come together to conserve Indiana’s rare, threatened, and endangered plants and their habitats.

The committee began by developing a mission statement, then taking a survey of the INPCA members to identify issues and determine diversity within the group.

 

DEI Committee Mission

Our mission is to build an Indiana Native Plant Conservation Alliance in which all members have an equal voice in the conversations, no matter their ability, age, background, color of their skin, experience, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Our role is to foster a space in which everyone feels they belong, and their opinions and actions are valued.

In order to capture baseline DEI information about the group, we launched our first annual survey in June 2021. Results showed that there is a strong desire to have DEI included in INPCA. Click here for full results.

Why Diversity is Important

As a plant conservation alliance, we are focused on conserving the biodiversity of Indiana’s native plants and habitats. We recognize that just as biodiversity is important to a healthy ecosystem, a diversity of people, perspectives, and opinions makes our organization stronger.

Goals

Make the INPCA a welcoming group by prioritizing inclusion, accessibility, and diversity.

Engage with a larger community by working with a diversity of people.

Action Items

Act with kindness and respect at all times.

Provide accessible meetings/information sharing.

  • Physically
  • Remotely
  • Video recordings

Expand our circle to include diverse stakeholders.

Ensure that everyone is welcomed.

Create an anonymous platform to share concerns and recommendations.

Develop a web page to access our committee and our goals.

Encourage people to join our committee.