Connecticut Land Conservation Conference

Join the Connecticut Land Conservation Conference for a dynamic plenary session featuring national climate justice leader Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru—founder of Black Girl Environmentalist, UConn graduate, and proud Connecticut native.

This session will begin with a brief presentation from Wawa, grounding her work in the personal experiences that shaped her path to environmental leadership. Growing up in Northeast Connecticut’s Quiet Corner, Wawa developed a deep connection to land and community through her family’s farming traditions and time spent outdoors. Those early influences carried into her academic and activist work at the University of Connecticut, where she began asking critical questions about who is included in the environmental movement—and who has been left out.

Following her remarks, Wawa will be joined by a conservation leader for an informal fireside-style conversation, creating space to explore these questions more deeply and connect national climate justice work to local conservation practice. Together, they will reflect on how relationships, community, and place-based stewardship can serve as powerful entry points to environmental action.

Throughout the conversation, Wawa will share insights from founding Black Girl Environmentalist and building pathways for young people historically excluded from environmental spaces. She will challenge us to “reframe the climate crisis”—shifting away from fear and disengagement toward possibility, belonging, and community-driven solutions.

Designed for conservation professionals, land trust board members, volunteers, and emerging leaders, this plenary will highlight the vital role that local, community-rooted organizations—especially land trusts—play in fostering resilience, connection to land, and inclusive leadership at a time when federal progress has stalled.

Whether you are deeply embedded in conservation work or still finding your place in it, this session invites you to see the land, the climate challenge, and your own role with fresh eyes—and to embrace a shared, inclusive vision of conservation in Connecticut.