Winter Wildlands Alliance is a national nonprofit organization working to inspire and empower people to protect America’s wild snowscapes. We are an alliance of over 100 grassroots environmental organizations and backcountry partners. Our SnowSchool program engages over 33,000 kids in science-based field trips and education across 60 sites nationwide. Our Backcountry Film Festival, premiering every winter in Boise, Idaho, tours more than 100 locations worldwide and raises more than $200,000 each tour season for local mountain communities.
Our Mission
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
WWA advocates for environmental laws and public lands policies that explicitly incorporate Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion as critical components of environmental justice and of addressing the historic and ongoing impacts of systemic racism and inequality. We believe that all people, regardless of race, color, gender identity, cultural background or socioeconomic status, must have equitable access to the awe, solitude, wildness, clean air, natural soundscapes and other experiences and benefits of unmitigated winter in ways that do not compromise the opportunities for future generations to experience the same. Equity, diversity, inclusivity and social justice are priority considerations in our organizational structure, staffing and governance, and across all of our program areas. Working toward a future where everyone breathes clean air, drinks clean water, and feels welcome on public lands, we are committed to ongoing education; we work consistently to diversify stories and representation of snowsports and conservation in all of our communications channels; and we deliver experiential environmental education to more than 40,000 underserved students each winter. Our JEDI committee is composed of staff and board members who meet monthly and jointly lead our efforts.
Our Values
- Conservation: Together we have a collective responsibility—for the sake of climate resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable human-powered recreation, retreat and spiritual connection—to protect America’s remaining wild snowscapes from unfettered commercial development, privatization, extractive industry, unmanaged and unsustainable recreation, habitat fragmentation, light and noise pollution, and other significant human impacts.
- Stewardship: We who visit, travel through and/or recreate on public lands have a responsibility to minimize our impacts to wildlife, natural resources and other people, to welcome and mentor newcomers, to engage in public process, and to steward these places for future generations.
- Equity & Inclusivity: We believe that all people, regardless of race, color, gender identity, cultural background or socioeconomic status, must have equitable access to the awe, solitude, wildness, clean air, natural soundscapes and other experiences and benefits of unmitigated winter—in ways that do not compromise the opportunities for future generations to experience the same. Equity, diversity, inclusivity and social justice are priority considerations in our organizational structure, staffing and governance, and across all of our program areas.
- Balance: Just as we do our best work and are our best selves when we take care of our physical, emotional and mental well-being, so too must we seek balance in our uses of and impacts to public lands, ecosystems and the future of our planet.
- Kindness: We approach our work, our play, our relationship to others and to the natural environment in a spirit of respect, humility, generosity and gratitude.
Winter Wildlands Alliance is a national nonprofit organization working to
inspire and empower people to protect America’s wild snowscapes.
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