CONSERVANCY COMMONS

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” - Martin Luther King Jr. in a Letter from Birmingham City Jail, 1963

In honor of legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., the National Park Service has designated MLK Day, (Mon., 1/18) a fee-free day to the nation's national parks. To commemorate, NPS is holding virtual events, including a musical performance from the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park on Sun., 1/17.

Last week marked a difficult chapter in American history. In response, our CEO Chris Lehnertz shared a reflective note to staff. If you missed it, read the note here on Sharepoint.

Claremont EAP understands that many people are experiencing ongoing stress from recent events. You can contact our employee assistance program, Claremont EAP, at 800-834-3773. They can provide you and your family members with no-cost, confidential counseling services, online support groups, and other types of free assistance, from stress management to crisis intervention. 

Read the weekly COVID Update report, which includes important changes to health orders and guidance and additional COVID-related information and resources. 

To opt-in to receive these messages directly to your inbox, sign up here.

SF officials strongly encourage people not to travel for non-essential purposes. The “Parks Conservancy Updated Travel Guidance” includes tools and tips for the current situation. 

Learn more about the Parks Conservancy's Strategic Planning on SharePoint. You can read the 2021-2025 Strategy Direction document, access information from the Strategic Sprint, and see the Task Force Teams.

Join us in welcoming Lau-Rene Manuel, the new Sr. Director of Safety. Lau-Rene will be serving as the first-ever Safety Director at the Parks Conservancy. Her position represents a milestone in the Parks Conservancy's efforts to build a culture of safety across the organization.

Please share information about these NPS internship opportunities with your networks. The Mosaics in Science (MIS) Diversity Internship Program provides college students and recent graduates 18-35 years old that are under-represented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) career fields with on-the-ground, natural resource science-based, work experience in the National Park System. Applications are due by Jan. 24. 

Help the DEI Committee reimagine Community Circles in 2021. We have heard from you that Circles have been hard to attend due to work schedules, don't always meet your needs, and that they have also given you a sense of community when you needed it the most.

Parks Conservancy staff are invited by our NPS partners to the NPS all-employee meeting next Wednesday, which will include updates from the Superintendent for 2021 and information on COVID-19 trends and vaccination news. You can join through Microsoft Teams or by calling 213-279-1007 and using the conference ID 448 057 524#.

Join members of the DEI Committee for a virtual short film screening followed by a guided conversation of "Ashes to Ashes," a film that addresses the history and legacy of racial injustice in America through the art of Winfred Rembert and Dr. Shirley Jackson. Visit the film's website to learn more.

We hope to see you there! Questions? Email dei@parksconservancy.org.

Our next All Staff Meeting will be Thurs., Jan. 21, 10-11:30 am via Zoom. If you haven’t recently registered, please register ahead of time. Contact Nessa at nramos@parksconservancy.org for questions or if you need further assistance.

You can view recordings of past All Staff meetings on SharePoint 

The Banff Mountain Film Festival is going digital this year and will be a year-long event of exciting films and showings! The Banff Centre and REI have designated the Parks Conservancy as one of the local beneficiaries. Use this specific link to purchase tickets, and the Parks Conservancy will receive a portion of the proceeds.

Please share the link with your friends, family and networks: https://filmfest.banffcentre.ca/?campaign=WT-GGNPC

1/14, 10-11:30 am 
Black Oaks Revealed: A deep dive into their cultural significance

1/14, 4-5:30 pm 
Emotional Intelligence Talk with Author DB Bedford

1/25, 1-2 pm
Bystander Intervention to Stop Anti-Asian/American Harassment (Public Training)

1/27, 4-5 pm 
How to Respond to Anti-Asian/American Harassment When it Happens to You

Learn how stress plays a part in your overall health. We will learn how to differentiate between normal and chronic stress. We will also uncover the effects of chronic stress on our hormones (and thus on our body weight). We will look at what nutrients your body needs when you are “stressed out” and, finally, learn some great stress management strategies.

Have a submission for the Conservancy Commons? Send content and images to commons@parksconservancy.org by Friday at 10am to be included in next week's newsletter.

Share your favorite Park Pics on Yammer by logging in with your work email and password.