What Can We Build Together?

Rebecca Solnit, writing about mushrooms and social movements, says, “After a rain mushrooms appear on the surface of the earth as if from nowhere. Many come from a sometimes vast underground fungus that remains invisible and largely unknown…every now and then, the possibilities explode. In these moments of rupture, people find themselves members of a “we” that did not until then exist…”

By Erica Watson Photo by Erica Watson

As Denali settles back into winter, and the government shutdown stretches into its sixth week, many of us are thinking about the months to come: the familiar joys of the slower season, and also the ongoing impacts of the Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal government. We’re thinking about how we will continue to build community, work to protect the lands and people we love, and find a balance between staying informed and staying healthy. 

That’s why we’d like to revisit some of the takeaways from last winter’s visioning project, and the proposals shared at DCC’s annual meeting in May. We hope this review reminds you of something you felt excited about last year, or for those new to the conversation, maybe it will get you thinking about how you can bring your skills, interests, and curiosities to the table. 

The ideas shared below are informed by conversations with about 25 selected community members, each of whom has a history with Denali Citizens Council. We talked about values, visions, and strategies that determine how we engage with organizations like DCC, and the political landscape of Denali and Alaska conservation more generally. We talked about what we’d like to learn more about: what legislation has had the most impact on local land management? How do we organize with our neighbors to influence state policy? What is the federal register, and why does it matter? (Sometimes, the things we don’t know can be the most motivating!) 

Here are some of the key takeaways from community conversations: 

• DCC remains a valued, trusted resource for those invested in the future of Denali National Park and gateway communities.

• For some, their sense of appreciation for and trust in DCC’s work is accompanied by a feeling of intimidation or alienation, feeling they don’t have the expertise, experience, or time to contribute meaningfully.

• This is a scary, difficult time. Political and economic instability has highlighted the systemic precarity of local and Alaska economies and norms.

• People trust that local leadership is working in good faith, even where there is disagreement. There is deep appreciation for borough government, volunteer service, local agency leadership, & fulfillment in serving community through these roles.

• DCC’s mission and foundational conservation values still resonate, alongside a need for integration with intersecting social values. “It’s a place of privilege to think we can protect wilderness but not people, and most of us aren’t coming from that place anymore,” as one person stated.

• There is a shared desire for a “third place,” where people can gather, learn, share ideas, and collaborate on values-based projects beyond work and home.

After gathering these insights from community members, I considered how our shared values might be reflected in the next evolution of Denali Citizens Council, allowing the organization to continue to do the work it has excelled in for fifty years, while building capacity for a sustainable, inclusive future. The proposed working groups listed below are intended not as vacant positions, but as potential spaces that people can step into, and offer a structure for getting involved beyond serving on the board. Some of these groups are intended as a way for those of us who have areas of expertise that complement DCC’s policy work, but may have been under-represented in the past – for example, through organizing educational (or just fun) events that help meet the need for values-based third places. 

Proposed DCC Working Groups and roles:

Policy Working Group: this group provides analysis on agency or government processes, drafts formal comments on planning documents, drafts action alerts, provides leadership on which issues DCC should engage with, and articulates how actions align with mission.

Outreach and Education Working Group: This group helps create “third place” gatherings: community building events, forums, opportunities to share knowledge, celebrate Denali, and foster a sense of belonging.

Community Collaboration Working Group: This group offers space for loosely affiliated, single issue organizing. DCC can serve as a connective thread between issues, providing mentorship, material support, or legal standing where appropriate. 

Youth Advisory Council: Youth Advisors are young (age 14-19) conservationists who attend meetings, participate in DCC leadership, and may organize youth-centered events and projects.

Satellites: Satellites are former board members, community elders, or conservation professionals who remain in DCC’s orbit as mentors and advisors, but are not likely to be responsible for organizational tasks.

If you find yourself curious about any of these working groups, now is a great time to reach out. Maybe you’d like to help organize an event (in person in the Denali Borough or virtual for those who spend the winter elsewhere), or contribute expertise, or offer logistical support. 

At the annual meeting, we checked in by show of hands on what ways of taking action we each feel best equipped to take, from policy analysis to ordering the right number of pizzas. While it’s probably not surprising that the self-identified policy nerds were plentiful in that group, there were also a lot of us who identify as educators, artists, caretakers, and mentors. These recent months may have shifted some of our energies; maybe we are less willing (or perhaps more willing) to stand in the spotlight now than we were then, but might be able to work behind the scenes to support others. Maybe we want to better understand the relationship between local governments and federal funding. Maybe we want to read a book about Alaska conservation history and talk about it with friends. 

If you want any of those things, trust that you’re not the only one. Join a DCC board meeting via Zoom to share your ideas, and connect with others. 

Let’s see what we can build together.