Dear ASLE Members:

We write today from Anishinaabe Akiing and Tongva territory, respectively. We are thrilled to serve the ASLE community as your new co-Presidents, bringing with us our many years of membership and service to the organization. We aim to continue the excellent work of immediate past presidents George Handley and Gisela Heffes—who planned the first-ever ASLE conference panel in Spanish, among other successful efforts—while implementing several of our own initiatives. As noted in our running statement, we feel compelled by conversations we had this summer about the crisis of unhoused people in Portland to center the topic of housing, mobility, and the environment in future initiatives—including proposing a relevant conference keynote speaker and/or scholar for the Spotlight series and organizing a special session at the next conference. We also hope to reinvigorate the Advocacy and Activism Committee with a new charge of local engagement with future conference sites. We believe this charge must entail centering Indigenous presence, knowledge, and sovereignty. We pledge to engage with local tribal leaders and organizations and to collaborate with and support Indigenous scholars and scholarship at the conference. We will also explore other possibilities for local conference site engagement, including field trips, a day of service, and fundraising or letter writing campaigns.

Speaking of the conference, we are pleased to report that Amy McIntyre, our Managing Director, and Beatriz Rivera-Barnes, our newly-appointed Conference Chair, have been working hard to secure an ideal venue for the 2025 Biennial Conference. They have found a wonderful option on an East Coast college campus for early-mid July. This venue is easily accessible via major airports and train and bus services. It offers a variety of lodging options, including dorms and a conference hotel. As soon as we are under contract, the location will be disclosed, so hold tight!

Like all of you, we are excited about ASLE’s future and also remain committed to supporting its foundational egalitarian values. Specifically, we are dedicated to fostering a welcoming space for graduate students, early career researchers, and activists. These voices are crucial to the future of the organization and its charge to address environmental justice and climate change.

Sincerely,

Amy Hamilton and Nicole Seymour