At Midpen, we believe open space is for all. Public lands are shared spaces provided for the community by the community. Everyone, regardless of background, where you come from, what language you speak, how you identify, with whom you associate, is welcome in the public open space preserves Midpen holds in trust for us all.
Indigenous People and Open Space Lands
Midpen preserves are located on lands that have been cared for by Indigenous people for many thousands of years. Throughout the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Area, thousands of people lived in about 60 small tribes and spoke several languages and dialects. Today, within the District’s jurisdictional boundary, there are 10 state-recognized tribes (as identified by the Native American Heritage Commission) that represent groups of individuals, families or many hundreds of people in a tribal government, and each has their own story to tell. Midpen works with descendant communities and tribes in many ways, including consultations with tribes on projects regarding cultural resources or when Midpen undertakes environmental analysis.
Accessibility in Open Space
Midpen is committed to programmatically making Midpen facilities, programs, services, information, employment and meaningful work opportunities accessible and usable by all people. Several Midpen preserves have easy-access trails that may accommodate wheelchairs, strollers, walkers and anyone desiring a less strenuous open space experience. Visitors with mobility disabilities may use a wheelchair anyplace visitors are allowed. Midpen also allows, per the ADA, the use of Other Power-Driven Mobility Devices (OPDMD) for persons with mobility disabilities. In accordance with the ADA, Midpen accommodates service dogs in preserves wherever we allow public access.
Partnerships
Our region is dynamic and full of ideas, innovation and a strong commitment to environmental protection. Together, local governments and organizations work together to promote a regional environmental protection vision that creates a legacy of tangible and lasting value and enhances our collective quality of life. Midpen collaborates with a diverse array of public agencies, non-profits and other organizations to further our mission to preserve, protect and restore open space lands and provide meaningful and ecologically-sensitive opportunities to explore natural landscapes for all members of our community.
Midpen Grantmaking Program
Midpen's Grantmaking Program supports organizations and projects that further understanding and protection of our natural world, build the capacity of the conservation field and facilitate access to the outdoors or promote interpretation and education opportunities for the public. The grantmaking process is guided by an emphasis on investments that reflect a regional focus and provide avenues for partnership, both with Midpen as well as other regional organizations and individuals.
GIS Open Data Dashboards
Midpen’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team has built various interactive dashboards to explore demographics and disadvantaged communities in California, allowing users to reveal and discover meaningful trends on a census tract level.
The Disadvantaged Communities Explorer allows users to compare different definitions of "disadvantaged communities," and which communities meet the criteria. These communities face economic, health or environmental burdens - this dashboard helps visualize the impact of these definitions. The California Demographics Data Explorer centralizes demographic data like age, race and income. Users can filter by location and explore the data visually on a map.
While the tools were created for Midpen, the dashboards are functional throughout the entire state, expanding their use.
Employment Opportunities
Midpen is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of background nor identity, including but not limited to: race, color, age, gender, religion, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or marital, veteran or disability status. As our public lands are shared spaces provided for the community by the community, we endeavor to have a workforce as diverse as the people we serve. Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation by contacting hr@openspace.org or 650-691-1200.
Midpen's DEI Committee
Beyond our public open space lands, Midpen is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment in our workplace. In June 2020, in the midst of a reckoning with the nation’s racial, social and systemic injustices, two staff DEI teams were formed, one focused on hiring and recruitment, the other on community outreach and partnerships. Each team proposed six strategies which were presented to the Board in December 2021. In July 2022, the current DEI staff committee was formed to help implement the recommendations and complete new DEI initiatives to further Midpen’s DEI goals and priorities into the future. The current committee is comprised of 3 subcommittees: Culture & Engagement, Outreach, and Recruitment.
Since its formation, Midpen's DEI Committee has worked towards several key accomplishments:
Internships have increased 66% since fiscal year 2022 with DEI goals incorporated into the internship brochure to encourage diverse applicant pools.
The Midpen board of directors issued a proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month.
Midpen's Grantmaking Program has made strides in supporting DEI initiatives, adding language to encourage diverse proposals and opportunities for tribal groups.
Establishment of expanded DEI partnerships, including a Native American Relations Team to address tribal relations and partnerships.
