Weaving Voices, Action, and Spirit: A Global Gathering of Women, Nature’s Guardians
The eighth Global Networking Event of the Women in Nature Network (WiNN), took place in Veracruz, Mexico, from April 1 to 3, 2025. We were honored to gather with 100 women guardians of nature, representing 75 organizations from 15 countries and 11 Mexican states. Organized by the WiNN Mexico chapter—with local collaboration and support from the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature (Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, or FMCN), the Gulf of Mexico Fund (Fondo Golfo de México), and Conecta Tierra A.C.
The event created a powerful and inspiring space for connection and collective action among women working in conservation. Together, we strengthened the participation and collaboration of women in conservation, creating a space for the exchange of knowledge and experience—shared from the mind, heart, and spirit. Our collective fabric wove a path toward sustainability and equality, transforming the relationship between people and nature.
Day 1: Welcomes, Inspiration, and Workshops
First photo: From left to right — Olga García, Renée González Montagut, Leeanne Alonso, Rebecca Kormos, and Susana Rocha, co-lead of the WiNN Mexico chapter and panel moderator. Second photo: “You are enough” — a reflection shared by Rebecca Kormos, founding member of WiNN, during her welcome speech. Photos: Kate Lapides-Black.
The first day of the event opened with a series of keynote speeches, beginning with warm welcoming words from Leeanne Alonso, founder of WiNN; Renée González Montagut, Director General of the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature and co-founder of WiNN; and Olga García, WiNN Mexico chapter lead and Director of Conecta Tierra A.C.
These were followed by a powerful presentation from Rebecca Kormos, a founding member of WiNN, who drew on her experience interviewing forty women working in conservation for her book Intertwined: Women, Nature, and Climate Justice. She delivered a moving and inspiring speech, encouraging women to continue their essential work in protecting nature—and never to stop believing that they are enough, and that what they are doing truly matters.
After the event’s opening participants engaged in hands-on workshops tailored to their interests. Kristine Zeigler, co-founder and Special Advisor to the Board of Planet Women, led a practical session on Fundraising 101, sharing tips and strategies—including how to develop a compelling pitch. Marianne McManus, a long-term supporter of WiNN, facilitated a creative workshop on Handicrafts and Vulnerable Ecosystems, where participants received practical guidance on boosting local craft production by promoting employment, income distribution, culture, and traditions—while helping craft businesses meet market demands and increase sales.
In the afternoon, an Experience Exchange Panel featured members and leaders from WiNN Chapters, including Caroline Ouko (WiNN Kenya), Belda Mosapele (WiNN Botswana), and Purnima Barman (WiNN India). They discussed strategies for integrating more women into conservation, including how they have navigated gender, cultural, and social barriers. The conversation also highlighted the unique challenges faced by women—particularly Indigenous women, migrants, and women of color—and the approaches they have used to overcome them. Finally, attendees explored ways to collaborate across borders to amplify their impact and emphasized the importance of ongoing spaces, tools, and networks to keep this global community of women conservationists connected and thriving.
First photo: Kristine Zeigler, co-founder of Planet Women, leads the Fundraising 101 workshop. Second photo: Marianne McManus facilitates the thematic working table on Sustainable businesses and eco-enterprises. Third photo: Participants in the Experience Exchange Panel. Photos: Kate Lapides-Black.
Day 2: Cloud Forests and Coffee
The morning began with a visit to Las Cañadas, an internationally renowned center for Agroecology and Permaculture, home to one of the last remaining cloud forests in the central Veracruz region. Participants gained first-hand insight into permaculture gardening practices, seed bank management, and the processes involved in caring for and preserving native seeds. They also learned how this initiative has successfully conserved 260 hectares of cloud forest. The visit concluded with a short trek, offering an immersive experience in this breathtaking yet threatened ecosystem.
In the afternoon, several workshops were led by Femcafé, a feminist coffee brand founded in 2015 as part of Vinculación y Desarrollo Agroecológico en Café (Vida A.C.), an organization with over 30 years of experience supporting approximately 850 coffee-growing families in the high mountain region of Veracruz, Mexico. Femcafé was created as a reflection of Vida A.C.’s gender policy, aimed at recognizing and making visible the contributions of women to coffee cultivation. As part of these workshops, international attendees participated in a handicraft session, creating necklaces and bracelets using coffee beans and beads.
To close the day, a tianguis—a small market of women’s products—was organized to promote agroecological goods made by women, highlighting their connection to sustainable practices and ecosystem conservation. The market also created a space for cultural and commercial exchange, strengthening support networks and increasing the visibility of women’s work in the agroecological field. Event participants had the opportunity to support the market by purchasing a variety of products, including jewelry, artisan crafts, coffee, clothing, and more.
First photo: Guided visit to the permaculture garden at Las Cañadas. Second photo: International attendees create jewelry using coffee beans and beads. Photos: Kate Lapides-Black.
Day 3: Collaborations and Celebrations
On the last day of the event, the morning was filled with a series of thematic workshops where participants shared their thoughts and feelings on key topics. Themes ranged from gender equality and women’s autonomy to species and ecosystem conservation, community monitoring, sustainable businesses and eco-enterprises, agroforestry, and regenerative livestock farming. These discussions fostered the exchange of perspectives and the co-creation of collective spaces for collaboration.
First photo: A group of participants presents the outcomes of their thematic workshops. Second photo: A participant adds to a collaborative mural during the thematic workshops. Photos: Kate Lapides-Black.
The closing ceremony encouraged reflection on lessons learned and strengthened the bonds between participants, leaving a memorable experience that inspires ongoing collaboration in conservation and environmental leadership. Narratives capturing the spirit and deep meaning of the gathering, based on participants’ feelings and testimonials, were created and shared by Raquel Zepeda and Paulett Flores.
“We come to be open; we do not come to be silent. To meet, to nourish our knowledge and spirit, to find shared spaces, like a squeezing of the heart. It means interest in knowing the vision and panorama that each of us has from our own trenches, it means strengthening and taking courage as women. This meeting is an opportunity to make visible what we, the women taking care of nature from the communities, are working for, which is why I am going to the office. It gives me joy and strength to know that I am not alone, that there are other women. It means the opportunity to create networks to know what other women do and how they do it, to inspire me and to learn from them.”
Photo: Paola Pérez / Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature
The Global Networking Event was a powerful example of successfully integrating activities that feed the brain, heart, and spirit. It was an invaluable opportunity to strengthen the community that the WiNN Mexico chapter has nurtured since its foundation. The event showcased the diverse contributions of women working for nature at many levels—from sustainable production systems to environmental leadership. It was a gathering full of learnings and insights on how WiNN can continue to grow and maximize its positive impact around the world.
We are deeply thankful to everyone who participated and brought their energy to this event, as well as to the organizing team that worked tirelessly to make it a huge success. We look forward to seeing many of you again at our next Global Networking Event!
Group photo of participants at the 2025 Global Networking Event in Veracruz, Mexico. Photo: Paola Pérez / Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature.
We are extremely grateful to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Alice C. Tyler Perpetual Trust for their generous financial support, which made the 2025 Global Networking Event possible.