A New Path with TWP
I was selected to join TWP’s board in early 2026 and was super excited to visit Trees Water and People’s New Mexico office in Santa Fe for the Board meeting on August 5. My relationship with TWP began in the early 2000’s when I started my faculty position in the Forestry program at Colorado State University (CSU). Stuart Conway and Richard Fox were regular and gracious guest speakers for a senior-level forest sustainability course I taught.
Staff Retreat 2026
It makes so much sense to me that our staff retreat was in the depths of fall this year.
There’s no greater season for the lessons of grief, the necessity of hope, or the sureness of change.
I Have Hope for the Year 2062
Long before I started my first degree at Colorado State University (CSU), I knew I wanted to study sustainability. There’s no better way to spend a career, I thought, than giving back to the planet that raised me. More than five years later, that conviction hasn’t wavered.
Staff Retreat 2025
When I started working with TWP a year ago, I knew it was a special organization.
I knew we did good work, in a good way. And I knew it felt right to walk in the door every morning.
Now, after my first TWP staff retreat, I have a much better sense of why.
People Over Projects: Diane Vella
Diane Vella has been with Trees, Water & People for more than 17 years, keeping our programs running, our staff paid, and our office dogs well-loved.
DEI in Context
As diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts are increasingly targeted at the federal level, TWP’s Indigenous Lands Outreach Coordinator, Phillip Chavez, shares his perspectives on the broader context of DEI efforts.
We’re stronger together, and we have work to do.
It was one of those nights where you know everything you stand for, everything you work for, and everything you value is being challenged by a dark, countervailing force.
TWP Staff Retreat 2024
On August 12th-14th, the TWP team gathered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for our annual retreat.
Our staff has grown to 18 diverse individuals, representing eight countries and five Tribal nations, and the retreat offered much-needed space to connect, reflect, and renew the relationships that hold TWP together.
A labor of love: Dignified Livelihoods at TWP
“We seek to help create work opportunities that people can be proud of and that contribute to a higher standard of living.”
At TWP we believe everyone deserves a dignified livelihood. A dignified livelihood is more than income security, it's one that provides a safe and enjoyable environment, that ensures dignity and respect and gives constant opportunities to transcend barriers and grow. At TWP, this starts from within.