Consider your own position and assumptions. We all carry our own lived experience and may not always be aware of how it influences our interactions with others. Reflecting on the questions below will help you be more self-aware and empathetic in the way you work with community members. It will also help you understand the barriers some people face to engage in Tree Equity work. Keep in mind not to be too attached to specific results. You may come to learn surprising and unexpected insights that inspire new questions and outcomes. Jot down your responses to the questions below and keep them on hand to review in later parts of this guide.

• Before you were consciously aware of Tree Equity, how did you perceive nature in your neighborhood?
• What are your perspectives on Tree Equity and how does it relate to other community concerns?
• What are your assumptions about the community and their perspectives on Tree Equity?
• How do your own privilege and access to power influence your interactions with community members?
• How will you create an inclusive space so that all people feel welcome to participate? What are the unique needs of the community in order to participate?
• How will you prioritize and respect different forms of knowledge and expertise?
• How could you work to break down equity barriers within your own organizational structure or program implementation?

Assess the readiness for collaboration. You will want to gain a basic understanding of the dynamics within the community. If the community has a history of working together, consider the quality of those relationships and how to foster a sense of partnership. If there is not much collaboration within the community, then how does this figure into how you will plan your own outreach? Depending on your response to the questions below, you may have to do some intentional work to build up connections with community members before moving to the next steps.

• Are existing relationships ripe for collaboration? Are there barriers to a partnership that need to be addressed? If so, how will you address them in a way that encourages understanding between those individuals or groups? What did you learn from those relationships that can guide you?
• Who are the groups already doing work in this community? What are their values and how do they align with your own? How will you integrate those values into the work?
• If there are existing relationships and work is happening, are there any groups of people missing? If so, why is that and is it something you will address in your efforts? How will they be accommodated?
• What is the dynamic of power and influence between individuals and groups? Who has the most influence over decision making?
• If you are going to bring a new group of individuals together, what is the best way to convene them? What will the venue be? At what time of day will it be scheduled?
• What are the barriers to participation that you will need to address? Will you need to provide support services such as childcare, meals or stipends? Are there language or cultural barriers that you will need to plan for?

Strategize your engagement and get the conversation started. You will plan with specificity in the next phase, but you should first build a basic understanding of some approaches to engagement. It’s important to plan according to your specific community context. First, some items that you will want to define to ground your engagement efforts are:

• What is the purpose of your engagement? Are you asking for information or are you communicating something out to people? Whatever it is, be clear about your ask and your intentions. Community members will appreciate your transparency and will be more likely to reciprocate with the same authenticity. This is your opportunity to both inspire and manage expectations.
• What is the value of participation for those you are trying to engage? Ensure that you are valuing the time and expertise offered by community members. They may live busy lives and already be stretched thin between competing demands. They need to understand how their participation will lead to improved community outcomes. It’s also okay for part of the value to participants to be the experience itself. If you host a social event to meet and greet community members, they may also appreciate the opportunity to connect with their friends and neighbors in a positive way. Ask what the community members would like to get out of the event or future events to support their needs as well.
• What will happen after the engagement? If you are asking for information, what will you do with it and how will you share it back out to the community? It’s important that community members see that your effort is not a one-and-done event. Although you may continue doing work behind the scenes after the engagement effort, an outsider will not know it if you do not communicate it. The community should have a clear sense of your intentions and how you will meet any commitments you make. Demonstrating that in many small acts will earn you trust and respect.

Your answers to the questions above will help you articulate the values that will drive your interactions with the community. If you’re able, it is also a good idea to start a relationship with community members on a positive note before you start the bulk of your efforts. Below are a variety of outreach examples you can use to engage with people, varying from more to less formal. So much of community work is often done out and about in the field, in one-off conversations and develops from social interactions not bound by the traditional office setting. This is an opportunity to get creative and instill some fun into your process. You can modify these approaches depending on your needs and what you think will resonate with your audience. Every community is different and will respond in their own way. Consider trying out a few of these strategies and keep them in mind as you move through other parts of this guide.