Stronger Together

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the year of the fire horse. This is characterized by quick-moving changes, that will at times be turbulent and chaotic. We’re already seeing this unfold on the national and international stage in just the first month of the year and can anticipate more quick-moving, and unexpected changes for the remainder of the year.

As we face the unexpected, often with leaner budgets and limited staff capacity, the imperative to move collectively is stronger than ever. Transactional alliances are not powerful enough to challenge the deep alignment between corporate interests and government officials who desire extractive privatization and the destruction of wildlife and wildlands for development and profit. In order to build successful movements, we need to develop broad coalitions and relationships and partnerships durable enough to withstand difference of opinions, conflict, and the desire for a variety of tactics.

The strongest coalitions are those that bring disparate groups together for a common goal–examples such as the coalition of First Nations, environmental groups, government, and industry which created the unpreceded Great Bear Rainforest agreement protecting 85% percent of one of the world’s largest remaining tracts of intact temperate rainforest from industrial logging, and the Rally to Keep Public Lands in Public Hands movement, which brought together hunters, hikers, tribes and politicians to influence policy and preventing the privatization of public lands, have proven that diverse coalitions and networks have the power to win, and are worth the time to build.

As Sean Thomas-Breitfeld wrote, during his time at Building Movement Project, “temporary, transactional connections will always have their usefulness, but the growing recognition of the importance of relationship building is a critical investment in connecting groups, reaching beyond organizational boundaries, and building the movement infrastructure we need to win lasting social change.” In order to win, we must build diverse movements, with a broad base of different consistencies coming together for a common goal or vision. The more diverse our groups, the greater the range of opinions and beliefs. Bridging this requires honesty, conflict navigation and intentional care. It also requires taking the first step and reaching out across the divides that separates us from our neighbors, community members, and potential allies and finding shared goals and values to build on together.

Within our organizations, the need to build relationships is also at a zenith. Individuals and organizations are under increasing pressure, scarcity, and fear. This can understandably amp up the number of no-win decisions, urgency, and stress that we must navigate daily, all of which takes a toll on us and our relationships. The best preventative medicine for this is nourishing relationships that nourish you. TREC’s Board Member Roshni Sampath calls this a “network of care.” It’s the folks you turn to in hard times to keep you going, gain perspective and move according to your values. Building relationships at work that support you in doing this is essential – it’s also one of the best methods for retention and job satisfaction. When you think about the best work you’ve done or your most enjoyable job, the people you worked with and the quality of your relationships likely played a huge part of fueling your success. The same is true in the reverse: think of your worst job you’ve had and poor or strained relationships probably had something to do with it. Intentionally investing in relationships among your colleagues can help ameliorate many of the increased stresses of working in the sector and retaining your staff for the long-haul.

So whether we are strengthening relationships inside our organizations to sustain our people, or reaching beyond our walls to build coalitions capable of real change, investing in relationships is not a detour from the work—it is the work. In a year marked by volatility and rapid change, our greatest source of stability and power will be the quality of our relationships. Networks rooted in trust, care, and shared purpose allow us to move faster when needed, hold steady when things get hard, and stay aligned with our values.

In a year defined by speed, uncertainty, and upheaval, we will not outmaneuver these challenges alone. The year of the fire horse calls for bold movement—but bold movement is only possible when it is grounded in relationships. If we want to endure, and if we want to win, we must choose to build and tend the networks that carry us forward, together. Relationship-building is how we will move forward—together, resilient, and strong enough to win.

Building relationships takes time and intention. But with just a short conversation you can jumpstart your organization’s networking power to ensure that 2026 advances your mission, your networks and your power to win.

In solidarity,

– April

Strengthen Your Organization’s Networks

As impact-driven leaders, we are trained to power map to achieve our outcomes. This is typically focused on identifying deciders for the issues we care about and identifying how we can influence them. But there is another set of relationships that’s essential for your organizations’ success- this is the network of connections that provide the information, resources and relationships that will help you and your organization mitigate risks, endure and sustain and vision forward. Use this 15-minute activity at your next staff meeting to strengthen your organization’s networks.

April Nishimura

Co-Executive Director

What lights you up in your role—what feels like “YES, this is my thing”?

I love supporting TREC’s partners in their leadership journey. My goal with everyone I work with is that you know your superpowers and how to best use them to advance your organization’s mission and work with their team.

What’s your favorite way to reconnect with nature or reset your energy?

One of my favorite ways to connect with land is through harvesting and foraging. It still feels like magic to be able to go into the woods or ocean and harvest something delicious. It’s grounding and reminds me that all of our nourishment comes from mama earth. I also love giving and receiving things that are foraged, not only is it delicious and unique, it feels like a special gift because of the time and effort it takes to harvest, clean and prepare. When I give or receive this, I know that it is an expression of care and affirms that our relationship matters. One of the most memorable things I’ve even been gifted has been juice made from wild strawberry guavas in Hawai’i. It was sweet and a bit peppery, and the best part is that I got to go on a hike to harvest some as well!

If you could have any animal sidekick (real or mythical), who would it be and why?

My ideal animal sidekick would be whales. So many things we think of as uniquely human are also things that whales do effortlessly. They sing, they love their children, they play and work together. Whenever I see or dream of whales I feel so excited to be in their presence.