Rights of Nature Wisconsin is a movement that has grown from the work of Menikanaehkem (“Community Re-builders” – a grassroots organization on the Menominee Indian Reservation) and WISDOM (a Wisconsin network of mostly progressive faith-based groups working for social justice, which also serves as fiscal sponsor for Rights of Nature Wisconsin). 

Mark Richards

Nancy Stencil

David Liners

Terry Dawson

Bob Karski

Mark is President of the Wisconsin Unitarian Universalist State Action Network, a collaboration of the thirty UU congregations in Wisconsin.  Ordained in 2018, Mark has a background in IT, manufacturing, and hospitality.  Growing up in Maine, Mark has always had a love of nature and wilderness.  A college project included tracing the path of Henry David Thoreau through the Maine Woods.  In addition to canoeing through the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Mark climbed Mt. Ktaadn in Maine on his 60th birthday.  The UU congregations of Wisconsin are actively engaged in climate justice issues.  The Rights of Nature movement is a compelling opportunity to serve our constituents while working to change society's perspective on what it means to be in a healthy relationship with the non-human world.

Nancy is an activist born and raised in Wisconsin. While she can remember the Crandon Mine in the news, it was not until 2013 and the Penokees that she became involved in mining matters. With a passion for learning, years later Nancy would lead the charge against Greenlight Metals when they attempted to drill in the Reef Deposit below the Dells of Eau Claire in Marathon County. Nancy is currently Chair of the Coalition to Save the Menominee River, better known as the Back 40. The Wisconsin Rights of Nature is helping Nancy further understand and push forward with the inherent Rights of Nature as it pertains to our legal system. We cannot live without water. Water is Life.

​David Liners is the Executive Director for WISDOM, a Wisconsin network of faith-based organizations, part of the international Gamaliel Foundation.  WISDOM is a multi-issue, grassroots organization.  Congregations belonging to 19 different religious traditions participate in WISDOM.  WISDOM also includes FREE and Menikanaehkem.
 
Over the past twenty-two years, David has overseen the growth of the statewide network from three to twelve diverse, interfaith local organizations in Wisconsin.  His duties include leadership training, supervision of organizing staff, and working with local and state leadership groups to develop solid plans for community-building. 

Terry, currently serving as chair of ESTHER’s Environmental Justice Task Force, is retired from forty years of library work. He has been active in community concerns around intellectual freedom, literacy, homelessness and immigration issues, as well as enjoying travel, photography and playing Celtic and folk music. Beginning from a place of concern for the climate crisis, he has been working to learn, to decolonize, and to live in reciprocity with the earth and our neighbors. As a part of this work, he appreciates the opportunity to advocate on behalf of Wisconsin Rights of Nature.

Bob has always delighted in the creative tools that have been emerging from the evolution and growth of technology. From recording skits on a wire recorder (very many) years ago, he has enjoyed pushing the limits of immersive presentations, visualization of sounds, multimedia “brown bag” events, enticing management to participate in creating entertaining information videos, helping students in creating podcasts and “Bringing a Book to Life”, and teaching classes on making eye-catching and entertaining videos with nothing more than an iPhone. Before moving to Wisconsin he was executive director of Climate Cooperators, a non-profit organization primarily advocating for electric vehicles. With Wisconsin Rights of Nature, Bob is delighted to absorb and act on the wisdom of our indigenous nations’ respect and protection of the inherent rights of nature through codifying those rights in our legal and economic systems.

Michael Howden

Judy and I were both Social Workers serving elderly persons so Advocacy and Social Justice has been our life. This also included working with a committee of the Interfaith Conference of Milwaukee on advocacy  and after retirement activity with the Clean Clothes Campaign and then the organizing and administration of a Fair Trade Store. I also have been active with neighborhood organizations on the near westside of Milwaukee. In my advanced age, I support many Environmental and Social Justice organizations with Action Alerts in their frequent emails and forward these to many other advocates whom I have met over the years. So I am appreciative of  being invited to be a member of the Milwaukee Rights of Nature Team in order to learn the teachings of this worldwide Indigenous organization and to share this wisdom and cause with others.   

Guy Reiter

​Anahkwet (Guy Reiter) is a traditional Menominee who resides on the Menominee Reservation. He’s the executive Director of a Menominee Indian community organization called Menikahnaehkem. He's also a Community organizer, activist, author, amateur archaeologist and lecturer. Anahkwet has organized a lot of events that have uplifted the human condition and demonstrated how enriching the Menominee culture is. He's lectured at Universities on the connection Menominee Indians have to the Menominee River. He's also written articles for Environmental Health News and others. When Anahkwet isn't working you'll find him enjoying time with his partner and there children. Anahkwet is an advocate for indigenous people everywhere.

Dan Barth

​Dan Barth and wife, Kathy Konle-Barth learned about climate change from watching first killing frost dates change in their garden.  Both are Citizen's Climate Lobby members, while Kathy also carry's on climate work in the Quaker community.  They fought for clean water by opposing the Reef Mine in Marathon County.  With rooftop solar they drive and heat their house during the day with sunshine.  Both believe deeply in the need to respect, honor and protect this living planet.   

Bill Van Lopik

I have been involved in social justice work the better part of my life, starting in the 1980’s living in Central America. In 2001 I moved to Wisconsin to take a teaching position at the College of Menominee Nation. My time at the college for the past two decades has greatly influenced my thinking on the Rights of Nature. Menominee leaders like Anahkwet (Guy Reiter) have been extremely influential in helping me see the interconnectedness and familial relationship we have with Mother Earth. During the past 8 years I have also worked as a community organizer with ESTHER/WISDOM. David Liners taught me to see the power of organizing in order to make the needed systemic changes that allow our living world to thrive. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this statewide movement that works to give legal status to all aspects of Creation.

Lisa Alexandra

Willie Briscoe

Michelle Honare

Paula Mohan

Samantha Skenadore

Amanda Ali

Bob Bultman

Elizabeth Moriarty

Michael Slattery

David Bodoh

Philip Gabrielson

Larry Littlegeorge

Scott Pitta

Nancy Slattery

Linda Boyle

Mary Hansen

Mari Margil

Anne Schuette

Sue Spicer