Hey there, it’s Rachel Ramirez, CNN climate reporter and Uproot board member, based in New York City. One of the best feelings of being a climate journalist today, especially when you’re constantly surrounded by the daily weight of covering the crisis, is walking into a space filled with allies and like-minded people who look like you and share the same woes, emotions and sentiments as you. 

It’s like finding an oasis in a desert — a place to recharge and, perhaps, strategize about the future. That’s how I felt walking into the Aspen Ideas: Climate conference in Miami Beach this week, where I saw so many Uprooters headlining plenaries, talking at sessions, networking, seeing each other in person for the first time after meeting online or via the Uproot Slack channel and so much more. 

"It’s been so rewarding to see Uproot blossom into what it is,” Yessenia Funes, a founding member of Uproot, told me while we assessed the crowd of climate folks here in Miami. “The community we’ve built is like no other.”

Those of you keeping track know that today is Uproot’s 3rd birthday. And at three, I am beyond proud of how far we’ve come as a network. 

Just to name a few wins: we’ve hosted a number of virtual trainings, panels and workshops that equipped our members with much-needed storytelling skills; we’re on our third consecutive year of our annual environmental justice fellowship; and we continue to expand our Uproot database containing journalists, experts and sources of color in the field. 

Roughly two years ago, my fellow board members and I went back to our roots in Seattle to plan and strategize how we could grow the network. Soon after, we wrote in this very same newsletter telling you all to watch this space. 

And many of you have. As I write this in Miami, I reflect on how differently this summit could have looked without the Uproot Project lifting up journalists of color over the past few years. Would those of us here still be asked to speak? Would they be encouraging us to make a plug for Uproot at the end of our session? What would conversations about the industry look like? Who knows. 

All I know is that we’re not done yet. We may be well-represented in reporting roles that cover environmental justice, but I do still see a dearth of journalists of color covering adjacent topics such as atmospheric science, extreme weather and clean energy. There’s room for change. 

In a few weeks, many of us will be convening in Philadelphia for the annual Society of Environmental Journalists conference, which frankly was once a white, male-dominated space. Now, we’ve broken ground and shifted the landscape in these spaces — and only at three years old. 

So, here’s to many more years. Happy birthday, Uproot.