Yolanda Clatworthy

Yolanda grew up rurally, has lived and worked across six continents, and is grateful to now call the unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) home.

She is committed to advancing climate justice, and brings to the Centre wide-ranging experiences in advocacy, experiential education, facilitation, creative production and curation, climate governance, guiding and community engagement. Most recently, she comes to the Centre from six years supporting the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and United Nations to design and scale up Anticipatory Humanitarian Action, building multi-stakeholder proactive approaches to intensifying climate threats. 

‘What can we grow from crisis?’ is a driving question for Yolanda. She sees in wildfire both a reminder of the need to take urgent climate action, as well as an invitation to re-imagine our societies and ecosystems. She is equal parts thrilled and humbled to be joining the Centre on the Mitigating Wildfire Initiative, believing that dialogue offers fertile inroads to advance UNDRIP and move beyond polarization. She looks forward to work that connects people to place, to each other, and towards building more equitable, healthy and vibrant futures. 

Yolanda studied Political Science at McGill University, Environmental Governance at the University of Oxford, Sustainable Futures at Utrecht University, and Leadership and Organizing at Harvard Kennedy School. You can often find her playing in the mountains, forests and waters along the coast with her pup, or churning out wonky ceramics on the pottery wheel.