Ecotones

An ecotone is the intersection of two ecosystems, “a habitat created by the juxtaposition of distinctly different habitats; an edge habitat; an ecological zone or boundary where two or more ecosystems meet.” In the natural world, a subset of an ecotone is an estuary. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines estuary as, “a partially enclosed, coastal water body where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean. Estuaries, and their surrounding lands, are places of transition from land to sea.” The intersections of these ecosystems creates a new and better environment that brings forth and nurtures life that can not exist in either original ecosystem.

As we collectively work to create more just educational futures for black and brown children and adults, it has become clear to me that we are not just one ecosystem. We are a collection of separate, often overlapping, sometimes singular ecosystems that have the potential to create unique, improved futures in the “and” space where our ecosystems intersect. Where K -12 education intersects non-profit organizations, where general education intersects special education services, where non-profit organization intersect with philanthropy, when indigenous culture and ways of being intersect with white normative culture. When we become intentional about recognizing the opportunities to create and lead in these ecological intersections, we have the opportunity to create new futures for ourselves and for those we serve.