On a cold and rainy day in 2015, three senior female scholars attending an ASEH-sponsored tour of the National Zoo repaired to a pub to warm their toes and restore their spirits. It was really cold! Over hot beverages, they shared tales of life as environmental historians and discovered common experiences of exclusion and diminishment that appeared to be gender-driven. The conversation continued among additional women at that ASEH conference (most of whom seemed to be named Sara or Sarah) and led to a realization that women in environmental history needed space and opportunities to build networks and highlight their own academic accomplishments.
 
The original founding members included:
Lisa Brady
Kathleen Brosnan
Julie Cohn
Sarah Elkind
Ann Norton Greene
Sarah Hamilton
Nancy Jacobs
Lisa Mighetto
Sarah Mittlefehldt
Sara Pritchard
Emily Wakild
 
Over the course of the next year, the founding members raised money, enlisted support from ASEH, and sponsored a networking reception at the 2016 ASEH annual meeting, open and free to all at the conference. It was a big success.
 
From this grew the plan to create and sustain a network of women in environmental history – WEHN. In the intervening years, WEHN has hosted 3 more networking receptions at ASEH’s annual meetings, added Table Topics for targeted conversations at the receptions, produced a report on gender and publications and the Syllabus Project to advocate for diversity in syllabi, sponsored gatherings at WCEH, ESEH, and SOLCHA, and sustained a growing list of more than 250 scholars around the world. 
 
We look forward to your participation as the network matures, the leadership cycles, and new project ideas unfold.