What is the intent of this class?
Conservation and social and racial equity are intrinsically intertwined topics that have often been treated as two separate areas of study. Science, conservation, and management not only benefit from having a diversity of stakeholder perspectives informing projects, but the effects of management and scientific policies extend more broadly than the ecosystems they impact.
This seminar will highlight the importance of cross-cultural collaboration and competency in science. We will investigate a series of research projects or conservation initiatives that have the unifying theme of
1) having a conservation-oriented objective,
2) being led by or integrally involving indigenous groups or underserved communities throughout the project, and
3) diversifying the participants in the process leading to the successful implementation of a conservation or research policy.
Talks will have a scientific backbone while also highlighting the diversity of participants, the equity of these stakeholders in planning, barriers that exist to participation, and how this engagement led to conservation success.
What are the objectives of this class?
1) Become more familiar with diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) foundational vocabulary and concepts.
2) Increase our cultural competency, particularly with respect to local groups and topics in the Pacific Northwest.
3) Be better able to identify stakeholder perspectives when discussing conservation and management projects.
4) Be better able to discuss the complexities and benefits of conducting research in a multicultural landscape.
5) Become more familiar with conservation and management topics, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.
About the Organizer
My name is Staci Amburgey, and I'm a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. I work in the Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in Sarah Converse's Quantitative Conservation Lab focusing on population modeling and management of wildlife species. Currently, I work on questions focused on management of the invasive brown treesnake on the island of Guam.
I am an ecologist by trade but am passionate to learn more about the topics in this class in addition to recognizing the role my own privileges have played in my capacity to do wildlife conservation. I prefer to think of myself as a co-learner in the space provided by this seminar, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to discuss conservation with a multicultural lens with the other participants and the invited speakers. If you have any questions or want to learn more about me, please email me or visit my website.