SCBNA’s Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee

SCB North America’s Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Committee exists to facilitate and carry out initiatives designed to promote equity, inclusion and diversity within both SCBNA and will work to increase equity, inclusion and diversity in the field of conservation across all levels – including the public, students, professionals, and leaders in the field. The committee will update this page with EID policies and initiatives as they develop. Looking to the future, the committee plans to increase engagement on these issues within the Society, its events, and within the conservation community at large, together with support from partner organizations including the Diversity Joint Venture, 500 Women Scientists, and others.

Interested to get involved? Contact EID Committee Chair Brendan Reid – nerdbrained@gmail.com

SCBNA Allyship Program

The committee launched an SCBNA Allyship Program at an NACCB 2020 Interactive Session. The program seeks to promote an understanding of the the challenges faced by diverse communities within conservation, and to motivate dominant demographic groups to support minoritized groups based on this new understanding.

Visit the Allyship Program webpage for resources and information on how to become involved. The webpage is in its early stages, so please check back often for news and an upcoming video series. SCBNA thanks all of the EID committee volunteers and interactive session participants for their contributions to this program.

NACCB 2022 Engagement

  • Interactive Session

    • Building a Better Fieldwork Future: Preventing & Managing Sexual Harassment and Assault in the Field,
  • Symposia
    • Being with Bison: Balancing Western Scientific Inquiry with Traditional Ecological Knowledge
    • Bringing Together the African Diaspora to Facilitate North-South Collaborations on Biodiversity Conservation
    • Incorporating Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Into Conservation Standards

NACCB 2020 Engagement

  • Plenary Session: A New Paradigm of ‘High Impact’ Research: Why Conservation Science Needs to Prioritize Racial and Social Justice Watch the YouTube Video
  • Events
    • #BlackBirdersWeek Mentoring Panel with NACCB Student Affairs Committee Watch the YouTube Video
    • 500 Women Scientists Trivia night (jointly hosted by SCBNA’s DEI committees, and SCB’s Social Science Working Group)
  • Interactive Sessions – See NACCB 2020 Session Reports

    • Expanding Boundaries Through Allyship in Conservation Biology
    • Inclusion in Conservation: Perspectives and Experiences, A Candid Discussion
    • Claiming Space for Womxn and Other Non-Dominant Identities in Conservation Science
  • Workshops
    • Building a Better Fieldwork Future: Preventing & Managing Sexual Harassment and Assault in the Field,
    • Learning to collaborate in and out of the classroom: A toolkit for more inclusive conservation

NACCB 2018 Engagement

Art by Sam Hester, Visual Graphic Artist, drawn in real time at NACCB 2018

  • Symposia: Black in Biodiversity
  • Symposia: Bringing Back the Buffalo: Re-conceptualizing conservation through the Iinnii Initiative
  • Symposia: New Faces of Modern Conservation: Indigenous Protected Areas and the People Who Manage Them
  • Interactive Session: Conservation Outreach in Urban Schools: A Facilitated Discussion
  • Interactive Session: Indigenous Knowledge and Conservation: A Dialogue with Elders and Knowledge Holders

NACCB Initiatives & Policies

  • Conference Planning: SCBNA’s EID committee has at least one representative involved in every aspect of NACCB planning and subcommittee work, keeping an eye to EID priorities each step of the way.  We aim to further integrate and prioritize EID efforts for every congress.
  • Scientific Program Review: SCBNA prioritizes increasing diverse voices at our events, including within the NACCB Scientific Program. Core requirements for selection of symposia, interactive sessions, workshops, short courses included diverse representation of speakers on panels and as session organizers.
  • Family-Friendly Congress: Feeding/pumping rooms are made available throughout in-person congress, baby-friendly NACCB announced, childcare recommendations provided, childcare subsidies offered.
  • Transparency and inclusion through communication: Funding will be prioritized for sign language interpretation for those in need of this service. Closed captioning available for all recorded presentations at virtual NACCB 2020.
  • Focus on diverse needs of congress participants:
    • Single & multi ID spaces: made available to groups wishing to hold meetings.
    • Accessibility: NACCB abides by ADA and CDA standards, and fulfills requests as made.
    • Diet: NACCB provides mainly vegetarian meals and accommodates gluten free and vegan diets as well.
    • Bathrooms: Includes gender neutral bathroom onsite
  • Financial Support: reduced student rates, developing country rates, and financial awards/registration waivers for: underrepresented and marginalized groups, postdocs, early career practitioners, students, chapter members, and educators.
  • Costs: In general, NACCB strives to keep registration rates as low as possible to accommodate all attendees and make the events affordable.
  • Code of Conduct and Safety Officer: All NACCB attendees are required to read and agree to this before purchasing registration. NACCB hires an experienced professional to assist with conflict-resolution and deescalation for in-person conferences. See NACCB 2020 and 2018 Codes of Conduct.
EID News

Committee Members:

  • Brendan Reid, Chair
  • Gerald Singh
  • Jessa Madosky
  • Sergio Avila
  • Becky Raboy
  • Caitlin Littlefield
  • Sheila Colla
  • Ana Luz Porzecanski
  • Bryan Wallace
  • Meg Eastwood
  • Emily Destigter
  • Martha Groom
  • Jamie McDevitt-Galles
  • Jacqueline Patterson
  • Kathryn Frens
  • Katie Leung
  • Madison Hall
  • Megan Jones
  • Olivia Isbell
  • Matthew Knope
  • Rowshyra Castaneda
  • Samniqueka Halsey
  • Sara Bombaci
  • Sabrina Drill
  • Eleanor Sterling