ESA’s Visions Project (2004) makes the case for working with diverse communities to ensure that ecological knowledge serves all sectors of human society. The Women and Minorities in Ecology (WAMIE) II report (2006) calls for changing the culture of ecology so that underrepresented minorities are “included in deciding what is important in ecological research.” Providing opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research experiences under a mentor is a key component of fostering underrepresented minority students into the sciences. The numerous efforts, emphasizing the participation of minority students, supported by the National Science Foundation attest to this: Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology, Undergraduate Research and Mentoring in the Biological Sciences, and ESA’s own Strategies for Ecology Education, Development and Sustainability (SEEDS) program. Further, SEEDS student alumni are now organizing themselves as leaders within the SEEDS network. We will explore several questions: (1) What is currently being done to nurture culturally diverse perspectives in ecology? (2) What support is required for mentors of minority students? (3) What is the role and dynamics of minority student networks such as SEEDS? (4) How do we effectively nurture minority students who have completed undergraduate research programs along the ecological pathway and into leadership positions in the field? This special session will generate ideas and next steps for a more cohesive strategy towards transforming the culture of ecology. All students, faculty, and administrators who are involved in organizing undergraduate research experiences are encouraged to participate.