WK 48

Building a Broader Community in Ecology and the Related Sciences

Who makes up the global community of ecologists? What are the current demographics and scope of our community? How can we ensure that as many people as possible participate in the fruitful pursuit of knowledge about ecology?

As we move forward in a world of multidisciplinarity, cross-organizational collaboration, alternative sources of scientific research, and non-academic careers, the boundaries of ecology are changing. What does it mean to be an ecologist?  Who’s a part of the global ecological community—and who’s left out?

Everyone won't be an ecologist. But a lot of people could be—and by engaging with present and potential ecologists from a variety of regional, disciplinary, and cultural-national backgrounds, we can vastly expand the opportunities for the ecological community to grow—in security, efficacy, and scope.

This workshop will open a dialogue about who’s currently in ecology—and who’s not—and what the future might hold. We’ll also be presenting the preliminary results from an INNGE survey launched this fall to understand the experiences, both good and bad, of early stage ecologists from underrepresented or historically disenfranchised groups.