Our guest speaker will provide a stimulating presentation about the links between ecological systems and the diversity of people who live in those systems.
Respecting the Environment that We Live In: The Miccosukee Way of Life
Betty Osceola, Miccosukee Tribe and Panther Clan member
Betty Osceola, a member of the Miccosukee Tribe and Panther Clan, lives in Ochopee, Florida. She carried out general studies at Miami Dade College. She works an independent airboat captain for Buffalo Tigers FL Airboat Tours in the Everglades. She has been an environmental activist for some of the most pressing environmental causes in that vibrant but fragile ecosystem. This work has included efforts to stop development of oil and gas production, stabilize water levels, and rethink the placement of a disruptive bike corridor along sensitive areas of the Everglades. Her long-term observations of the biota and environment of this landscape, coupled with her deep cultural connections with the Miccosukee Tribe, will provide our audience with insights into the values of plant, animal, and human diversity in the field of ecology. She will place this work within the context of ESA's current efforts to build a more diverse cadre of ecologists, as ours is a field that we seek to be more welcoming to and accepting of people who learn, teach, understand, and communicate in a variety of ways.
Background information:
http://www.news-press.com/story/life/outdoors/2014/04/28/voices-of-the-everglades-florida-indians-pay-price-for-prosperity/8403947/