For the first time, the 2019 Annual Meeting Planning Committee (Minneapolis) has designated Tuesday, February 12, as Diversity Day. As part of this effort, there will be two consecutive sessions on improving diversity in SRM on Tuesday morning. These sessions will be in the forum format to allow for participants to contribute their ideas to the discussion. Our objective is to discover and develop new ideas that can be used by Sections to attract new members and encourage a broad range of participation in local rangeland management issues.
Making Rangeland Education & Careers Accessible for Native American Youth: How Can We Do Better?
1.5 hours
This session will be facilitated by Native American Rangeland Advisory Committee members who will work with Native American students groups to discuss roadmaps for range management career paths, and also help them identify barriers that hinder their access to natural resource academic programs and the workforce. We are inviting all individuals who are tribal members, students, or people who work on tribal lands to attend!
For more information, contact Erin Boyd at erinboyd1@gmail.com or Diana Doan-Crider at diana@animopartnership.org.
**Coffee Break sponsored by the Intertribal Agriculture Council**
The Important Role of SRM Sections as Conduits for Increasing Diversity and Cultivating Inclusivity in the National SRM
1.5 hours
SRM Sections can be some of the most appropriate facilitators for increasing diversity and cultivating an environment of inclusivity. In this session, we will identify challenge areas, listen to success stories, and get input from students on areas that need improvement. Our objective is to work with SRM Section representatives, under-represented groups of students, and academic faculty to develop recommendations for outreach and recruitment strategies for SRM Sections. We are requesting that all SRM Section representatives attend, or that a representative be appointed to represent your Section.
For more information, contact Joel Brown at joel.brown@lin.usda.gov or joelbrow@nmsu.edu.