Invitation for 2SLBGTQIA+ and BIPOC/racialized students and professionals in ornithology and ecology to join meetups for socializing, support, and networking
The Society for Canadian Ornithologists hosts small monthly meet-up groups to facilitate socialization, support, and networking for BIPOC*/racialized as well as 2SLGBTQ+ ornithologists, and we would like to invite other queer and BIPOC/racialized ecologists to join us for conversation and support.
We love knowing there are other queer and BIPOC ecologists out there, and learning from and supporting all of you, so ecologists who work on species other than birds are also welcome if you don’t mind talking about birds some of the time. You do not need to be a member of SCO-SOC to join us. Conversations and examples are often global – no need to be in Canada to attend.
We love enriching our conversation with many perspectives, so you are welcome to join even if you do not identify as belonging to the different communities these terms to take in. We do expect, however, that you remain sensitive and respectful to the diverse topics and experiences that people with these identities might want to share, as we want these meet-ups to remain a safe(r) space of mutual respect.
What do we talk about? Our formats vary monthly. Often, we have a professional ornithologist or a student be the session guest and talk about their work and/or experiences as a scientist from a marginalized group, followed by discussion. Topics have included the challenges and strengths of being both a mum and a Ph.D. student in a new country, experiences of an international student/professional worker in the world of ecology in Canada, and more! We are always open to new ideas and suggestions.
Meet-ups will be monthly from January-April 2023.
The BIPOC meet-up is on the second Wednesday of every month. Our usual time is 7 pm CST (in our effort to support as many time zones in Canada as possible after the workday is over).
The 2SLGBTIA+ meet-up is on the second Monday of every month at 7pm CST, except the January 9 meeting, which will be 6pm CST. We’ll be talking with a queer ornithologist about setting up a new banding program in the Caribbean, and will also discuss experiences working as a professional ecologist and being a student in countries that are less welcoming to 2SLGBTQIA+ community members.
To sign up for either or both, follow https://linktr.ee/scosoc. To get on the email list and receive Outlook calendar invites to find out about these monthly meet-ups, please email nicola.koper@umanitoba.ca. Also follow the Society of Canadian Ornithologists on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to find out about these events, and more!
Note that SCO-SOC offers free membership to folks from underrepresented groups, including BIPOC/racialized communities, so consider joining to get access to our many other services, such as student awards, webinar series, meeting group for racialized ornithologists, and mentorship program. For more info email nicola.koper@umanitoba.ca.
*We use the term BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) recognizing that it is a term that can be perceived as lumping together communities that are different and do not necessarily face the same challenges and level of injustice. By using it, we are not looking to erase the diversity in the communities that are included, but to highlight the fact that these identities are still underrepresented in the field of ecology. Finally, we highlight such underrepresentation with the ultimate purpose of changing this, bringing more diversity into the world of science.