Virginia Master Naturalists Fall Webinar Series
Diversity & Inclusion in Natural Resource Education
Connecting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to Nature in Baltimore
Presenters: Diamon Clark (Black by Nature) and
Atiya Wells (Backyard Basecamp, Inc.)
This webinar will have two parts, followed by a joint question-and-answer session.
Part 1: Black by Nature founder, Diamon Clark, will be sharing her lessons learned as a diversity advocate in the outdoor community, her journey as an environmental educator, and her success facilitating the first all-Black cohort of Maryland Master Naturalists this year.
Part 2: Hear from Atiya Wells, founder of Backyard Basecamp in Baltimore City, as she discusses the importance of equity in greenspace design, creation, and community cultivation. With their BLISS Meadows project, Backyard Basecamp has reclaimed 10-acres of vacant land in their neighborhood to be used as a place for environmental education and community greenspace.
Diamon Clark is a Baltimore city native, Maryland Master Naturalist, and has a B.S. in Environmental Science. She is also the founder of Black by Nature, a non-profit organization whose mission is to elevate Black joy and environmental literacy through naturalist training, outdoor programs, and science storytelling. Diamon has worked as an independent researcher, environmental educator, freelance writer, facilitator, and is an avid explorer. Most importantly, she is an advocate for diversity in outdoor recreation and environmental leadership.
Atiya Wells is a registered nurse, outdoor educator, and the Founder/Executive Director of Backyard Basecamp,Inc. - a nonprofit with a mission to (re)connect Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to land and nature. While learning more about our natural world, she often noticed that she was one of the few, if not the only, Person of Color in the room. By diving into research and history, she learned that ancestral wounding and historical trauma are key players to the lack of diversity in nature-based programming. She has since dedicated her time to slowly (re)introducing her community to nature by starting in their own backyards and eventually embarking on a journey into the many wild spaces across Baltimore.
For more information visit http://www.virginiamasternaturalist.org/diversity--inclusion-series.html
These events are made possible through a generous grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment.
Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments. Its programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, military status, or any other basis protected by law.
If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Michelle Prysby at 434-872-4571/TDD* or masternaturalist@vt.edu during business hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations at least 10 days prior to the event. *TDD number is (800) 828-1120.
Photo Credits: Atiya Wells (Backyard Basecamp, Inc.)