Society of Canadian Ornithologists
Société des ornithologistes
du Canada
The Society of Canadian Ornithologists/la Société des Ornithologistes du Canada (SCO-SOC) acknowledges that systemic racism is pervasive in Canada, and we wish to join the voices of protest that are saying enough is enough. The SCO-SOC condemns all acts of individual and institutional racism, harassment, and discrimination. We recognize, and wish to address, underlying biases in our actions and institutions that continue to perpetuate inequality. No one should feel vulnerable, voiceless, or pre-judged. No one should feel that their identity, gender, sexuality, ability, race, or ethnicity precludes them from enjoying nature in public spaces or participating in wildlife research. We have a responsibility to stand with and support our colleagues, students, and neighbours to ensure equality for everyone.
Now is the time to face inequities, both acknowledged and unrecognized, and begin embracing the changes that are necessary to remove barriers to participation, inclusion, representation, and justice. Repairing the inequities within the SCO-SOC, as well as within our broader communities, will take time to do well, and we commit to dedicating ourselves to these efforts over the long term. As such, we have formed an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee that has been tasked with determining both short-term and long-term actions that we can follow to support and promote the inclusion and well-being of ornithologists from groups historically denied equity in Canada.
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At present, the EDI Committee is working on several initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion within the SCO-SOC:
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Providing a free membership program to remove barriers to entry
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Periodically featuring historically underrepresented ornithologists in Canada on our social media outlets
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Developing clear metrics to track the effectiveness of our EDI efforts;
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Surveying our membership to better understand its characteristics and needs;
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Introducing social and networking opportunities to support underrepresented communities;
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Offering a new workshop series and a personalized mentorship program to support the career development of all students and early career researchers;
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Introducing a new award to support students from underrepresented communities; and
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Increasing transparency and accountability by making metrics on society membership and EDI-promoting activities publicly available.
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These activities are by no means exhaustive and will be built upon in the years to come. We welcome input from the ornithological community in Canada, so please feel free to contact us via social media (X, Instagram, or Facebook) or by email (nicola.koper@umanitoba.ca) with your suggestions for how we can improve SCO-SOC.
