Presenter: Melissa Watkinson, Salish Sea DEI Community of Practice

Abstract: Addressing inequity and working toward environmental justice is essential to a successful environmental movement. Currently, there are significant disparities in the representation, content, and processes for implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the environmental field across the Salish Sea and the Pacific Northwest Coast. Although professionals in this field are aware and concerned about issues related to DEI, there is an overall lack of understanding for how to integrate these concepts into the environmental workforce. Addressing inequity and working toward environmental justice is essential to a successful environmental movement. We believe that by creating and fostering a Salish Sea DEI Community of Practice (CoP), we can begin to build this critical foundation together.