Diversity, equity, inclusion in the outdoors workshop brings conservation groups together

The racial shift and ethnic shift that's happening in the country's demographics isn't reflected in the leadership of the country, businesses, organizations or the outdoors, said Parker McMullen Bushman who led a workshop Monday on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in conservation and the outdoors.

Bushman is CEO and founder of Ecoinclusive Strategies and co-founder of Inclusive Guide website.

The website is modeled on the Green Book, guides for Black people during segregation to know where they could safely eat and stay when traveling, Bushman said. The website, however, focuses on outdoor spaces and is geared toward many different races, nationalities and abilities.

The workshop included individuals from Missouri River Relief, Missouri Stream Team, Missouri Master Naturalists, Missouri River Bird Observatory. Missouri Conservation Corps, Boone County Stormwater Management and the Columbia Office of Sustainability.

It's the first time the local conservation groups have joined to learn and talk about diversity, equity and inclusion in the outdoors.

The discussion is crucial, said Kristen Schulte, Missouri River Relief education director.

The event was at the University of Missouri's Bradford Research Farm, and Schulte acknowledged the native peoples who once held the land.

"The land still carries their voices and stories," Schulte said.

Bushman grew up in the Bronx, where she would collect aluminum cans with her dad to sell for a nickel apiece and where an uncle would ride his bicycle to work because he didn't have a car, she said.

The efforts weren't about concern for the environment, but just getting by, she said.

Growing up, she often was the only Black person involved in outdoor activities or organizations, she said.

"I never say anyone that looked like me, growing up, in these fields," she said

She didn't expect participants to solve the issues that day, she said.

"At the end of this, it's not going to wrap up like a nice little sit-com," Bushman said.

She asked small groups at the table to come up with a definition of diversity.

Some participants linked racial and ethnic diversity with biodiversity in nature.

"If you take one out, the whole system suffers," said Christy Quinn, with not-for-profit First Chance for Children, making the biodiversity connection.

A rifle to one person may be a tool for hunting, while someone else may perceive a rifle as a weapon for killing people, came a comment from another table.

Diversity is representation, Bushman said.

One person who is racially or ethnically different from the others doesn't make a group diverse, she said.

"We judge people based on what we can see" but there's so much more including sexual orientation, religion, accent and education, she said.

In 2023 more than half of children in the U.S. were minorities and by 2050, the non-Hispanic white demographic will be 47%, Bushman said.

"We have a big racial shift that is happening with our nation," Bushman said. "We have not had a lot of shift in who our leadership is."

White men hold 65% of elected positions and are 88% of CEOs of Forbes, Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies.

They also are 98% of U.S. presidents.

"Thanks, Barack," she said of that statistic.

The disparity also occurs in conservation, she said. It is shown in National Park Service visitation and employment Environmental organizations describe a "green ceiling" of just 12% to 16% minorities in leadership positions.

"The earth is something we have in common," Bushman said. "Everyone should be involved in the conversation."

In small group discussions about the reasons for the disparities, some ideas raised included following old patterns and resistance to change. Money and institutional racism were other explanations.

Laura Richardson, with Missouri Stream Team, said the workshop is worthwhile.

Missouri Stream Team does litter pickup and education outreach. It works closely with Missouri River Relief.

"I think we stand for education," Richardson said during a break. "We're always interested in learning more and how to be better."

Something that appealed to her during the morning session was the phrase "know your intent, but understand your impact," Richardson said.

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on X at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Applying diversity, equity and inclusion to conservation activities