Tag: Sarah Wald

Environmental Justice Within the United States Prior to 1980

Presenter(s): Dante Ibarra − Environmental Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Sarah Wald

Poster 161

Research Area: Environmental Justice Movement

My work will include creating a timeline, about the Environmental Justice Movement, that BARK can use as a teaching tool, which will quickly educate new and current members. I am working with a team, to cover the large amount of diverse information that the Environmental Justice Movement has. The other group members’ timelines will further increase the education at BARK as they will help will the understanding of other topics. In order to find out as much information as I can I will read books and journals within society and environment sections of libraries. Once I have a list a few notable events I will have to examine their significances on the rest of time to decide which to include on the timeline. The environmental justice movement was created with the goal of equally distributing environmental benefits and burdens amongst all people regardless of race, color, origin or income. In America the first time civil rights were used to challenge the placement of a waste facility was in 1979, Houston wanted another dump in a primarily African-American neighborhood so the residences protested using their given rights. More communities began to challenge unfair treatment and with no time the government was involved, signing acts such as the Clean Air Act. Without having this type of information easily available it can be lost and with it the meaning.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in On-boarding for Event Policy for Volunteers

Presenter(s): Cally Gustafson − Environmental Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Sarah Wald

Poster 154

Research Area: Environmental Studies

Diversity, equity and inclusion are necessary to think about when planning an event that involves groups of different backgrounds and cultures. I will work to help Bark (an organization whose mission is to help preserve and restore Mt. Hood National Forest back to a thriving forest with help from the community) plan events for their organization that uses diversity, equity and inclusion for the benefit of their guests. In developing a policy about how Bark welcomes volunteers to events, I hope to help Bark choose a friendly way to welcome their guests that will allow everyone to feel comfortable and appreciated enough to come to the following event. I want to allow all races and cultures to feel comfortable at the events through making the events friendly for everyone and to not offend any of them. I would enjoy finding out that through my research I have improved the overall acceptance rate of their guests and also their guest total for events (how many people show up). Through my research I hope that Bark will have an improved onboarding process for volunteers and that their guests will feel welcomed enough to want to come to as many events as they can. The significance of my research is to help Bark be able to have an on boarding process that is diverse enough for everyone to feel welcome and included.

Gender, Inclusion, and Communication in the Environmental Movement: The Case of Organization Bark

Presenter(s): Arnaud Gonzalez – Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Sarah Wald

Poster 153

Research Area: Social Science

I am part of a project to audit the online resources of environmental organization Bark, which is dedicated to “defending and restoring Mt. Hood National Forest”, and to make a protocol for the use of inclusive language in their communication. I personally focus on gender-inclusiveness: how to avoid representations that demonstrate misogyny (oppression against women), heteronormativity (assumption that everyone is or should be straight), cissexism (assumption that everyone is or should be cisgender – vs. transgender) and dyadism (assumption that everyone is dyadic – vs. intersex); and how to use, instead, gender-neutral and LGBT+-inclusive language. I analyze both the terms used and the visuals shared on the organization’s website and Facebook page in recent publications. Based on academic and activist resources, I suggest changes and goals to the organization. The environmental movement traditionally reproduces oppressions against women and sexual and gender minorities. It often shows prejudice against them and gives unfair power to men and cisgender, straight and/or dyadic individuals, especially through a predominant visibility and a larger credibility given to them. This protocol is meant
to inspire environmental organizations to offer inclusive information and spaces where people who face oppression feel safe, accepted, respected and welcome.

Conservation Efforts in the Progressive Era: A Timeline

Presenter(s): Amanda Ganje − Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Sarah Wald, Paul Guernsey

Poster 151

Research Area: Humanities

Attempts to conserve and preserve the environment in the United States have been around for over hundred years with roots in the Progressive Era. This time period, from 1890-1920s, saw notable figures like John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt rise up to speak out on the importance of preserving the environment, and under Roosevelt’s presidency came the formation of national parks and monuments. I’ve made a timeline capturing the most significant events from this time period to show the foundation of the conservation movement. This timeline is being used as a part of BARK’s, the watchdog organization for Mt. Hood National Forest, efforts to teach the community on the history of conservation. BARK’s mission is making Mt. Hood National Forest a place where local communities have social, cultural, and economic investment in its restoration and preservation which this timeline hopes to help accomplish this by engaging the community more with the natural environment through learning about the background of its management. The events included in this timeline were found using relevant scholarly journals and books. This information is significant as it is an essential part of the United States conservation history, and educational for the general public.

Barriers based on Class and Ability in Community Engagement with Bark

Presenter(s): Shannon Ellis − Environmental Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Sarah Wald

Poster 148

Research Area: Social Science

There are many barriers that limit various stakeholders from being able to visit national parks and forests on a regular basis in a way that allows them to positively engage with nature. I will be working with Bark, a Mt. Hood National Forest-based non-profit, to analyze the different barriers based on class and ability that limit the participation of people that would like to involved with Bark. Some of the major barriers found for Bark so far include accessibility, availability to transportation, and potentially exclusive volunteer and engagement opportunities. I will be using scholarly and peer reviewed journals primarily, including articles from “Leisure Sciences; An Interdisciplinary Journal”, “The International Journal of Special Education”, and an article written by University of Oregon Professor Betsy Wheeler. I will also be gathering information from meetings with representatives from Bark. It is important to first acknowledge the potential barriers that restrict the participation of underrepresented stakeholders and groups in order to eventually make Bark a more inclusive, diverse and equitable organization.

Passing Through Barriers Progressively

Presenter(s): John Creel − Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Sarah Wald

Poster 146

Research Area: Environmental Policy

This project will examine how various barriers can deflect social movements away from useful information, specifically Bark and it’s advocates for the protection of Mt. Hood National Forest. I will be showing that race, discrimination, language, settler colonialism, and religion can create various types of barriers. My questions are, what factors lead to these groups being put behind these barriers? Also, are there correlations that can be drawn to help mitigate these barriers from arising? As well as how is it beneficial for these groups to gain access to information and be able to participate? The major research strategies I will be using: the gathering of qualitative/quantitative research as well as any case studies that can be found, and an interview would be beneficial as well. The goal is to let anyone’s voice be heard and show that it is beneficial to Barks collective. Can this then be used as an outline for other organizations to help them facilitate information in a more productive manner to society. Thus, forming policies and coalitions that are devoid of barriers that all promote the same goal, which is environmental sustainability and protection.

Creating A Language Audit To Avoid Ableism For Bark Organization

Presenter(s): Ege Akinci − Environmental Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Sarah Wald

Poster 138

Research Area: Humanities

Inclusive language can easily be ignored in most media sources like web pages or Facebook pages and include such words that carry colonialist, racist, sexist or ableist language without intentions. To avoid such language, this project will create a language audit and I will be focusing on ableism and accessibility in language, which is to make sure that the language used is including people with disabilities as this aspect can be easily ignored in writings. Through creating the language audit, I will use different previously created language audits and scholar papers written on ableism and how to avoid ableist language. This language will be created for the Bark-Out’s website and Facebook account. Bark-out’s mission is to transform Mt. Hood National Forest to a place where wildlife can be protected and local communities can have a social, economic and cultural investment in its preservation. Creating a language audit is particularly important to include each and every person in Barks mission, to preserve the natural, social and cultural aspects of Mt. Hood Natural Forest.