Decolonizing Ecology: Five Steps Towards More Inclusive and Ethical Research Practice

This webinar is the third presentation in the Northwest CASC’s Practical Frameworks for Collaborative
Climate Adaptation Research webinar series. More information.
Register for the webinar here.
 
Webinar description:
Ecological research helps us understand connections between people, species and landscapes and the actions we need to take to prepare and adapt to a changing climate. However, since Western approaches to understanding the world have shaped the field of ecology, it is embedded in a colonial legacy that has led to dispossession, racism, extraction and power imbalances that continue today. By acknowledging this history and working to undo the ways of thinking that have led to such harm, we have the opportunity to create a more ethical approach to ecology that recognizes diverse peoples and knowledges. In their paper Decoloniality and anti-oppressive practices for a more ethical ecology, Madhusudan Katti and coauthors call for decolonizing ecology through actively undoing systems and ways of thinking to promote more inclusive and effective practices. In this webinar, Madhusudan will outline five shifts to help transform academic ecological practice: 1) decolonize your mind; 2) know your histories; 3) decolonize access; 4) decolonize expertise; and 5) practice ethical ecology in inclusive teams.
PRESENTER:
Madhusudan Katti | Associate Professor, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University & Faculty Affiliate, Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center
Dr. Madhusudan Katti is an Associate Professor in the Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Program for Leadership in Public Science and the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University. He is also a Faculty Affiliate of the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center. He engages local communities and the broader public in studying how human activities and histories of colonization and segregation shape the distribution of nature and biodiversity in urban areas in the context of climate change and globalization, and the historical legacy effects of differential access to nature for disadvantaged communities. He is actively engaged in rethinking and redesigning his own research and the teaching of ecology and conservation biology within a broader framework of decolonizing science.