Diversity & Inclusion
The Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology (F&WE) is committed to creating a welcoming environment for all students, staff, and faculty. We are striving to make all members of F&WE, regardless of their identity, feel respected and included in our Department community and in our scientific disciplines. We are also working to provide fair and equitable opportunities to individuals belonging to historically marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds.
Fostering an environment where everyone is welcomed, valued, and encouraged to participate is a core value of F&WE. We are dedicated to supporting and promoting each other in our collective mission of providing research, instruction, and outreach that advances conservation and management of ecosystems.
F&WE Values Diversity – As scientists who study natural resources, we understand the value of diversity to the natural world. We recognize that populations of species possessing high genetic diversity are more resilient to changing environmental conditions. And we know that ecosystems possessing high species diversity are healthier, with greater productivity and increased sustainability. Furthermore, diversity of ecosystem functions enhances environmental stability and affords the world numerous ecological services, including resources used by humans. Likewise, we unequivocally believe that diversity among people brings value to our department and our fields of study, as well as to our society as a whole. Diversity in the F&WE community provides an invaluable source of creativity and strength. Simply put, F&WE values diversity – in all its various forms.
CALS Resources
CALS Diversity & Community – A website describing efforts by CALS to create a more diverse community that offers a welcoming environment for all students, faculty and staff.
CALS Student Resources – A website listing various resources available to students, including student organizations focused on diversity and inclusion, information on funding opportunities, wellness resources, and more.
Anti-racism Solidarity Statement
The F&WE community shares in the sadness and frustration over the repeated and senseless acts of brutality against Black, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Indigenous, Latinx and other vulnerable communities. These acts include the killings of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd and the March 2021 mass murder in Atlanta, Ga, that killed 8 women, 6 of whom were of Asian descent. Of course, these are only the most recent tragic and horrendous acts of violence stemming from systemic racism in our country. We condemn racism and stand in solidarity with those who wish to end racial injustices. As a department, we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable environment that welcomes, values, and respects everyone.
Tribal Land Acknowledgement Statement
The University of Wisconsin-Madison occupies Ho-Chunk Land, a place their nation has called Teejop (Day-JOPE) since time immemorial. In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk were forced to cede this territory. Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state government repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin.
This history of colonization informs our shared future of collaboration and innovation. Today, UW-Madison respects the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation, along with the eleven other First Nations of Wisconsin.
Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration and settlement that bring us together here today. And please join us in uncovering such truths every day. Learn more about the Department’s Mission and Values.