Nurturing Sustainable Biodiversity Within Your Nature Club

Talk Abstract

What do you notice when looking around at your nature club or organization? Do you see a homogenous set of regular members and contributors and can’t figure out why? If you want to create an inclusive and welcoming club that attracts and retains diverse members, you can! It is not a simple, one-and-done solution, however. Through intentional focus, targeted interventions, and sustained effort (just like in our gardens!), you can grow a thriving community of members that reflects the beautiful diversity of our population, all striving together to protect, conserve, and enjoy our natural environment and resources. In this talk, you’ll learn about a different ecosystem than you are used to, the engagement ecosystem, and how to create and nurture an inclusive environment that attracts and retains the talent and ideas you are missing.

About the Speaker

Dr. Meagan Pollock envisions a world where personal and social circumstances are not obstacles to achieving potential and where kindness, inclusivity, and conservation prevail. A past recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Meagan holds a PhD in engineering education from Purdue University, an MS in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University, and a BS in computer science from Texas Woman’s University. As an engineer turned educator for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Meagan focuses on helping others intentionally engineer inclusion™ in education and the workforce through her company, Engineer Inclusion. Meagan is working toward earning her Texas Master Naturalist Certification with the Sabine-Neches chapter and volunteers at the Shangri-la Botanical Gardens in Orange, Texas, as a boat driver for the bayou outpost tours. An international and TEDx speaker, consultant, teacher, engineer, and equity leader, her mission is to provide services, tools, and resources that inspire awareness and initiate action.