Ecological Meeting Emphasizes Inclusivity and Human Context

 By Richard B. Primack

“The greater part of what my neighbors call good I believe in my soul to be bad, and if I repent of any I think it is likely to be my good behavior.” Henry David Thoreau in Walden.

The COVID pandemic seriously disrupted large international scientific conferences, with many meetings cancelled or held remotely. Many people argued that this provided an opportunity to create a better way of organizing conferences that was more affordable, not as ecologically damaging, and more diverse and inclusive of participants.  

This year, the Ecological Society of America (ESA) held its annual meeting in Portland, Oregon (USA) with around 4,000 participants. While most sessions were held only in person, representing a return to the pre-COVID approach, the meeting theme of “ESA for All Ecologists,” reflected an emphasis on inclusion and the human context of ecology. This theme was reflected in many of the plenary talks and workshops.

Photo 1:  Kendra Cheruvelil, Adrienne Sponberg, and I presented a Special Session on Workplace Culture Change for a more Inclusive Ecology.

Most of the conference sessions focused on basic ecological science, including climate change ecology, biogeochemistry, plant-insect interactions, phenology, patterns of species diversity, and ecosystem processes. In addition, many sessions explored Indigenous science and working with Indigenous communities, many of which included presentations by Indigenous scientists. 

Photo 2: Making new friends at the ESA: Corey Callaghan, Carsten Meyer, Robert Guralnick, Laura Melissa Guzman, and myself. 

The new voices and perspectives at the sessions added to the vibrancy and quality of the conference. Based on the ESA example, it appears that international scientific conferences are making some post-COVID changes, just not all the changes some anticipated.