Dragonfly Diversity Cafe Virtual Talk & Discussions

Dragonfly Diversity Cafes is a developing series of virtual talks focusing on international conservation, urban and rural ecology, inquiry-based education, nature connections, and other relevant topics. The cafes aim to elevate marginalized perspectives on diversity, equality, and inclusion-related topics in an environmental and conservation setting. Invited speakers will explore topical ideas, research, and experience in the first half of the Cafe hour. In the latter half, the Cafe will open up for discussion and audience participation to engage with the speaker(s) and their ideas. Use this form to nominate yourself or another presenter(s) for an upcoming Dragonfly Cafe. Presentations are held on the third Thursday of each month from 7:30-8:30 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time (EST). For more information about each cafe and to register, click the links below. Presentations are available through Zoom. Some presentations will be recorded and available on Project Dragonfly’s YouTube site.

Dragonfly's nineteenth Diversity Cafe features Dean Regas. Dean is a renowned educator, author, national popularizer of astronomy and an expert in observational astronomy. Dean recently finished his 23-year tenure as the astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory. From 2010-2019 he was the co-host of the PBS program Star Gazers. He is the author of six books including "Facts From Space!" and "100 Things to See in the Night Sky". Dean is a frequent guest on National Public Radio’s Science Friday with Ira Flatow and NPR's Here & Now. He is also the creator and host of a popular astronomy podcast  called "Looking Up with Dean Regas".

Dean is a dynamic writer and public speaker who brings the complicated field of astronomy down to Earth for students of all ages.From 2010-2019 Dean was the co-host of the PBS program Star Gazers. He is the author of six books including ""Facts From Space!"" and ""100 Things to See in the Night Sky"". Dean is a frequent guest on National Public Radio’s Science Friday with Ira Flatow and NPR's Here & Now. He is also the creator and host of a popular astronomy podcast  called "Looking Up with Dean Regas". At the Cincinnati Observatory, he developed his skills as a dynamic writer and public speaker who brings the complicated field of astronomy down to Earth for students of all ages.

Want to know the name of that star? How do I find constellations like Orion, Gemini, and Taurus?  When can I see the planets? Based on his popular book, astronomer Dean Regas will show you the basic tips and tricks to identifying stars, constellations, planets, and more in the night sky. Plus he will outline how you can educate groups of people under the stars and throw the best star party in the universe.

• “100 Things to See in the Night Sky”
• Thursday, November 16th, 2023, 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET

Dragonfly's eighteenth Diversity Cafe features Dr. Karen Bailey. Dr. Karen Bailey is an Assistant Professor in the department of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is interested in human-environment interactions, climate change, and sustainable rural livelihoods. She is an environmental social scientist and combines social science research with environmental and ecological data to understand feedbacks between communities and their environments, how we can build resilience to climate change, and how to support landscapes that meet human needs and sustainability goals. She also has an emphasis on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in environmental fields and STEM more broadly and is committed to research that supports, amplifies and engages the most vulnerable among us. Her current projects focus on climate adaptation in southern Africa, human health and well-being in east Africa, barriers to entry in natural resource fields, just and equitable climate change research, and human-wildlife conflict and coexistence.

In this talk, Dr. Bailey will discuss the results of a scoping review aimed at better understanding how researchers define and operationalize equity and justice in climate adaptation. She will then discuss how these definitions and associated equity analysis are being applied in research projects on climate adaptation in New York state and human-wildlife coexistence in Thailand.

• “A framework for centering equity and justice in interdisciplinary environmental research: case studies from New York and Thailand”
• Thursday, October 19th, 2023, 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET

Dragonfly's seventeenth Diversity Cafe features Brenda Royce and Katy Tanis. A children’s book author and former chimpanzee keeper, Brenda Scott Royce has edited the L.A. Zoo’s award-winning magazine, ZOO VIEW, for more than a decade. Her passion is learning about our planet’s amazing wildlife and then communicating those discoveries to children. Katy Tanis is an illustrator and children’s book author. She spends most of her days chasing deadlines but occasionally wanders to far-off places, like Madagascar, where she chases primates instead. Her work focuses on ecology, inclusion, and creativity.

An insight into the ins and outs of the children's book industry. Learn the best way to communicate your ideas for the children's book industry and strategies to get your book out in the world.

• “Creating Children's Books for Scientists and Teachers”
• Thursday, September 28th, 2023, 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET

Go here to view the Power Point slides.

Dragonfly's sixteenth Diversity Cafe features Dr. Shana Klein. Dr. Klein is a professor at Kent State University and holds a Ph.D. in Art History from the University of New Mexico. She is the author of the book, “The Fruits of Empire: Art, Food, and the Politics of Race in the Age of American Expansion,” which won the SECAC Award for Excellence in Scholarly Research and Publication. This book demonstrates how pictures of food were not mere decoration, but a platform for artists and viewers to discuss heated debates over race and citizenship. Klein has been awarded several fellowships for her research at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, among others. She has presented her research in a number of journals and podcasts and she teaches classes that bring together American art, material culture, and social justice.

In 2003, Guatemalan artist Moisés Barrios painted the display windows of Banana Republic clothing stores. In the reflection of one window, he painted a vendor selling literal bananas. Barrios’s art urges viewers to question: how do we wear or eat the banana and at what cost? At whose expense was the banana harvested and imported from Central America to the United States? This presentation will analyze the visual history of the banana in art and the ways in which artists supported or resisted the banana wars of the twentieth century.

• “Seeing Spots: The Fever for Bananas, Land, and Power in American Art”
• Thursday, April 20th, 2023, 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET
• This talk was not recorded.

Dragonfly’s fifteenth Diversity Cafe features Antoinette Lee Toscano. Antoinette Lee Toscano, MBA — is a U.S. Army veteran, contributing writer at the America Outdoors Association, serving on its DEI task force, contributing writer at Paddling Magazine and Culturs, global, multicultural magazine, a public speaker, and the executive producer of AdventureTV. Additionally, Antoinette is a Carhartt ambassador, Kokatat National Brand Ambassador, co-founder of Diversify Whitewater, Board Member of Vibe Tribe Adventures, national director of the free National American Adventure Sports Club, Board Member of No Barriers USA, City of Loveland, Colorado Parks and Recreation Commissioner, an outdoor recreation educator at Aims Community College, a Watershed Drybags, Team River Runner, and Badfish SUP Paddling Team Member. One of her passions is talking about how outdoor recreation is at the intersection of health, wellness, conservation, and adventure. And she can usually be found on the river or in the backcountry.

Formerly marginalized people are priced out of outdoor recreation and conservation. But parks and recreation departments, non-profits, and the outdoor industry is working hard to change this narrative. Our discussion will expand on the thesis, discuss how the $862 billion outdoor industry is becoming more accessible, and discuss the impact of informal outdoor education on diversifying conservation.

• “The Formerly Marginalized are Priced Out of Recreation and Conservation”
• Thursday, March 16th, 2023, 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET

Dragonfly’s fourteenth Diversity Cafe features Dr. César Nufio. Dr. César Nufio is the Multimedia Content Developer at HHMI BioInteractive, an independent science philanthropy that is transforming science education by bringing the power of stories into the classroom. Dr. César Nufio is a Multimedia Content Developer at HHMI’s BioInteractive where he works with artists, educators, filmmakers, and scientists to support teachers as they engage and inspire students. Previously, he taught tropical biology courses for the Organization for Tropical Studies and explored the effect of climate change on insects in the Rocky Mountains while working at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History. Coming to this country as an undocumented child and experiencing the generosity given by so many during his journey has impacted his commitment to giving back and his understanding of the role identity plays in finding our way and building a space for others. 

HOW we teach and facilitate learning in our science classrooms is being revolutionized by student-centered practices that allow the learners themselves to guide their development and apply and assess their growing understanding. However, these practices are often agnostic to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. To increase our impact in our classrooms, we must also be mindful of WHO we teach and their values, perspectives, and chosen pathways, and ensure that WHAT we teach reflects an inclusive vision of science and its purpose.

• “Incorporating practices that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the science classroom”
• Thursday, February 16, 2023 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET

If you wish to view the recording of Dr. Nufio's talk, please email Dragonfly's Manuela Mejia at mejiam2@miamioh.edu

Dragonfly’s thirteenth Diversity Cafe features Dr. Ursula Valdez. Dr. Valdez is a Peruvian-USA Avian tropical ecologist and conservationist. She focuses on studies of bird community ecology, habitat use, and works in conservation programs in the SE Peruvian Amazon. She collaborates with other scientists and professionals and local communities of Madre de Dios to develop conservation programs. She is the founder and Director of CECCOT and works in collaboration with Hacienda Herrera in Peru. She is faculty at the Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts program at the University of Washington Bothell. Through her courses and field study abroad to Peru, she offers opportunities to connect her students with a body of local and international researchers, conservation organizations, and students working on ecology, natural history field research, and conservation. Dr. Valdez is the main instructor of the EE program Amazon: Avian and Tropical Ecology.

The Peruvian Amazonia is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, and thousands of species are distributed in this region. Unfortunately, many bird species and their habitats in the region have been affected by deforestation, agriculture expansion, and illegal mining. Dr. Valdez and her colleagues assess the bird populations, their distribution among available habitats, and the related impacts of human activities. Dr. Valdez will share how these studies have helped to engage and collaborate with local communities, to increase the participation of women and girls in science and outdoor education, and to open opportunities for international students and visitors in the education of natural history, conservation, and sustainability.

• “Birds of the Amazon: Ecological Research, Conservation and building local capacity in the SE Peruvian Amazon ”
• Thursday, November 10, 2022 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET

Dragonfly’s twelfth Diversity Cafe features Kayla Cranston. Dr. Kayla Cranston is Director of Co-design Science and Innovation at Antioch University New England where she leads environmental professionals and surrounding communities through co-design processes to collaboratively create conservation programming with the humans who will be impacted by that programming the most. She designs and implements science-based strategies to increase long-term engagement in conservation programming with an eye for inclusive evaluation practices to promote a sustainable relationship between a diverse population of humans and nature. Visit www.kaylacranston.com for more on the framework Dr. Cranston created to integrate the science of human behavior into the development of capacity for biodiversity conservation.

A growing number of environmental professionals are realizing that equitable and meaningful engagement of local community members in the development of programming is essential for catalyzing the durable, long-term action needed to conserve biodiversity. Many who attempt to co-design programs with (not for) communities find that choosing the most effective strategies to accomplish this task is crucial and can oftentimes feel daunting. In this webinar, we will identify 5 psychological principles professionals can use as guideposts and describe how participatory research strategies have been effectively implemented by organizations to engage their surrounding communities in the co-design of locally relevant conservation programming. 

• “Co-Designing Conservation With (not for) Communities ”
• Thursday, October 27, 2022 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET

Dragonfly’s eleventh Diversity Cafe features Germán Paredes, Aventureros Program Coordinator at the Vermilion Sea Institute (VSI) in Bahía de los Ángeles, Baja California, Mexico. Aventureros is a year-round youth program hosted by VSI that supports local students in discovering and caring for the marine and terrestrial worlds around them. In this talk, we’ll go through the particulars of this program and its importance for the Bahía de Los Ángeles, Baja California, Mexico.

Paredes’ interest in VSI came as an opportunity to link his academic experience in Anthropology with his passion for guiding outdoor experiences in Mexico. He has collaborated with a variety of community conservation projects in Mexico, Peru, and the USA. Through these experiences, Paredes realized that teamwork, community connection and nature-centered thinking is how we feel a sense of belonging with the biological world and a need to preserve it. Moreover, his experience in the study of the relationship between humans and nature and outdoors activities such as mountaineering, kayaking and as a Wilderness First Responder trained guide, plus Paredes’ multidisciplinary team, allow him to develop a program that shows the Aventureros what they are capable of, always questioning (for good) the ways they do things and to never quit learning.

• “Aventureros in the Bahía Paradise”
• Thursday, September 15, 2022 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET

Dragonfly’s tenth Diversity Cafe will take place on April 21, 2022, and features Katie Leung, a Miami University graduate student in the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP). The emergence and spread of Covid-19, which led to an uptick in violence and negative sentiment directed toward the Asian American community, inspired Katie Leung to shift her focus toward understanding why this occurred and, importantly, why these acts of hatred and violence continue. While grappling on a personal level with immense concern for her and her family’s personal safety, she learned much about her identity as an Asian American and how her identity connected and intertwined with her evolving interests in conservation. In this talk, Katie will dive into:

• The importance of mental and emotional health and how we must all honor ourselves during these difficult and divisive times;
• How the rise of hate crimes toward Asians and Asian Americans impacted her work and passion in conservation;
• How being in the time of Covid-19 made her realize she needed a career change to readjust her focus and how the master’s work she developed influenced this decision;
• Why acknowledging and breaking old habits are important to maintain one’s personal integrity.

As a master’s degree candidate with Project Dragonfly’s Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP), Leung participates in experiential learning through the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Leung has focused her academic work on plastic pollution in New York City, where she serves as the Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator at Riverkeeper, coordinating the Sweep, Riverkeeper’s largest day of service. She sees her position as a way to expand the scope of her AIP master’s degree. Before Riverkeeper, she served as a field technician with New York City Parks’ Wildlife Unit, in which she led a raptor nest monitoring community science project to study nesting behavior and to help NYC agencies make informed decisions on rodent management. She graduated from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a B.S. in Conservation Biology and centered her interests around wildlife conservation. Since then, her understanding of conservation has broadened as she has learned that environmental and social issues are interconnected, and she aims to involve more people in conservation to address these issues

• “Overcoming Personal and Professional Struggles as an Asian American in Conservation”
• Thursday, April 21, 2022 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET

Dragonfly’s ninth Diversity Cafe on March 17, 2022, features Dr. Ancilleno Davis. Having traveled to 13 countries and territories discussing and learning about conservation methods and techniques, Dr. Ancilleno Davis found a key element that affects failure and success seems to be local involvement. Dr. Davis will discuss how diversity affects understanding and action in conservation engagement.

Dr. Ancilleno (Leno) Davis (Ph.D. from Miami’s EEEB Program in 2018) is the Senior Scientist and Policy Analyst at the Bahamas National Trust; a Member of the National Environmental Health Board, Chair of the National Technical Committee on Environmental Protection and Management under the Bureau of Standards and Quality and owns the Science and Perspective Brand. His career focus is on community education and capacity building to support local autonomy in science-based environmental decision-making. Dr. Leno has taught students from 2 years to 101 years old regarding environmental issues at three universities, in 13 countries and at least 30 islands. He follows the Doer’s Code* and believes “We can each use more science, but we need more perspective.

• “Science and Perspective: The Importance of Local Knowledge for Global Conservation”
• Thursday, March 17, 2022, 7:30-8:30 p.m. EDT

Dragonfly‘s eighth Diversity Cafe on Feb. 17, 2022, features Katie Dell, outdoor educator and resource teacher naturalist for Baltimore County Public Schools in Maryland. Through this collaboration, audience members will have the opportunity to learn about:

• How historical factors and societal “norms” have created inequities in the environment; a problem that continues to plague communities and conservation today.
• Why equity is a must for conservation organizations.
• How you can begin to understand who is over and underrepresented in your conservation work.
• How we can move forward to create more inclusive, and safer spaces for people and wildlife alike.

Dell holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Towson University and a Master of Arts in Biology from Miami University’s Global Field Program. As a white, LGBTQ+ teacher in a racially and economically diverse school system, her academic research focuses on racial and gender equity in science and environmental education.

Dell spends her free time with family, friends, and her pit bull mix, Luna, hiking, kayaking, and taking pictures in the great outdoors. She also leads field courses for Vermilion Sea Institute (VSI) and volunteers as the Community Outreach Coordinator. In this role, she helps VSI build capacity around diversity, equity, and inclusion as an international organization committed to welcoming visitors, volunteers, and partners from all walks of life.

• “Pursuing Equity: A Must for Conservation” 
• Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, 7:30 p.m. EDT

Dragonfly‘s seventh Diversity Cafe on November 18, 2021, features Credell Walls (goes by “Cre”) who currently serves as Program Coordinator for the Forest Preserve of Cook County, Illinois. He has worked with the Jane Goodall Institute and the Garfield Park Conservatory managing various youth programs locally and nationally. He has delivered professional and personal development training workshops to more than 3,000 youth nationally.

Walls’ background includes studying improvisational comedy at Chicago’s Second City and he has performed with the sketch comedy group “Soul Fools” and “Minority Rules” in different festivals and venues in Chicago. Throughout his career, Walls has made several TV and radio spots promoting service learning and youth development. Walls earned a BA from DePaul University in Nonprofit Management and an MA in Biology through Project Dragonfly‘s Advanced Inquiry Program in affiliation with the Chicago Zoological Society’s Brookfield Zoo. He is a proud graduate of the 2019 Latino Policy Forum, a Multicultural Leadership Academy which promotes black and brown relationship building. Walls was also chosen as a member of the 2020 University of Chicago Civic Actors Studio and was selected as a 2021 SHIFT Emerging Leader.

Walls believes that everyone can make a difference, but the first change must come from within. With that personal change, you can create change around you.

Learn about the life of Credell Walls as he shares how connecting youth to nature helped him to overcome personal life challenges.

• “How Connecting Teens to Nature Saved My Life” 
• Thursday, November 18, 2021, 7:30 p.m. ET

Through this collaboration, audience members will have the opportunity to learn about the history and understanding of the regional landscape from the Myaamia perspective. The Myaamia people were the native people in the Miami River Valley prior to European colonization in the 1800s; Miami University’s name reflects the name of the region inhabited by the Myaamia. The Myaamia Center’s perspectives of reconnecting with the land of the Myaamia people will enable us to reflect on our own, perhaps disrupted and hopefully regenerating, connections to the land wherever the members of our global Dragonfly community are. 

Pictured: The Myaamia Heritage Logo symbolizes the unique relationship between the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and Miami University. The design is a reference to Myaamia ribbonwork, a traditional Miami Tribe art form.

• “Myaamionki ‘place of the Miami’” 
• Thursday, October 21, 2021, 7:30 p.m. ET

Dragonfly‘s fifth Diversity Cafe on July 15, 2021, features Jessie Young, a Creole Belizean woman and a strong advocate for the environment and conservation. She was instrumental in establishing the world-famous Community Baboon Sanctuary and Belize’s first natural history museum. Young’s role as one of the first women’s group leaders involved in conservation in Belize echoed a new wave for women and gender equity leadership in the conservation of their natural resources. She has been recognized by many for her dedication including receiving the James A. Waight Award in 2019, the highest award for conservation in Belize. Read Young’s full bio here.

• Gender, Equity, and Leadership in Conservation 
• Thursday, July 15, 2021, 7:30 p.m. ET

Dragonfly‘s fourth Cafe on June 17, 2021, features brothers Austin and Taylor Parker of Pelecanus, a conservation-based collective committed to telling stories and demonstrating optimism through science, presenting cutting-edge conservation and the role communications play in helping find hope, and inspiring people into conservation action. This talk will take a deep dive into the process of reframing the conservation narrative for the sake of showing innovative conservation futures.

• Optimism in Global Conservation 
• Thursday, June 17, 2021, 7:30 p.m. EST

Dragonfly‘s third Diversity Cafe on May 20, 2021, features Ginny Boehme, a science librarian at Miami University, and the library liaison to the Project Dragonfly program. Boehme’s passion lies in helping her students become informed, engaged, and active citizens.

In the current internet-focused age, we like to think of information access as equitable, but this is rarely true. Even with open science initiatives on the rise across the globe, there is much information that remains difficult or impossible for many to access, with heavy bias given to research published by white, English-speaking authors. This talk will focus on information equity in the current research landscape, and will cover some tips for seeking out a diversity of viewpoints during your graduate studies.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Scholarly Research 
• Thursday, May 20, 2021, 7:30 p.m. EST

Dragonfly‘s second Diversity Cafe on April 8, 2021, features Tanner Yess, Co-Executive Director at Groundwork Ohio River Valley of Groundwork USA, a national network of environmental justice-based nonprofits. Yess will discuss acknowledging the intersections of justice, race, equity, and the environment and what comes next. Co-hosted by Dragonfly‘s Jill Korach, Assistant Director of Field Programs, and Gabi Thompson, current Dragonfly master’s student in Miami University’s Advanced Inquiry Program with experiential learning at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo.

Yess was raised by scientists and grew up paddling, pedaling, and planting trees. After earning a degree in ecology, he worked on a fishing vessel in the Bering Sea. His Peace Corps service involved resource management and eco-tourism. During graduate school, Tanner helped form Greater Cincinnati’s Tri-State Trails Coalition. He is a National Park Service Mountains to Mainstreet Ambassador, SHIFT Emerging Leader, and recipient of the 2018 Murie Center Rising Leader Award. Yess’ passion is creating new pathways for urban youth to access green careers. 

• Untangling Equity and the Environment: the Future of Conservation and How We Get There
• Thursday, April 8, 2021, 7:30 p.m. EST

Dragonfly‘s inaugural Diversity Cafe on March 18, 2021 features National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Knauss Fellow Dr. Emily Horton. Dr. Horton will share her perspective on gender, wellbeing, and alternative governance narratives in small-scale fishing foodways.

Within the context of global fishery declines, there is need for more inclusive environmental governance that addresses sustainability and livelihood concerns. Centered on small-scale fishing communities in a Brazilian marine reserve, this presentation explored how “zangaria” fisheries and a seasonal-fishing ban shape the well-being of different actors situated along zangaria-fishing foodways.

With doctoral training in cultural and ecological anthropology, Dr. Horton specializes in the human dimensions of environmental governance and policy. She has held diverse socio-environmental positions in the nonprofit, governmental, and academic, sectors in North and South America (Brazil and Paraguay). These experiences have shaped her professional vision of collaborating with diverse stakeholders across sectors, disciplines, and geographies to address sustainability and wellbeing challenges in an equitable, just, and inclusive manner. 

• Rendering Visible: Gender, Wellbeing, & Alternative Governance Narratives in Small-Scale Fishing Foodways 
• Thursday, March 18, 2021, 7:30 p.m. EST  
• This talk was not recorded.