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

This Diversity Cafe is part of Dragonfly Cafes, a developing series of virtual talks focusing on international conservation, urban and rural ecology, inquiry-based education, nature connections, and other relevant topics. Our Diversity Cafes aim to elevate marginalized perspectives on diversity, equality, and inclusion-related topics in an environmental and conservation setting. The 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.