OUR MISSION
Field Inclusive strives to provide tangible and actionable improvements in the natural resources by addressing social field safety issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). We seek to support all field biologists in the natural sciences through identifying and addressing field safety issues, developing field safety resources, and supporting marginalized researchers through financial aid and experiential learning opportunities.
OUR VISION
We envision a world in which the outdoors feels safe and welcoming, regardless of personal identity (race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, or religion). We believe all field researchers deserve and have a right to the tools necessary for success in their professional work.
OUR GOALS
1. Center & amplify voices, visibility, & experiences of Marginalized Field Researchers.
2. Prioritize social field safety for all Field Researchers, both individually & institutionally.
3. Provide a field safety training course.
4. Support Marginalized Field Researchers with scholarships for research-related expenses.
5. Work toward making the natural sciences more accessible & inclusive for people with physical disabilities and chronic illnesses.
6. Provide and organize safe training & experiential field opportunities for Marginalized Field Researchers (both current and prospective).
7. Work toward proper financial compensation for field work.
What is Social Field Safety?
At-risk individuals include minority identities of the following: race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity and/or religion. When individuals from these backgrounds enter unfamiliar communities in the course of fieldwork, they may be placed in an uncomfortable and potentially unsafe ‘othered’ position, and prejudice may manifest against them.
from Safe fieldwork strategies for at-risk individuals, their supervisors and institutions (Demery et al. 2021)
Meet the Team
Murry Burgess
CEO
Murry Burgess is an Associate Wildlife Biologist®, Urban Ecologist, and Ornithologist who studies the effects of sensory pollutants on songbird health and development. She currently conducts a field experiment testing the impacts of light pollution on Barn Swallow chicks. In addition to her research, Murry is an environmental educator and children’s author. Her first book, Why Wolves Howl, is available on Amazon, and Sparrow Learns Birds – the first of her children’s nature book series with Christy Ottaviano Books / Little Brown Publishers – is expected Summer 2023. Murry started Field Inclusive based on her own experiences working in a rural, predominately white area and her subsequent field safety activism. Learn more about Murry by visiting her website, and find her on Instagram and Twitter as @murryloub.
Lauren D. Pharr
CEO
Lauren D. Pharr is an avian ecologist whose research focuses on avian ecology and conservation, and endangered avian species. She is currently a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University pursing her degree in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology where she is investigating the impact of climate change on the reproductive success of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. She is an award-winning science communicator, a member of the Leadership in Public Science Cluster, and holds editorial roles at both North Carolina Sea Grant and The Wildlife Society. She is also a passionate advocate for inclusivity and support for marginalized individuals in the natural science field, empowering historically underrepresented individuals and actively works towards creating a more diverse and inclusive academic community. Learn more about Lauren by visiting her website, and find her on Instagram and Twitter as @ldpharr.
Kayla Stukes
Intern
Kayla Stukes is a current masters student at North Carolina State University. She is pursuing her master’s degree in Forestry, with her minor being in Human Dimensions. Her current research encompasses environmental justice with a focus on marginalized communities and the suppressed participation in carbon programs of several racial minority demographics. Kayla is one of our interns, eager to assist in the bridging of the nature gap by applying past experience and knowledge obtained through her research to support the foundation of environmental inclusivity through Field Inclusive. Outside of academia, Kayla is an avid kayaker and birder, who often spends her time practicing self-employed Dendrology, fascinated by the plant/tree
species of the state. To learn more about Kayla’s background, check out the NCSU NNF website!
Advisory Board
(Coming Soon)