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Diversify Wildlife

A short film by

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Bayan Ahmed

Jaclyn Aliperti

Korinna Domingo

Chris Collier

Ximena Gil

A project of The Wildlife Society Western Section

Diversity Committee

Meet the Film Crew

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Bayan Ahmed (she/her/hers)

Co-Producer, Film Assistant, Production Stills, Interviewer

Bayan is a Humboldt State University (HSU) Alumni. She received her B.S. in Wildlife Conservation Biology & Applied Vertebrate Ecology. Bayan now works for the Department of Water Resources (DWR) as an Environmental Scientist where she provides instruction for environmental compliance and coordinates biological resource surveys and monitoring to evaluate impacts of proposed activities on various special status species in the Sacramento/San Joaquin river watersheds and Delta. Bayan is also heavily involved with The Wildlife Society Western Section as the Chair of the Diversity Committee. Moving forward, Bayan hopes to continue bringing awareness to the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the wildlife field through science communication.

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Jaclyn Aliperti (she/her/hers)

Co-Producer, Editor, Sound Mixer, Camera Operator, Production Stills, Interviewer

Jackie is a PhD candidate in Ecology at University of California, Davis. She aims to bridge the fields of behavioral and spatial ecology to aid wildlife management and increase awareness of conservation issues through science communication. Her Master’s work investigated plant-animal interactions between two species of bats and the world’s largest species of cactus in Baja California, Sur Mexico. Jackie is now focusing her dissertation research on long-term habitat selection decisions and the interplay between behavioral and spatial dynamics of golden-mantled ground squirrels in Gothic, Colorado. She feels passionate about engaging the public through scientific storytelling.

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Korinna Domingo (she/her/hers)

Co-Producer, Camera Operator, Production Manager, Production Stills, Interviewer

Korinna is a wildlife biologist from Los Angeles, California, USA. Throughout the years she has worked on a variety of wildlife projects that include species such as black bears, mountain lions, porcupines, river otters, and Roosevelt elk. She received her B.Sc. in Wildlife Management & Conservation from Humboldt State University. Korinna is the Founder and Director of the Cougar Conservancy, a non-profit with a mission to reduce human-wildlife conflict and conserve cougar populations through science-based management and conservation. She recently co-led efforts to list Southern and Central Coast mountain lions under the California Endangered Species Act—a joint initiative of the Center for Biological Diversity and the Mountain Lion Foundation. She is a passionate science communicator and frequently speaks to the media and at community events and professional conferences. Korinna’s work and photography have been featured on BBC, CBS, ABC, The Wildlife Society, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and more.
 

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Christopher Collier (he/him/his)

Film Assistant, Production Stills, Interviewer

Chris is a student at Humboldt State University and plans to graduate in the Spring of 2021 with a Major in Wildlife Biology and a minor in Geospatial Science. Before transferring to HSU, he received his A.S. in Natural Science from Santa Rosa Junior College. Last summer he worked an internship with California State Parks performing surveys for the Humboldt marten and Northern Spotted Owl. He has also worked with the Natural Resources Department of Sonoma County Regional Parks, and has enjoyed field work with Nevada State Parks and Nevada Conservation Corps. Currently, Chris is a wildlife technician for the Forest Service, helping with surveys for birds and small mammals in the northern Sierra Nevada. Chris can usually be found photographing wildflowers, birds, or any other biota for citizen science projects. He serves as the HSU student representative for CNCC, and this fall he will be assuming the role of president of Conservation Unlimited, HSU’s wildlife club. Chris enjoys helping fellow students gain field experience and make valuable connections with wildlife professionals.

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Ximena Gil (she/her/hers)

Film Assistant, Production Stills, Interviewer

Ximena has most recently worked as a STEM Lab Manager at an elementary school in Los Angeles serving predominantly marginalized students. She also has an extensive background working as a Naturalist for the Audubon Society at their urban nature center located in Northeast L.A. Ximena is passionate about connecting underrepresented communities with nature and incorporating place-based environmental education. During her time with the Audubon Society, she implemented bilingual programs to build a connection between local latinx residents and their local natural spaces. Ximena is excited to continue working as a voice for diversity in the environmental and wildlife field. She is currently pursuing her degree at Humboldt State University (HSU) in Wildlife Biology & Applied Vertebrate Ecology.

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Watch Diversify Wildlife 

#DiversifyWildlife
What does diversity mean to you?
Share your thoughts using the hashtag:

Diversify Wildlife Screenings

2019, The Wildlife Society Western Section Conference, Reno, Nevada, USA
Diversify Wildlife premiered after the Keynote Address. A panel discussion followed the screening.

 

2019, University of California, Davis "Find Your Niche" Conference, Davis, California, USA
 

2020*, The Wildlife Society Western Section Webinar, Virtual, Worldwide
Online premiere, with a panel discussion by filmmakers to follow. 

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2020*, The Wildlife Society International Conference, Kentucky, USA
Diversify Wildlife will be shown during the "Mentorship Across Lived Experiences" Symposium.

 

* upcoming showings

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Diversify Wildlife in the News

Humboldt State NOW, Where Science, Diversity, and Inclusion Issues Meet 

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The Wildlife Society, Western Section film depicts diversity in the profession

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Redheaded Blackbelt, Where Science, Diversity, and Inclusion Issues Meet

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Diversify Wildlife was featured on the front page of The Western Section of The Wildlife Society web page

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to John McNerney, Katie Smith, Melinda Mohamed, Allison Huysman, Dane St. George, Steffen Peterson, Emily Monfort, Pairsa Belamaric, Jade Little, Jade Haumann, Dr. Ted Stankowich, Jack Villalba, Liliana Medina, Victoria Luce, Annie Maliguine, Mitch Hinton, Miguel Ordeñana, and Destiny Saucedo.

Read our poster

Incorporating Human Perspectives into the Role of Diversity and Inclusion in Wildlife Science

Presented at the 2019 TWS Western Section Conference

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Read the poster.

The Wildlife Society's Mission

The Western Section of the Wildlife Society recognizes that human diversity is an asset, both to the organization and to the field. The diversity committee recognizes that diversity stems from not only ethnic and gender composition, but also cultural heritage, life and career experiences, economic backgrounds and abilities. Developing and encouraging a strong, diverse Society is essential to achieving the Society's purpose and goals. The Section is committed to continuing efforts to attract, encourage, and fully develop talent from the full range of our members diverse backgrounds and potentials. The Section recognizes that it is from this increasingly diverse group that the Society's future leaders will come, and we want to support the future of our organization and our field.

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The goals of the Western Section Diversity Committee are to: Engage youth to encourage interest in wildlife, conservation, and the field of wildlife biology; foster a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment for members of the society from underrepresented groups to achieve professional development; and increase awareness of the value of human diversity to the society and field at large.

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Bayan

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Jaclyn

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Korinna

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