WHAT HAPPENS AT CAMP CANNOT STAY AT CAMP: THE FIELD PROJECT, WORKING TOWARD GREATER ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION IN FIELD GEOSCIENCES

The Fieldwork Inspiring Expanded Leadership and Diversity (FIELD) Project aims to make geosciences field activity more inclusive by equipping leaders with the perspectives, skills, and solidarity to address barriers in field settings. Every geoscientist has anecdotal accounts of the exclusionary effects of field activity, but there has been no comprehensive examination of the dynamics of exclusion in field activity nor available training programs to help leaders foster inclusivity. Although field activity is integral to the geosciences, underrepresented individuals in STEM face barriers with field activity, including economic marginalization, anxiety about outdoor experiences, attitudes of ableism, and threat of sexual assault. These barriers are ingrained in a “field culture” that emphasizes physical ability, alpha mentality, and “one-upmanship.”

The first FIELD Project phase is an assessment of existing field culture through observations, surveys, and interviews conducted in situ by social scientists. Second, the PI team will convene a three-day leadership seminar for field geoscientists. This “FIELD Institute” will engage field scientists in practical skills training (e.g., bystander intervention, managing cross-cultural relationships) and collaboratively develop new approaches to be implemented in field activity. The third phase will consist of evaluation, assessment, and construction of a professional leadership model based on results of the FIELD Institute.

While we focus on the geosciences, our findings will be beneficial across educational levels and disciplines as individuals in any field setting, from pre-college to senior faculty, can encounter similar barriers. As in the subdisciplines of geosciences, most natural and physical sciences, and additional fields (e.g. archeology, ecology) require a field component. A better understanding of inclusiveness and the underrepresented group experiences in the field will allow for adjustments to field activity. Our PI team, including members of several geoscience subdisciplines and social scientists, as well as women, Native American/Alaska Native, African American, Latina, LGBTQ, and visually impaired individuals, exhibits the diversity we hope leaders will strive for in field programs.