RE-IMAGING FIELDWORK TO CREATE A DIVERSE GEOSCIENCE COMMUNITY: ADDRESSING AND ELIMINATING EXCLUSIONARY PRACTICES (Invited Presentation)

Field activity remains integral to geoscience research and training. Direct field observations, combined with geologic reasoning and synthesis, improves three dimensional and spatial thinking and has long been promoted as a rite of passage rooted in geoscience traditions. While the benefits of fieldwork are woven into the fabric of geoscience degree programs, questions about field culture, expectations, field norms, and the barriers faced particularly by individuals who are underrepresented in geoscience are at the forefront of DEI practices for field sciences. Additional factors creating barriers to full and meaningful participation include economic and cultural exclusion, anxiety about outdoor experiences, attitudes of ableism. These barriers are often ingrained in the culture of field training and research activities, which continues to emphasize physical ability, mental toughness, assertive behavior, and one-upmanship. The constant pressure of accessibility and inaccessibility have motivated field leaders to shift the culture fieldwork and eliminate the climate of exclusion. Professionals who are part of the FIELD (Fieldwork Inspiring Expanded Leadership and Diversity) project network continue to challenge the norms of fieldwork and are exploring opportunities to re-imagine field research projects and field-intensive coursework. The 2020 global pandemic reset many of the typical approaches and usual expectations with fieldwork and educators and departments and now more willing to create and utilize virtual and remote field experiences while also recognizing teaching and learning in a field context can be modeled and scaled to support and encourage a variety of learning styles.

At the UC Museum of Paleontology, we are developing a series of virtual fieldwork experiences intended to serve a range of diverse audiences. While recognizing the degree to which paleontology and fossil collecting has been historically exclusive, we are creating virtual exercises that use 3D images of fossils, provide scientific and cultural perspectives on the rich history of field sites, and facilitate engagement in geology and paleontology in a way that is accessible and inclusive. It is our hope that through a renewed thinking, creative approaches, and collaborative partnerships, others will be inspired and motivated to transform field-based experiences and engage diverse teachers and learners in all geoscience disciplines.