Abstracts

Presented by Beth E Ross - Email: bross5@clemson.edu

Waterfowl ecology has grown from a long tradition of hunting. While historically, many waterfowl ecologists would have entered the field with this background, our field is becoming increasingly diverse. Many early career professionals may have had limited experience with hunting, yet many of the networking and informal social discussions at professional conferences related to waterfowl ecology focus on hunting. These interactions may leave non-hunters feeling left out, increasing issues related to imposter syndrome and underrepresentation. The objective of our presentation is to provide insights into how to network and grow within the field of waterfowl ecology. We provide experiences and perspectives from women who hunt and do not hunt, and how this might influence our perspectives of scientific conferences. We specifically discuss opportunities to network with individuals who do not come from a hunting background. Our discussion includes suggestions for networking at scientific conferences as well as from an individuals home institution, and we provide examples for how to find common ground as a stepping stone for opening the door to more diverse backgrounds. We feel that by intentionally networking with a diversity of individuals, we will be able to develop and grow the field of waterfowl ecology.