ORCA
Welcome to the Our Roots Conservation Alliance (ORCA)! We are a collective of African and African American wildlife biologists, wildlife enthusiasts, and climate activists dedicated to serving and protecting the natural world through community-based initiatives.
Our Mission
To create/provide a forum of opportunities for people of color to be involved in wildlife projects. This will help increase their visibility and expertise in the climatology and conservation disciplines; therefore, strengthening the cooperation of our partners.
Our Journey:
Throughout history, we have made huge strides in career paths such as sports, music, and entertainment to name a few; however, Biologists who identify as person of color make up less than 3% of the overall workforce. Reasons for these come down to three categories. One, wildlife conservation is incredibly expensive to uphold. Second, competition among students and early career professionals is very high, with requirements to secure a stable position getting more complex every year. And finally, racial trauma. As history has shown us, those who were born of color were considered lesser beings than those who weren't, preventing access to good education and opportunities. Consequently, many BIPOC individuals don't understand a lot about the wildlife sector and its various possibilities. That's where ORCA comes in to fill that need.
Objective:
To instill future generations with the skills and lessons they need to change the world for the better. With this initiative, we are putting ‘diversity’ into biodiversity, and making way for unique conservation methods to be created.
Our Approach:
Connecting with the public through social media, in person events, and virtual seminars are key to building this mission. Building relationships with young minorities help us understand how much they know and/or are aware of conservation efforts. Participants are then directed to our website to engage in tailored opportunities with our partners that suit their career paths.
Support:
Organizations everywhere continue to ask the question of how we can do better with being more inclusive, but actions taken on this are relatively small. Every day there is continuous fragmentation of habitat that is pushing critical species towards the brink of extinction. We need to come together and realize that if it wasn’t for nature, we wouldn’t have our current careers. Those who join us may not all have biology degrees or identify as a person of color, but ORCA welcomes all backgrounds. We believe that true ecology is about those who are willing to explore and embrace the natural world we call home. It is now our time to get back to Our Roots.
Founder
Connery Scott
Born in 1998, Connery Scott is a Wildlife Biologist and lifelong animal enthusiast who, after working in multiple positions in conservation, decided to commit himself towards helping other BIPOC individuals reach STEM programs related to wildlife research and development!
For more information or if you’d like to get involved, please feel free to contact us directly. Thank you!