Women's Forest Congress Holds 3rd Virtual Event of 2021 to Inspire, Empower, and Build

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly two hundred participants from the forest and conservation space came together to celebrate the glass ceilings that women around the world have shattered. Described as an "Arc of Experience to Inspire, Empower, and Build," this virtual event was the third in a series organized by the Women's Forest Congress (WFC). The September 8 event had registrants from multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, Colombia, Guatemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Dr. Antomia "Mia" Farrell, Assistant Dean for Diversity at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, facilitated the event featuring individual presentations, panel discussions, and input from breakout groups. Deb Hawkinson, President of the Forest Resources Association and a member of the WFC Advisory Council, presented WFC's mission and vision.

The event was also an opportunity to announce the first in-person Women's Forest Congress October 17-20, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The inaugural 2022 Congress will focus on five themes: leadership for equity and inclusion; workforce opportunities for increasing recruitment, retention, and leadership; women as catalysts for change; addressing today's greatest forest challenges; and supporting each other. The September 8 event served as an introduction to these five themes and as a venue to explore them in advance of the 2022 in-person Congress.

Inspire: Leadership for Equity and Inclusion
Kelly Cooper, Founder and CEO of the Centre for Social Intelligence, opened the conversation on why leadership for equity and inclusion in the forest community is critical. Attendees then heard how the organization Covergalls conquers diversity and inclusion and raises awareness for gender equity across the industrial and trade sectors. Inspired by her female mining experience, Covergalls creator and founder Alicia Woods asked why with so many women joining unconventional careers, did they wear garments designed for a male body type? Woods described her company's journey to become so much more than a workwear maker.

Empower: Workforce Opportunities for Increasing Recruitment, Retention and Leadership
A virtual "porch chat" on identifying and scaling up successful efforts to recruit, retain, and empower women in the forest sector was moderated by Nadine Block, SVP, Community and Government Relations at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. The chat included speakers Jess Kaknevicius, Co-Founder, Women in Wood, and VP, Education at Project Learning Tree Canada, and Beattra Wilson, Assistant Director Urban and Community Forestry, USDA Forest Service.

Empower: Women as Catalysts for Change
Mary Stuever, Chama District Forester at New Mexico State Forestry, presented the theme "Women as Catalyst for Change," and then facilitated a panel discussion among some of the Women's Forest Congress Advisory Council members: Ebonie Alexander, Executive Director of Black Family Land Trust, Inc., MaryKate Bullen, Director of Sustainability and ESG at Forest Investment Associates, and Caitlyn Pollihan, CEO & Executive Director at International Society of Arboriculture.

Build: Addressing Today's Greatest Forest Challenges
Kathy Doyle from Middlebury College and Doyle Ecological Services, and Jess Wikle, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Vermont facilitated a discussion on how to build the Women's Forests Congress while tackling today's greatest forest challenges. Breakout groups then worked to identify challenges and opportunities that will be addressed during the 2022 Women's Forest Congress and how to use their collective knowledge to develop action plans and policies.

Inspire: Supporting Each Other
Tamberly Conway from Conservation Conexions led a virtual forest bathing session asking attendees to connect with nature and the practice of caring for ourselves and each other. Forest bathing is a scientifically recognized technique that shows being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, and refresh and rejuvenate us.

About the Women's Forest Congress
The Women's Forest Congress is a dynamic and inclusive forum to develop strategies and solutions for forests. Women throughout the forest space have come together to share personal and professional experiences, connect with each other, shape the latest innovations, and consider how actions informed by our perspectives can make a profound impact on the future of forests. We envision a world where there is universal equity and inclusion in our forest community. All women are heard, empowered, and provided a sense of belonging. The influence and impact of all women are manifest in our relationships with forests. Our mission is dual in nature – create community and affect change. Together we create safe spaces to connect, inspire, and act as catalysts for change for the benefit of forests and all who rely on them now and for the future.

Learn more about the WFC or email us and join the conversation at Twitter (@WomensForestCng), Facebook (@womensforestcongress), and LinkedIn (@womens forest congress).

SOURCE Women’s Forest Congress