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    Mentor, honor and step up

    Posted 2018
    Source
    Land Trust Alliance
    Author
    Christina Soto
    About This Document

    As I worked on the Saving Land article "Addressing Gender Bias in Conservation Organizations" with writer Elisabeth Ptak, we didn't have enough room for all the material we received. Fortunately, we can continue to feature important voices from the land trust community.

    Christina Soto is editor of Saving Land.


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    These resources are provided "as is" for informational purposes only, without warranty of any kind. They do not constitute legal or professional advice and do not create an attorney-client relationship. They may not reflect current legal developments and should be adapted for your organization with qualified professional help. The Alliance is not liable for any damages arising from use of or reliance on these resources. Views in individual posts and third-party links/logos are not Alliance endorsements. The Alliance is committed to equal opportunity and does not condone unlawful discrimination.

    For accreditation-related materials, please also consult the Land Trust Accreditation Commission website.

    As I worked on the Saving Land article "Addressing Gender Bias in Conservation Organizations" with writer Elisabeth Ptak, we didn't have enough room for all the material we received. Fortunately, we can continue to feature important voices from the land trust community in this blog. Here's the first in a series of posts that connect back to the main article.

    Be a mentor.

    "I have always strongly believed in the importance of making time to mentor younger women and help them advance in their careers. I was really fortunate to have some incredible women supervisors early in my career that looked to do just that — give women push assignments and opportunities to prove ourselves and grow. I always make time for this and throughout my career have looked for similar opportunities for younger staff."
    — Lori Faeth, Land Trust Alliance

    Honor difference.

    "I had been working with a college-age female intern who was available to weed whack but had never operated the equipment. When I asked our male stewardship staff person to show her how, he said it wasn't worth teaching her. I pressed him to 'teach both of us' and in less than an hour, she was operating a WeedWacker independently. I needed to step in and teach her things differently from the way he was teaching her because she is much smaller in size. She eventually had no problem starting the motor, but the equipment, including the harness she wore, was clearly not made for smaller people. She has since mastered the skill and does this work regularly, eagerly and well."
    — Name withheld by request

    Step up.

    "More often than not, when I seek out female scientists to be speakers for our lecture series, they are more likely to decline. I'd love for more women to recognize that they are an expert and leader in their field and then choose to share this knowledge with others. We need to be better leaders for ourselves, our daughters and the next generation."
    — Sarah Mowry, Deschutes Land Trust, Oregon (accredited)