This webinar is part of the Continuing Education Webinar Series for Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers.
Description: What’s in a name? A lot. In 2022, the Entomological Society of America (ESA), publicized ‘spongy moth’ as the new common name for the moth Lymantria dispar, an invasive moth species that damages many tree species, particularly oaks. The prior common name is a racial slur applied to Romani people. In fact, many invasive species have common names that refer to specific places or cultural groups, and use of those names may promote negative stereotypes and make some groups of people feel unwelcome in our programs. In this webinar, we will learn how Extension researchers in the University of Minnesota (UMN) Extension’s Invasive Species Community of Practice (IS CoP) have been changing this practice. The IS CoP believes in the adoption and use of appropriate, acceptable names for invasive species reflective of their values for diversity and engagement. To help inform a process for thoughtful development of appropriate common names, IS CoP reached out to two invasive species research centers and Extension’s Foreign Born Affinity Group at UMN for feedback and review. Their feedback drastically changed their approach and increased their sensitivity to this issue. To date, the UMN IS CoP has helped change troublesome common names of 18 invasive species on state and national platforms. This presentation will review key discussion points and the decisions, revisions and procedural practices that resulted.
Presenter: Angela Gupta is a University of Minnesota Extension Professor of Forestry who specializes in terrestrial invasive species. She’s done invasive species early detection education and outreach for about 15 years. Angie’s been a key leader of the UMN Extension’s Invasive Species Community of Practice since its inception in 2016. Angie earned a MA in Organizational Management from Spring Arbor University and a BS in Forestry from the University of Kentucky.
Host: Michelle Prysby, Virginia Master Naturalist Program Director
Zoom Recording ID: 89493744205
UUID: q+TwrBBfSwiDjV4ZMtvvdw==
Meeting Time: 2022-11-10 04:45:10pm
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