– Dez Ramirez, a writer, race and equity leader, and Community Engagement Manager at Columbia Land Trust
– Gabe Sheoships, a fisheries biologist, instructor and educator on Indigenous-led environmental stewardship and is the Education Director at Friends of Tryon Creek.
– Moderated by Katie Young, who works on Indigenous Peoples Collaboration at COLT
This discussion aims to deeply explore the question, what does reciprocity look like for us as human beings, and for us as land conservationists? What does reciprocity look like within land conservation? With global environmental crises on the rise in our futures, we share an internal calling to take action. We will explore the tools and skills we currently possess and discuss building a culture of personal ownership to frame our work grounded on shared responsibility and reciprocity. We warmly invite you to join us for an interactive conversation that will include hearing perspectives from our guest speakers and discussing in small breakout groups. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the conversation.
About our guests:
Dez Ramirez, Columbia Land Trust
Dez Ramirez
Community Engagement Manager, Columbia Land Trust
Dez Ramirez is a Portland based writer, poet and creative strategist, whose work centers identity, gender, race, community and multidisciplinary creative arts. As a Latinx storyteller, her work aims to uplift voices from her community and amplify BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) experiences and perspectives. In 2017, Dez launched a project that centered women of color, feminism, and travel. It’s called On She Goes. Dez’s work ranges and has included creative brand strategy, content creation, travel journalism, arts & culture profiles, experiential outdoor adventure, and non-profit justice focused community organizing. Dez’s hope is that her work will continue to drive change and transformation in justice focused arts and storytelling, and will build collective resiliency for BIPOC artists, writers, thinkers, organizers, and creators of change.
Gabe Sheoships, Friends of Tryon Creek
Gabe Sheoships
Education Director, Friends of Tryon Creek
Gabe is an enrolled Cayuse/Walla Walla tribal citizen in the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. He is the Education Director for the Friends of Tryon Creek and is an adjunct faculty instructor in both the Indigenous Nations Studies and University Studies departments at Portland State University. Through these roles, Gabe has a wealth of experience developing educational programming and curriculums for K-12, university students and professionals on equity and inclusiveness, decolonization, working with marginalized communities and place-based learning in environmental stewardship contexts. In addition, Gabe is a board member of the Center for Diversity and the Environment and the Willamette River Network, and volunteers his time towards other environmental and DEI nexus initiatives in Oregon.
Katie is the Indigenous Peoples Collaboration Project Manager at COLT, whose work aims to increase collaboration with land trusts and Northwest Indigenous communities from a cross-cultural lens.
