Recognizing and Understanding Bias for Animal Welfare Professionals , Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

Recognizing and Understanding Bias for the Animal Welfare Professional was a great class. I learned about the different types of human conscious and unconscious biases. Humans in order to survive have basic instincts and biases. We are fearful and distrusting of things which are new or different from ourselves. The us versus them is a survival mechanism. Our perceptions can change over time based on our experiences. All these things affect how we view the world, others and how we react. The class went into the different types of biases. It then went into how to control our biases in our reactions and behavior so we can treat people and the situation fairly and properly.

There was an interesting class experiment. Instructor told us to close our eyes and imagine we're going on a plane trip to a seminar we're really interested in. We go to the hotel and see a couple in love at the restaurant. We go to the seminar and listen to the presenters speak. Then the instructor told us to open our eyes. He asked us "what did the pilot of the plane look like in your mind? Were they a white man? What color and orientation was the couple? What did the presenters look like?" He showed photos of a female pilot in hijab, a same sex couple and black and disabled speakers. He asked if that was what we imagined? He said these biases are formed based on our experiences in real life, in movies, books... 

From the class description, "Our brains are amazing at making connections, doing work, and making decisions without us ever realizing it. Like when you drive home and realize as you're parking that you don't really remember the drive - yup - your unconscious brain played navigator so you could zone out a bit. However, these unconscious connections and processes can have a lasting effect on how you do your job.

Join us as we discuss different types of bias and how they unconsciously invade your decisions and actions on and off the job.

- Learn to identify 5-8 different bias types

- Understand how bias and cynicism can play off of each other;

- That bias, while often thought of as a negative, is actually an evolutionary necessity that we can earn to identify and work on

- And how to create a shared language around bias so your entire team can work on being more aware of these unconscious traps."

https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/resource/recognizing-and-understanding-bias-for-the-animal-welfare-professional/

Jace Huggins with San Diego Humane Society was the host. I took my two week Humane Officer training at San Diego Humane Society in 2005.

Below are a few slides. I suggest taking the class because the instructor shares a lot of stories, examples, tests and polls. 

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

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IWRC - A Big Problem with Little Animals, How Insect Declines Affect Wildlife - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

gwen pearson, mary cummins, animal advocates, insects, iwrc, international wildlife rehabilitation council, wildlife rehabilitator, wildlife rehabilitation,insects, entomology, wildlife, xerces, los angeles, california

IWRC International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Coffee & Tea: A big problem with little animals: how insect declines may affect wildlife webinar. 

"A growing pile of research papers document insect declines across the globe. What does this mean for wildlife, as well as humans? We'll look at how deeply embedded insects are in ecosystems, and how declines in insects may harm birds and other wildlife.

Gwen Pearson serves as a Volunteer Ambassador for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a non-profit organization focused on conserving invertebrates and their habitat. She has a PhD in entomology, and has worked in zoo and bird sanctuary settings."

Great presentation by entomologist, educator and speaker Dr Gwen Pearson with Xerces Society. Learned a lot about the importance of insects for wildlife, humans and our environment. Dr. Gwen Pearson is a wonderful speaker. You really need to watch her presentation. IWRC recorded it. 

In summary insect populations are down for many reasons. Birds and mammals feed on insects. This causes bird, mammal populations to also be reduced. We must take steps to help the insects. Some of those steps are not using pesticide, getting rid of some of your lawn, planting native plants, don't rake leaves and leave stems on the ground.

Below are a few quick things I learned from the presentation.

General consensus is that one should not don't release captive reared monarchs because of bacteria contamination which ends up spreading into the wild population.

We should plant organic milkweed.organic. Make sure it's never treated with Neonicotinoid pesticides which stay in the plant forever.

Keeping non-native honey bees is a business. It's not conservation. Honey bees now have diseases which they pass on to native bees.

Most native bees are solitary. 3/4 bees nest in the ground. They only have 12 eggs in their lifetime whereas honey bees can have 1,000.

Lawns are the number one irrigated crop in the US. They're almost all treated with dangerous pesticides.

Bees come out after a few days of a certain temperature. Plants bloom based on daylight hours. They don't always align together so bees may not get enough food especially bees which only feed on certain flowers.

Feeder insects should be treated humanely. They should not be crowded. Must have good healthy varied food with calcium. The insects need calcium for their exoskeleton and other functions. Animals that eat insects also need calcium. @bug_gwen @theiwrc @animaladvocatesusa @mary_cummins #IWRC #internationalwildliferehabilitationcouncil #marycummins #AnimalAdvocates #animaladvocate #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #wildliferehabber #wildlife #wildliferescue

Below are just a few slides from her presentation. You must see her full presentation with all the slides.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

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International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council IWRC Connections and Networking in Latin America and the Caribbean - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

We just attended the The International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council IWRC "Connections and Networking in Latin America and the Caribbean" seminar. Dr. Sallaberry-Pincheira was the host of the IWRC’s Coffee & Tea event. It was a unique opportunity to deepen our connections and expand our network within wildlife conservation across Latin America & the Caribbean. Learned a lot about the status of wildlife rehabilitation in Mexico, Chili, Peru and Brazil. They have to deal with wildlife trafficking, wildfires, drought and climate change. They also have to deal with a lack of wildlife rehabilitation facilities, insufficient wildlife care regulations, lack of sufficient funding, lack of coordination and organization. IWRC is working on a Spanish version of the wildlife rehabilitation manual. Looking forward to seeing it. 

Host was Dr. Sallaberry-Pincheira. Nicole Sallaberry-Pincheira DVM, MS is a Chilean veterinarian who has been a faculty member at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Andres Bello University, Santiago, Chile for the past 10 years, directing the Wildlife Rehabilitation Unit (UFAS). At the same time, Nicole is pursuing a Clinical Zoological Medicine PhD at the University of Georgia with plans to return to Chile upon completion to continue her work in Wildlife Rehabilitation. 

Meeting was in English and Spanish.

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Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

• Mary Cummins LinkedIn
• Mary Cummins Meet up
• Animal Advocates custom Facebook name
• Mary Cummins Real Estate blog
• Animal Advocates on Google maps
• Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates
• Mary Cummins biography resume short
• Mary Cummins Real Estate Services
• Animal Advocates fan page at Facebook.com
• Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Squirrel Rescue
• Mary Cummins Animal Advocates on Flickr photos
• Mary Cummins Animal Advocates on Twitter.com
• Mary Cummins on Picasa web photo albums
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IWRC - Cultivating Anti-racism in Wildlife Rehabilitation - Zoom webinar - Mary Cummins Animal Advocates

There is sadly some racism in the field of wildlife rehabilitation in California. Obviously not all rehabbers but quite a few. It's also not a diverse group of people. Most rehabbers are middle aged and older white women with a few men. I have never met another Latino rehabber or an Asian or black rehabber. I realize one reason could be time, money and having your own home. Not everyone is as fortunate to have the ability to spend thousands of hours and dollars on wildlife. You have to be well off and/or retired. Most domestic animal rescuers are the same. I still think there should be more outreach and support to help diversify rehabbers. The people we take wildlife from are diverse. Rehabbers should be as well. We attended this meeting. "It's time for this month's Coffee and Tea with the IWRC! Recently, the US and the world have been actively confronted with the ugly reality of pervasive racism. In light of this, we want to discuss what we can do in our circle to improve and be better. This week we will be broaching a sensitive but timely and important topic of how we can cultivate anti-racism in the field of wildlife rehabilitation and how our community can become more inclusive and diverse.  We will have a small panel of speakers addressing the ways we can improve in our organizations and our community internationally. We will then open the discussion up to the group. This talk is meant to be productive and positive so that we can strive toward a better future for those participating in wildlife care.  Please find the registration information below:  When: Thursday, July 9, 2020 What time: 11 AM Pacific/ 2 PM Eastern (US and Canada); 7 PM BST; 9 PM EEST; 11:30 PM IST; 4 AM AEST (next day)hank you for attending our Coffee & Tea discussion on cultivating anti-racism in wildlife rehabilitation. IWRC is committed to making our field, and organization, one that is open and welcoming to all people. We hope that our discussion today has given you some food for thought. We understand that for some, this topic may be challenging or spark uncomfortable feelings. We encourage you to recognize these feelings, sit with them for a bit and then discuss them with someone you trust.  Fight against racism! Notes from the discussion: Acronym to know: DEI - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Click here for an Abridged History of Nature, Conversation, and the Black American Community compiled by Aya Cockram. Panelists: Kai Williams - Executive Director of the IWRC Diversity, equity, and inclusion is all of our work and at its core is about building relationships. Long path but we need to start taking steps. Look at your mission and community List out personas in your region and cross out the ones you are reaching Those not crossed out are the gaps in DEI Start internal discussions, dialogues, and collaborate with other non-profits and institutions.   Ernesto Dominguez - Medical Director of The Wildlife Center of Virginia Concerns and Experiences as a Hispanic Wildlife Veterinarian working in the US Pleased that DEI is a topic of discussion. Personal concerns that Knowledge and skills will be questioned or doubted Feels that he must do more and work harder to be taken seriously Accent is not a barrier, but often highlighted negatively as a difference Jokes Requests to “say it normally" Exclusion or over inclusion at meetings Josh Saranpaa - Executive Director of the Wildlife Center of the North Coast Organization is taking steps to assure DEI Recognized lack of diversity in board, employees, volunteers. Organization is taking action to help ensure people of diverse backgrounds and races feel welcome. Released statement in support of DEI Checking language used in documents Staff decided to read White Fragility as a book club From the Chat Box: White Privilege in Conservation and Rehabilitation Growth comes from acknowledgement Racist themes of the conservation movement in its interaction with Native Americans Indigenous Peoples have been limited by colonialism for generations Renaming rivers, mountains, and lands for the white population Removing Native Americans from their land for national parks The Rehabilitation Field and Implicit Bias Income affects who can participate  Time commitments for volunteering  Use of unpaid internships  Members of the Society for Marine Mammology have drafted a letter asking leadership to not support unpaid positions Read the statement here Many rehabbers pay out of pocket for expenses Do all communities feel equally comfortable and safe bringing animals to us? People may worry about judgment, blame. Ensure people know rehab services are free to them “It's critically important to listen to communities different from our own, but we cannot expect others to fix our problems. We need to have the internal conversations, education, and do the work.” Words of Importance Anti-racism  "Anti-racism is the active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably." - NAC International Perspectives: Women and Global Solidarity Acknowledges that we can have deeply internalized racism AND be committed to working to combat it. There is no neutral ground- again this is an active process  Inclusion We don’t want to include people in a system that is broken. Should we use the word inclusion? Take Action! Educate yourself, be open, listen Avoid white savior complex  Organize a book club Start a focus group or committee for DEI Host a diversity workshop or audit  Check documents for language that may be exclusionary Collaborate with organizations outside of the wildlife field  When speaking or presenting discuss things from a culturally relevant point of view Understand your audience (cultural differences, religious beliefs, different environmental conditions, etc) Be proactive, do pre-planning and ask questions on if there are topics or information that will make your presentation more useful or interesting to your audience. Resources: Beloved Community mini-audit “Diversity: To what extent are the diverse identities and perspectives of our stakeholders reflected in the demographics of those impacted by this decision?  Equity: To what extent are the outcomes and results of this decision predictable by demographics or identity-markers?  Inclusion: To what extent are the diverse identities and perspectives of our stakeholders included in this decision-making process that will impact their lives?”  Non-profit racial justice kit - Nonprofit Jennie Words That Hurt, Words That Heal: How to Talk About Racism - Pivot Ground  Talking about Race - National Museum of African American History & Culture Race in America 2019 - Pew Research Center Havard Implicit Bias Test  White Privilege Check List  Suggested Reading Materials: The Home Place: Memoirs of A Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature  by J. Drew Lanham How to Be Anti-Racist                                                                                by Ibram X. Kendi White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo and Michael Eric Dyson Wilderness and the American Mind                                            by Roderick Frazier Nash  African American Environmental Thought: Foundations                 By Kimberly K Smith Poll Results Worried about making a mistake when discussing race and racism? Listen to this short clip, "Lean into Discomfort" When Talking About Race The IWRC wants to facilitate this discussion in the long term, do you have ideas of how we can do this? Do you have resources you want to see? Contact us!  Contact Us

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

• Mary Cummins LinkedIn
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• Animal Advocates custom Facebook name
• Mary Cummins Real Estate blog
• Animal Advocates on Google maps
• Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates
• Mary Cummins biography resume short
• Mary Cummins Real Estate Services
• Animal Advocates fan page at Facebook.com
• Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Squirrel Rescue
• Mary Cummins Animal Advocates on Flickr photos
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• Mary Cummins on Picasa web photo albums
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• Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates on Classmates
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• Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates on Google+

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