NGEE Arctic contribution to US Permafrost Association report emphasizes diversity and inclusion

Many of our the NGEE Arctic project participants are members of the U.S. Permafrost Association and as such, we are periodically asked to contribute to its annual report. In the US Permafrost AssociationPA annual report for 2020 (Fig. 7), wethe team[SO1] [HSL2]  emphasized that a major outcome of our its research so far has been the integration of field campaigns, modeling, and data synthesis to simulate the interactions between disturbance-related processes and dynamic vegetation (e.g., shrubs) that are missing from or poorly represented in models. Six new source-code modules are currently being evaluated against multiscale measurements using the International Land Model Benchmarking (ILAMB) software package. Furthermore, now in our the project’s ninth year, we the team took this opportunity to also report that we are reemphasize its commitmentted to more than ever to creating a safe, secure, open, and inclusive project where in which people are welcomed, valued, and respected for their many talents. This commitment has spurred our the team amid the global COVID-19 pandemic to continually consider and re-evaluate our best practices for field work. We The team hasve learned to welcomed feedback from team its members, that spanning graduate students to senior scientists;, from the indigenous communities where in which we arethe team is privileged to do conduct our science;, and from other scientific teams, large and small, that also work across the tundra. Our The team’s commitment to field safety reinforces the message that we the team trusts our its colleagues;, and that they are empowered, accountable, physically and emotionally safe and secure, and free from harassment;, that they respect local culture and knowledge;, and that we the team benefits from continuous conversations, even when those conversations prove difficult. Our The team’s goal in this area is to leave an enduring scientific legacy where in which everyone has the right to feel safe and secure. . . everyone is valued and has opinions that matter. . . …everyone deserves to be heard. . . and, …everyone is responsible for ensuring a respectful workplace.