Diversity statement
Cedar Creek is home to the world’s longest-running biodiversity experiment, which has revealed that plant diversity substantially increases ecosystem productivity and stability. It is the differences and interactions between species that produces an ecosystem that is greater than the sum of its constituent parts. In parallel lines of research, social scientists have found that human diversity can enhance the learning, outcomes, and creativity of teams. When these benefits of diversity are combined with equity and inclusion, individuals and teams can thrive. Cedar Creek is also at the meeting point of major grassland and forest biomes, the ancestral and contemporary homelands of the Dakota and Ojibwe Indigenous Peoples, and urban and rural communities. For these reasons and many others, the Cedar Creek community of staff, faculty, students and alumni share a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. We appreciate the urgency of turning this commitment into action across all areas of our mission, and are working to do so.
Cedar Creek DEIJ Committee
Cedar Creek has a standing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice committee that is open to all stakeholders. We actively include representation from faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate interns. In the spring 2023 semester, we are meeting by zoom at 2pm on the last Friday of each month. Email DEIJ Fellow Mariana Cárdenas at carde196@umn.edu to be added to the email list and calendar invitation.