Laura Estrada is IAE's Conservation Research Technician, who graciously answered our questions while preparing for a busy field season.
IAE: What has been your favorite thing about working for IAE so far?
LE: By far my favorite thing about working for IAE if the overall community of IAE, I get the opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant minds. IAE as whole not only works to take care of our planet through conservation, habitat restoration, and education, they also work towards creating a safe and inclusive work environment. As a technician there is sometimes a worry that your voice won’t be heard, this is not the case at IAE. I feel like I am treated with respect and am given the opportunity to let my voice be heard. I am excited to continue working with the entire IAE community and to further develop as a professional in this field.
IAE: What's a moment from your work so far that really stands out?
LE: The moments that truly stand out to me are when we have our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) meetings. It warms my heart witness all of us working on improving ourselves as an organization and as individuals. One meeting that stands out to me is when we talked about our pronouns and the importance of appropriate pronoun use. This meeting gave me the confidence to address my own gender fluidity and to give me the comfort to know that I would continue to be respected and heard at our workplace. As an organization, I see that we are working toward being more inclusive toward a large diversity of individuals, allowing us to only strengthen the culture within our workplace.
