Dr. Alicia Foxx– Black Wisdom in Ecology

The Black Ecologist’s Section of ESA is shining a light on Black cultures, values, and systems of knowledge in the natural sciences. This month, we are highlighting the work of Dr. Alicia Foxx. She is a conservation ecologist at the Chicago Botanic Gardens and who studies how plant traits affect plant-microbe interactions and restoration ecology in tallgrass and dryland systems. Alicia is a board member of the Black Earth Restoration Collective (BERC), a collaborative network of Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) who work with plants. Many Black Earth Restoration Collective members share similar culturally informed approaches to plant science, ecology, and restoration. While BERC is relatively new, Alicia is especially excited about its potential to increase representation of Black and Indigenous systems of knowledge in the field of plant restoration ecology.

Over the next few months, we will continue to highlight the work of Black ecologists whose research draws from Black systems of knowledge. If you would like your work to be featured in this series, please complete the attached google form. 

You can contribute to our ongoing efforts in supporting the well being and professional development of Black ecologists by making a donation to our section: https://ecologicalsocietyofamerica.org/blackecologists/donate/. 

Don’t forget to cite Black ecologists in your next paper!