The Environmental Science and Policy (ENSP) Program fosters an environment in which diversity is welcomed, celebrated and respected. We aim to be a community that includes and values the voices of all individuals, regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnic background, age, sexual orientation, disability, or economic status. Like our interdisciplinary curriculum, the ENSP Program understands that drawing on multiple perspectives and experiences is essential for creating an intellectually diverse academic environment.
Below are some resources that may be of interest to the ENSP community, specifically in regards to student experiences, campus resources, and current issues such as climate justice and environmental racism. We hope you will continue to read and educate yourselves on these important matters.
Land Acknowledgment
Every community owes its existence and strength to the generations before them, around the world, who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy into making the history that led to this moment.
Truth and acknowledgement are critical in building mutual respect and connections across all barriers of heritage and difference.
So, we acknowledge the truth that is often buried: We are on the ancestral lands of the Piscataway People, who are the ancestral stewards of this sacred land. It is their historical responsibility to advocate for the four-legged, the winged, those that crawl and those that swim. They remind us that clean air and pristine waterways are essential to all life.
This Land Acknowledgement is a vocal reminder for each of us as two-leggeds to ensure our physical environment is in better condition than what we inherited, for the health and prosperity of future generations.
ENSP's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect Plan
Goal #1: Leadership – Increase involvement of ENSP faculty and staff in DEIR related initiatives and ensure compliance with all relevant policies.
Goal #2: Education – Enhance diversity, equity, inclusion and respect in all facets of the educational experience for ENSP students including course content, course delivery and curriculum development.
Goal #3: Climate & Community – Create and sustain an inclusive environment where individuals of all backgrounds feel welcome, supported and valued
UMD Campus Resources
The Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH) Laboratory at the University of Maryland School of Public Health
University of Maryland Counseling Center
University of Maryland Office of Diversity and Inclusion
University of Maryland strategic plan for diversity
Responding to Anti-Black Racism - the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Online Resources
21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge
Department of Energy: Office of Legacy Management
Greenwire (must log in with UMD credentials). Search "environmental justice" which will lead you to a large number of articles
NAACP: Environmental Climate & Justice Resources
National Resources Defense Council: The Environmental Justice Movement
Maryland Department of the Environment: What is Environmental Justice?
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) list of sources/readings: Environmental Justice course at MIT
Student Environmental Resources Center at UC Berkeley- contains a great collection of Google Docs with relevant articles and readings
Yale Environment 360: Environmental Justice
LGBTQ+ College Student Guide
44 Resources for LGBTQ+ College Students
Books and Articles
Overview of Environmental Justice
- Adamson, Joni. American Indian Literature, Environmental Justice, and Ecocriticism: The Middle Place. Tuscon, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 2001.
- Blackford, Mansel. “Environmental Justice, Native Rights, Tourism, and Opposition to Military Control: The Case of Kaho'olawe.” Journal of American History. 91.2(2004): 544-571.
- Bullard, R. D. (Ed.) (2005). The quest for environmental justice: Human rights and the politics of pollution. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.
- Bullard, Robert D., and Glenn Johnson. “Environmental Justice: Grassroots Activism and Its Impact on Public Policy Decision Making.” Journal of Social Issues 56.3(2000): 555-578.
- Clarke, Chris. “Defending mother earth: Native American perspectives on environmental justice” In Ecotheology 7(July 1999): 118-120.
- Cole, Luke W., and Sheila R. Foster. 2001. From the Ground Up: Environmental Racism and the Rise of the Environmental Justice Movement. NYU Press.
- Holifield, Ryan 2001. Defining environmental justice and environmental racism. Urban Geography, 22(1): 78-90.
- Krakoff, Sarah. 2002. "Tribal Sovereignty and Environmental Justice." Pp. 161-183 in Justice and Natural Resources: Concepts, Strategies, and Applications, edited by Kathryn M. Mutz, Gary C. Bryner, and Douglas S. Kenney. Washington DC: Island Press.
- LaDuke, Winona. 2017. All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life. Haymarket Books.
- Pellow, David Naguib. 2017. What Is Critical Environmental Justice? Wiley.
- Rosier, Paul. C. 2008. "'W e, the Indian People, Must Set an Example for the Rest of the Nation': Environmental Justice from a Native American Perspective." Environmental Justice 1(3): 127-129.
- Royster, Judith. “Native American Law” in The Law of Environmental Justice. Michael Gerrard (ed.)
- Sandler, Ronald D., and Phaedra C. Pezzullo. 2007. Environmental Justice and Environmentalism: The Social Justice Challenge to the Environmental Movement. MIT Press.
- Smith, David 1994. Geography and social justice. Oxford: Blackwell.
- Speth, J.G. (2008). The bridge at the end of the world: Capitalism, the environment, and crossing from crisis. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- Sze, Julie 2007. Noxious New York: The Racial Politics of Urban Health and Environmental Justice. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Villa et al., Environmental Justice: Law, Policy, and Regulation. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2020. ISBN 978-1-5310-1238-0
Race and Class in America
- Bass, Stephen, Hannah Reid, David Satterthwaite, and Paul Steele, eds. Reducing Poverty and Sustaining the Environment: The Politics of Local Engagement. London, UK: Earthscan, 2005.
- Bowen, William, and Mark Salling. “Toward Environmental Justice: Spatial Equity in Ohio and Cleveland.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers 85.4(1995): 641-664.
- Finney, Carolyn. 2014. Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors. UNC Press Books.
- Glave Dianne and Mark Stoll. To Love the Wind and the Rain: African Americans and Environmental History. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2005.
- Jones, Robert. Black concern for the environment: Myth versus reality. Society and Natural Resources 11.3 (Nov 2008). 209-228
- Loh, Penn. “Must it be Greens versus Browns: Population, Immigration, and Environment:,” Racefile. vol. 3, no. 5. Applied Research Center. Oakland, CA. September-October 1995.
- Madrigal DS, Salvatore A, Casillas G, Casillas C, Vera I, Eskenazi B, Minkler M. 2014. Health in my community: conducting and evaluating PhotoVoice as a tool to promote environmental health and leadership among Latino/a youth. Prog Community Health Partnersh 8(3):317-29.
- Nixon, Rob. 2011. Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor. Harvard University Press.
- Peña, Devon G. 2005. Mexican Americans and the environment: tierra y vida. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.
- Pellow, David Naguib. 2004. Garbage Wars: The Struggle for Environmental Justice in Chicago. MIT Press.
- Pulido, Laura. 1996. Environmentalism and Economic Justice: Two Chicano Struggles in the Southwest. University of Arizona Press.
Gender Issues
- Bratton, Susan Power. “Lopsided Justice and Eco-Realities for Women.” In CTNS Bulletin 16(Spring 1996): 18-27.
- Shiva, Vandana. 1988. Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development. Zed Books.
- Stein, Rachel. 2004. New Perspectives on Environmental Justice: Gender, Sexuality, and Activism. Rutgers University Press.
Experiences for Students
Explore programs, internships, fellowships and more
Multi-cultural students bring diverse approaches and contributions to environmental science and policy. Take advantage of opportunities that encourage and support you as you explore your place in this dynamic career field!
Study Abroad
Overseas experiences give deep insight into other cultures and ecosystems and are great ways to complement your Maryland coursework. Simply "getting outside the mid-Atlantic ecosystem" environmentally and politically can be a big eye-opener. You can view popular study abroad programs for ENSP students, or utilize the UMD Education Abroad program database for a full listing of opportunities.
MANRRS: Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences. MANRRS is a national society that welcomes membership of people of all racial and ethnic group participation in agricultural and related science careers. MANNRS promotes academic and professional advancement by empowering minorities in agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences.
Career Discovery Internships - US Fish and Wildlife Service
The Student Conservation Association (SCA) has partnered with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to provide over 50 summer Career Discovery Internships for first- and second-year students from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Internships take place in US FWS field stations from Alaska to Alabama to Maine; and include positions in natural resources management, visitor services, and refuge management. Internships range from 10-12 weeks over the summer months; and are a great way to explore a career in the US FWS.
Mosaics in Science Internships - National Park Service
The Mosaics in Science Internship program, developed by the US National Park Service (NPS) in partnership with the Geological Society of America (GSA), aims to increase the diversity among those who seek STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers within the National Park Service. The Mosaics in Science program offers 26 students paid, short-term STEM positions in some of the most beautiful natural areas in the world—National Park Service sites throughout the United States of America. Selected participants will spend 11 weeks working on a park STEM project and, after completing their projects, will travel to Washington, DC, to participate in a career workshop that provides opportunities to present their work and meet with various members of NPS staff and management.
Doris Duke Conservation Scholars
The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program is an 8-week, two-summer experience immersing students in the practice of inclusive conservation. Conservation Scholars have all travel, food and lodging paid during their 8-week summer program, and will receive a weekly stipend of $500.
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS)
The APAICS Summer Internship Program is an eight-week program that provides select undergraduate students the opportunity to work in Washington, DC and experience American politics and public policy. APAICS interns are placed in U.S. Congressional offices, federal agencies, or partner Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) non-profit organizations. The program develops leadership and professional skills, encourages political and civic engagement, and fosters a strong interest in public service careers. APAICS Summer Internship Program provides a stipend of $2,000. Application deadline: January 30, 2017.
HACU - Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
Bienvenido and welcome! Thank you for taking the first step towards joining the thousands of other individuals who have participated in the HACU National Internship Program (HNIP). Our nation's economic and social success rests on the level of skills and knowledge attained by Hispanics, now the nation's largest minority population. Education is indisputably the key. Our program's mantra is "Opening Doors of Opportunity," because we want HNIP to be the avenue through which you can grow, both personally and professionally. Internship placements include the National Park Service.
RESESS - Research Experiences for Students in Solid Earth Sciences
The RESESS Internship is a multi-summer research experience located in Boulder, CO, that is dedicated to increasing diversity in the geosciences. RESESS encourages applications from individuals who are members of a group that is historically under-represented in the Earth or environmental sciences, and from students who can demonstrate experience working towards raising awareness about the importance of the geosciences among broad or diverse segments of the population. RESESS is largely funded by the NSF, but (unlike the REUs) can be a multi-summer experience beginning as early as sophomore year summer. Approximately 15 students participate each summer. Students majoring in geology, physical geography, or closely related topics are encouraged to apply. Selected students receive:
- Salary for eleven weeks
- Round-trip airfare to Boulder, CO (the program's location)
- A shared furnished apartment at no cost
- A research experience in the geosciences/physics of the Earth/geomorphology/etc.
- A writing course with training in presentation skills
- Participation in a national science meeting
- Scholarship money during the school year
The application deadline is February 1 -- Go here for more information and to apply!
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services- Directorate Resource Assistant Fellows Program (DFP)/MANO Project
The U.S Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) is partnering with Hispanic Access Foundation to assist with recruitment and administration of the 2021 Directorate Fellows Program (DFP). DFP is for students interested in conservation careers. The 11-week internship focuses on projects that support FWS conservation priorities. Internships begin in mid-May or June 2021 and end in August or September 2021. Most projects are a good fit for students with majors in biological sciences and natural resources. There are a limited number of projects that could be a good fit for other degree areas, such as education and outreach, social sciences/humanities, geographic and information sciences, law enforcement/ criminal justice, communications and marketing, and information technology. You are applying to be part of the 2020 cohort of over 75+ fellows.
