Guidelines for inclusive field trips in Geology and Volcanology

Field trips are a valuable learning experience and can be a source of joy and excitement for geologists and volcanologists. They allow us to step back in time and discover the architecture of ancient plumbing systems, potentially giving new insight into our research. They provide opportunities to collaborate with fellow scientists, see the world, and experience different cultures. However, field trips are often a place of exclusion for many in our community. The VIPS committee feel strongly that field trips should be a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. Motivated by this, VIPS committee members – led by EDI representative Sam Poppe and president Catherine Annen – have produced a set of guidelines for inclusive field trips in Geology and Volcanology.

VIPS committee member Steffi Burchardt recently put these guidelines into practice when leading a PhD summer school in Eastern Iceland. Here are a few words from Steffi on her experience:

My experience from the summer school is very positive, and I had quite a few discussions about the guidelines with both the other teachers and the participants. The students appreciated that there were clear guidelines on conduct and safety in place. Fortunately, no incidents occurred, and the students seemed comfortable approaching me and the other teachers when they needed something or something was unclear. And that is what we wanted to achieve.

Unfortunately, field trips seem to be occasions when a lot of problems arise. At least, they were mentioned again and again in the anonymous survey that was conducted as part of the work on the “Volcanologists – Who are we and where are we going?” article (Kavanagh et al., 2022). So fieldwork guidelines are one measure of proactively working for a better experience for everyone involved.

The guidelines can be viewed and downloaded on our website, and we also have further EDI resources to explore. We encourage everyone in the community to have a look, particularly those who are planning future field trips. Let’s ensure that field trips are a wonderful experience for everyone!

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Have you been on any field trips recently and would like to share your experience or findings? Get in touch with the VIPS blog team at info@vipscommission to be featured on our blog.

References

Kavanagh, J.L., Annen, C.J., Burchardt, S., Chalk, C., Gallant, E., Morin, J., Scarlett, J. and Williams, R., 2022. Volcanologists—who are we and where are we going? Bulletin of Volcanology, 84(5), 53.