Ep. 141 : Talking to Jam Doughty, non-binary nature educator, and creature drawer

The show is a conversation with Jam Doughty, discussing the facets of their career as an artist creating beautiful works interpreting a diversity of lush flora, strange crustaceans, migrating autumn waterfowl and songbirds. We go over some of the complexities of being a white nature educator in the predominantly black community of Garfield Park neighbourhood on the west side of Chicago, working to push for more equity, and being and out spoken non-binary role model to the kids they work with.

How do we talk to our students, or the young people in our lives about our the complexities in the world around us? What about the subtleties and possibilities within our own experiences of ourselves? How do you challenge those we work with and for to push beyond lip service to racial equity and create real solidarity in our daily jobs? How does one do this amidst a culture of white supremacy, heterocentrism, and a pandemic, seemingly getting more and more out of hand?

We can’t answer it all, but there is open hearted conversation and sometimes that can help us through to the next day.

Check out their instagram here, and the Etsy account here .