If you are a Master Gardener volunteer in Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada or Arizona, please plan to join an upcoming free online training for best practices in answering questions about invasive plants.
This workshop session will cover:
Invasive plant ecology basics
Tips to answer public help desk inquiries about invasive plants
Useful online resources
Elements of a standard response
A hands-on portion to put it all together!
Wed, Feb 11, 2026 from 9-11 am PST (NV, AZ, SoCal)
Wed, Feb 18, 2026 from 4-6 pm PST (WA, OR, NorCal)
Attend either or both sessions regardless of what state you’re in. Some information will be regionally specific, but most will be broadly relevant.
From gravel to garden—that’s the story of our Education Garden at Portland Community College Rock Creek. This 17,000-square-foot space used to be a compacted parking lot covered in gravel and riprap. Nothing but weeds could grow here. It radiated heat and offered virtually no support for plants, wildlife, or the soil organisms that make up a healthy ecosystem. But we saw an opportunity to reclaim the space and transform it into a thriving outdoor classroom that teaches sustainable gardening practices. And that’s exactly what we did.
Then and Now. Photos courtesy of Sue Ryburn.
Designing with Resilience in Mind From the beginning, our goal was to create a space where people could learn. We organized the garden into themed sections—what we call “Garden Classrooms”—each one focused on a specific concept. These include:
Waterwise Garden
PNW Meadowscape
Hellstrip beds (with native and non-native comparisons)
Moon Moth Garden
Pollinator Habitat Garden
Fragrance Garden
Community Circle with small conifers and companion plants
PNW Pollinator Hedgerow
The waterwise garden. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.
We also feature habitat elements like mason bee stations, ground-nesting bee zones, and signage for the DarkSky Oregon Citizen Scientist Project. Everything we’ve done is meant to demonstrate how gardens can be beautiful, functional, and climate-resilient.
Facing Climate Challenges Because the site had been a gravel parking lot, there was no usable soil. After removing the gravel, we brought in 40 truckloads of topsoil and 150 cubic yards of compost. We tested the soil, amended it, and covered it with arborist chips after planting. We haven’t needed additional soil amendments since—just mulch and good care.
In 2018, the team hard at work installing grading and incorporating compost and amendments. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.
Water was another major concern. With little initial shade and increasing summer heat, we installed drip and overhead irrigation and grouped plants by water needs. We monitor the health of our plants regularly and adjust irrigation based on what we observe, including probing soil for infiltration.
Drainage remains an issue. The compacted subgrade is still there, so we avoid planting large trees that require deep soil. When we planted trees early on, we used an auger to break through the hard layer and give roots a path through the compacted subgrade.
The site also had very little wind protection. Over time, we’ve used shrubs and trees to create a buffer and soften the wind, especially along the garden’s edge, during summer drying events but also in winter storm events by shielding plants from freezing high winds from the east.
Working in the Moon Moth Garden. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.
Choosing the Right Plants We’ve always prioritized plants that are low-water, low-maintenance, affordable, and available to home gardeners. The garden is a balance of perennials and evergreens to provide both structure and year-round habitat for insects and other wildlife.
Our goal is to build a resilient, adaptable ecosystem. When plants die, we try to determine why the plant failed before replacing it, with the goal of creating a garden that, over time, is increasingly composed of plants adapted to the specific conditions of the site.
Native plants were an integral theme of the original garden design, a theme we have continued to expand on with the installation of a PNW Pollinator Hedgerow in 2020 (and its extension in 2022) and a PNW Meadowscape in 2023. In 2024, we converted a section of our Hellstrip into a native-only test zone.
Pollinator Hedgerow. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.
We’ve learned from experience that some plants—like goldenrod, woodland strawberry, and Douglas aster—can be too aggressive in our managed garden. They’re great in the wild, but here we aim for diversity without constant intervention.
Planting in the fall of 2018. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.
Techniques That Make a Difference
Adjusting irrigation for maturing plants
Leaving leaves and small branch piles to support overwintering insects
Creating intentional habitat spaces, like our Moon Moth Garden
Avoiding all chemical inputs
Using arborist chips for weed suppression, moisture retention, and soil health We started with organic compost to support soil life and have since let the garden build healthy soil naturally.
What’s Next?
We’re continuing to adapt. We plan to convert more overhead irrigation to drip, fine-tune watering in key areas, and explore new plant choices—especially native species—when replacements are needed. We’re also evaluating plants that have outgrown their space to decide whether to relocate or remove them.
Drone image of the garden taken in 2018. Photo courtesy of PCC.
Drone image of the garden taken in 2019. Photo courtesy of PCC.
Drone image of the garden taken in 2024. Photo courtesy of Jorie Helwig.
Sharing What We Learn
Our garden is a living classroom. We host public classes as part of our In the Garden Series, offer hands-on Master Gardener workshops, and partner with PCC’s Landscape Technology program for curriculum-based learning. Educational signage helps visitors learn even when we’re not there.
We’re excited to integrate Garden Future activities into our outreach this year. We plan to display laminated Garden Future posters in the garden and hand out quarter-sheet cards with links to the website and resources. It’s a natural fit—we’re already focused on sustainability, and Garden Future gives us another way to talk about climate resilience.
Community Circle with small conifers and companion plants. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.
Explore one of Oregon’s 50+ Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens—realistic, regionally adapted spaces that showcase what thrives in your local conditions. Find a demonstration garden near you.
This story is part of Garden Future, an OSU Extension Master Gardener outreach project dedicated to conversations and action for gardening in a changing climate.
What are you seeing in your garden? What changes are you making? We invite you to join the Garden Future conversation by answering three quick questions. At the end, you’ll have the option to sign up for our Garden Future newsletter and stay connected with stories, resources, and tools to support climate-resilient gardening in your community.
In Southern Oregon’s scorching summers, it can be hard to imagine a vibrant garden that doesn’t rely on constant irrigation. But at the Jackson County Master Gardener Waterwise Garden, colorful blooms, pollinator habitat, and year-round interest prove that climate-resilient gardening can also be beautiful. Designed to showcase low-water native and ornamental plants, this demonstration garden at the OSU Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center is inspiring visitors to rethink what’s possible in a drought-prone climate. OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer Pete Livers and Master Gardener Coordinator Grace Florjancic share what they’re learning—and teaching—about gardening in a hotter, drier world.
Waterwise Garden in Central Point
A conversation with OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer Pete Livers and Master Gardener Coordinator Grace Florjancic
What was your garden like prior to any changes you’ve made for climate resiliency? The Jackson County Master Gardener waterwise garden set out to show how you can still have plenty of colorful blossoms and year-round interest while saving on water usage. This garden was designed with a mix of low water usage native and ornamental plants. There are many pollinators that visit this garden throughout the year like bumblebees, honeybees, and butterflies.
What issues did you find you were facing regarding climate change impacts in your garden? Frequent irrigation in our intense summer heat has become an issue for many gardeners. Using drip irrigation has helped us be more efficient with water usage but low water use plants is another step towards reducing the need for constant summer irrigation.
What plants have you changed to help with climate resilience? Some of the native plants like poppies and yarrow wander out of their desired areas. From a structured garden perspective, some of these plants have been removed to keep the desired appearance. Low water usage irises recently replaced some yarrow to fill out the irises currently in the garden bed for a fuller appearance. The native California fuchsia, buckwheat, and Kinnikinnik play nicer with their neighbors in a formal garden setting.
What techniques have you changed to help with climate resilience? Master Gardener Pete Livers is the new team lead for the waterwise garden. As a newcomer to the garden, Pete has found the main challenge to be learning which plants are very drought tolerant and which ones are just low water plants. Pete has been keeping a careful eye out for plants that show signs of stress like curling and wilting leaves. To not overwater the extreme drought tolerant plants, he has resorted to hand watering the individuals that show signs of drought stress.
Are you anticipating future changes you plan to make? No major changes for our garden at the moment. Plants may get occasionally swapped out for color, size, or other desired attributes to keep the garden fresh and exciting.
Have you received feedback from others regarding the changes you’ve made? Many people are surprised at how many flowers and pops of color are in this waterwise garden. Often people have an image of rocks green cacti and succulents in mind for a waterwise garden. We wanted to show another way to create a waterwise garden with blooms each season.
Do you have any specific resources you’ve used in making the decisions for the changes you’ve made? Some helpful resources for gardeners designing a waterwise garden include native plant lists such as Gardening with Oregon Native Plants East/West of the Cascades and the Firewise Plants for Home Gardens publication. Check with your local nurseries to see if they have a list of their available native plants and low water use plants for sale.
What would you tell other gardeners who want to make changes in their gardening to create more climate resilience? Our summers in Jackson County turn brutal for a full sun garden quickly and some irrigation is still needed once or twice a month in an established waterwise garden like ours. New plants need to be gently acclimated to low water conditions and individually watered until established. A common mistake is expecting a young plant fresh from the nursery to be able to survive a drought before becoming established. Grouping your low water use plants together makes watering much easier than having them mixed between water-loving plants.
How are you using your climate resilient garden for teaching or outreach events? We have hosted garden tours for local gardening clubs across the county where we discuss each garden and share ideas. Last summer, the local news station did a feature on waterwise gardens and included footage from our garden!
Anything else you’d like to share? Some of the plants Pete wanted to highlight are the arrow leaf buckwheat for interesting foliage and dramatic white blooms and the purple cooking sage for the unique purple to green fade the plant has. A well designed waterwise garden still has plenty of interesting leaves, blossoms, colors, textures, and habitat for the local critters.
Established in 1994, the Jackson County Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens feature fifteen different gardens that are used to teach the art and science of gardening through the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program and to the community at large. The Demonstration Gardens are located on the grounds surrounding the OSU Extension office in Central Point, 569 Hanley Rd, Central Point, OR 97502. The public is welcome to take self-guided tours Monday through Friday between the hours of 9-5 p.m.
Explore one of Oregon’s 50+ Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens—realistic, regionally adapted spaces that showcase what thrives in your local conditions. Find a demonstration garden near you.
This story is part of Garden Future, an OSU Extension Master Gardener outreach project dedicated to conversations and action for gardening in a changing climate.
Across Oregon, OSU Extension Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens are blooming with inspiration—and resilience. As our climate shifts, gardeners are adapting with creativity and care. As part of the Garden Future initiative, we’re spotlighting real stories from Master Gardener volunteers who are reimagining their spaces to be more climate resilient. These aren’t show gardens with endless budgets—they’re real, regionally relevant spaces that demonstrate what’s possible with thoughtful choices in plants and practices.
Today, we’re excited to share one of those stories.
Discovery Garden – Xeriscape Garden in Roseburg
A conversation with Geoff Puryear, OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer and Program Education Assistant.
What was your garden like prior to any changes you’ve made for climate resiliency? The Discovery Garden itself was established in 2000 and is divided into 21 different themed sections. The Xeriscape Garden was initially installed around 2005. Originally, the space was smaller and regularly irrigated. I was assigned, as a new Master Gardener volunteer, to take over the design and maintenance of the space in 2013. At that time, the Xeriscape Garden had limited plant variety, large gaps between plants, and very little mulch. That year, while the rest of the Discovery Garden resumed irrigation, the Xeriscape Garden did not and has not received any supplemental irrigation since, relying solely on rainwater.
What issues did you find you were facing regarding climate change impacts in your garden? This project of an irrigation-free landscape was started to demonstrate how many commonly available landscaping plants can survive our Mediterranean climate of hot-dry summers without supplemental irrigation. The second year into this project, we experienced a significant drought which set back the establishment process of most plants. The lack of rain in the first three years made establishing most of the perennials a challenge, but it also showed that following the 7 Principles of Xeriscape is a viable method for both the conservation of water and drought resiliency, as hundreds of plant varieties, planted in the right place and at the right time of year, successfully populated the burgeoning garden beds.
What plants have you changed to help with climate resilience? To create a more resilient landscape, I removed plants that couldn’t handle the dry season; mostly plants with larger leaves and higher water needs. This included a 15-foot Red maple and the Siberian red-twig dogwoods, both of which suffered without irrigation, or in the case of the tree, outcompeted every other plant near it for water. I replaced them with a wide variety of plants that use various adaptations to survive our climate. Many of the plants chose had smaller, silvery, and/or needle-like leaves, traits that help reduce water loss. Succulents like Sedum, cold-hardy Agave, and yuccas that all survive drought by going summer-dormant or perform photosynthesis at night during the dry season. I’ve also added many native species, where appropriately suited to the microclimates around the space. I made a point to fill in all available space in the garden beds to help shade the soil and each other. All of the turf grass areas around the space have been removed and replaced with pathways and perennial garden beds.
What techniques have you changed to help with climate resilience? I’ve implemented a design grounded in the 7 Principles of Xeriscape. To reduce plant stress, I avoid pruning or deadheading during the dry season. This allows the plants to grow naturally without the stress of water-dependent regrowth. Every garden bed is fully mulched, I’ve used a variety of mulch throughout the space including wood chips, bark, gravel, and boulders to help keep the soil cool and moist. I also allow for most fallen leaves, needles, pinecones, or any other bits of organic material to stay on the beds, continually creating a fresh layer of mulch.
Are you anticipating future changes you plan to make? As the dry season has become longer and hotter, and varying levels of drought has become the normal state of the climate in Southern Oregon, many plants have not been able to cope. If the trend continues, I will probably have to replace many of the plants that, at one time, thrived in the dry garden.
Have you received feedback from others regarding the changes you’ve made? People tend to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the garden and they are usually surprised to see all the plants that can be grown happily in a dry landscape.
Do you have any specific resources you’ve used in making the decisions for the changes you’ve made? I’ve done a lot of research into the native range of plants, if they come from a similar climate to ours, I will usually choose those plants to trial. When considering native plants, I look to OregonFlora.org for species distribution maps and natural habitat descriptions. Missouri Botanical Garden’s “Plant Finder” is a regularly used resource for most of my horticultural resource, along with OSU’s Landscape Plant Database, as well as the North Carolina Extension Plant Toolbox. The Seven Principles of Xeriscape by the Denver Water Board
What would you tell other gardeners who want to make changes in their gardening to create more climate resilience? I always try to encourage people to accept plants in their natural state; to choose ones that will look good without irrigation or excessive pruning. If you pick the right mix of plants and let them grow the way they’re meant to, the need for constant maintenance and watering disappears. It makes for a much more rewarding and sustainable garden. Gardeners should focus on matching plants to the site’s light, soil, and water conditions, rather than choosing plants purely for looks. With nearly 300 varieties of drought-tolerant perennials in the Xeriscape Garden, it’s clear you can achieve a beautiful and climate-resilient landscape with the right plant choices.
How are you using your climate resilient garden for teaching or outreach events? As part of the annual Douglas County Master Gardener training course, new trainees are given a tour of the garden as well as a 2-hour presentation from me on the 7 Principles of Xeriscape and designing a naturalized garden. I also give regular presentations to the public covering the topic of drought resilient landscaping using the Xeriscape Garden as the main example and sometimes as the classroom.
More information about the garden, including plants lists and photos. You can visit the garden, open from dawn to dusk, at 236 River Forks Park Rd in Roseburg.
Explore one of Oregon’s 50+ Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens—realistic, regionally adapted spaces that showcase what thrives in your local conditions. Find a demonstration garden near you.
This story is part of Garden Future, an OSU Extension Master Gardener outreach project dedicated to conversations and action for gardening in a changing climate.
At the heart of the OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer program is something powerful: the idea that when we grow plants, we grow connections. This guest post, written by Master Gardener volunteer Sarah W. in Portland, is a shining example of that spirit in action.
While taking the Master Gardener training, Sarah began to apply what she was learning and applied it in the most generous way—by organizing her entire neighborhood block to garden together. Inspired by community-supported agriculture and grounded in the knowledge she gained from the program, she helped coordinate a shared vision: plant together, harvest together, and build deeper community ties through the act of growing food.
Sarah’s story is a clear reflection of the ripple effect the program can have—on individuals, families, and neighborhoods. It’s a reminder that when someone gains skills and confidence through the Master Gardener Program, they take those gifts into the world and plant seeds of change far beyond the classroom.
We’re honored to share Sarah’s story with you.
Why master gardening?
It’s a question I tried to answer repeatedly during the spring of 2024, as I attended Zoom class during kid soccer practice, puzzled out the calendar for every farmer’s market in the Portland Metro area, and marveled at the poised, knowledgeable, and involved perennial Master Gardeners I met at every turn. What was I trying to prove, and did I belong?
Indeed, the moment a few weeks ago before I pressed send on a spreadsheet garden planner covering my entire neighborhood, I wondered – is this why? Am I too much, or not enough?
My whole life, I’ve been what people indulgently call “a do-er”. I love a good idea, but more than that, I love plotting a good idea into being. I have also been called persistent – not to say stubborn – by those who love me. And my kids know that when I say, “five minutes until we go”, they can happily play for 15 while I chat up a new group of parents and lose track of time.
This is all to say that when my neighbor pitched the idea of a block-wide project where we crossed community-supported agriculture with a community garden spread across multiple yards, my husband correctly predicted I’d be in deep. He knows me.
The idea was simple. What if we each planted something different, and then brought together the harvest to share? Having just read about an inspired project in Los Angeles, it was an easy sell. The project formed quickly, based on the training fresh in my mind.
If any neighborhood was set up for this challenge, it was my little block, which hosted weekly line dances through COVID lockdowns and painted our street to commemorate the connection during those years. We’re a neighborhood where repeated gestures of kindness have created runners, and underground network that shoots up random acts of support you never thought to ask for.
Yet at its core, this project was about pooling individual effort for the collective – an ideal but challenging in the details. Nonetheless, we set off. At a potluck, we mapped individual plots into a single farm. On the south side of the street, better sun but smaller beds. On the north side, shade, but retirees who had time to build beds or move container tomatoes to track the sun. We calendared workdays, I ordered seeds, and we mixed fertilizer and pressed seeds into four-inch pots together. And yes, I emailed a beautifully color-coded spreadsheet where my eight-year-old and I mapped space, time, crop, and affection into a sharable format. So many things about this project are imperfect. But it’s an answer to the persistent question about why I became a Master Gardener. What kind of community is possible in this fast-paced and fragmented world? This week, it’s pak choi and kale thinnings. It doesn’t matter if we pool our plots for different reasons. When we arrive curious, open-hearted, offering care and whatever we have on hand – the connection follows.
Are you building community and connections through gardening? 2026 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Master Gardener volunteer program in Oregon: we would love to share your stories of community and connection. Please email leann.locher@oregonstate.edu if you’d like to share your story.
Who will be the next recipients of each county’s Master Gardener of the Year, Growing and Belonging, and Behind the Scenes awards? We’re ready to take your reporting of awards.
All county-level award submissions should be made in cooperation with your local Master Gardener coordinator. Prior to selecting your counties’ winners, please be sure to review the criteria for county awards.
We’ll celebrate the county award winners at this year’s Joy of Gardening Conference in July, and announce the statewide award recipients.
The statewide award winners are selected through a competitive process at the state level. Each county may nominate one winner or winning team for each of the three awards. A statewide awards committee convened by OMGA and the Extension Master Gardener Program reviews nominations and selects the winners.
Please note that county-level winners are not automatically considered for the statewide awards. If your county wants to nominate a volunteer for a statewide award, you must do so using the statewide award nomination form. Typically, counties submit different candidates for the statewide and county awards.
Who will be the next recipients of the statewide Master Gardener of the Year, Growing and Belonging, and Behind the Scenes awards? Nominations are open and we’re ready to take your submissions.
All nominations should be made in cooperation with your local Master Gardener coordinator, and make sure to review the criteria for each of the awards. Remember, these are the statewide awards, not county awards which are done locally, county by county.
We’ll reveal the statewide winners at this year’s Joy of Gardening conference in July, and celebrate all of the incredible county award recipients.
The future of gardening can be confusing right now. With changing seasonal weather, new techniques, different plants, you might be asking yourself, what should I be doing now? What should I be doing into the future?
Garden Future is about growing resilience in a changing climate.
When it comes to climate change, there are some things we know. But there’s a lot we don’t know, too. We’re collecting information from gardeners across Oregon to find out what they’re seeing, what they’re doing, and what they need help learning about, when it comes to climate change and its impact in gardens.
And for OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers, it’s go time. It’s time to get involved with the project, Garden Future.
Beginning in April, Garden Future will be out in the wild, and this is the official call to Master Gardener volunteers to get involved in the movement.
What is Garden Future? Climate change is already transforming the way we garden. From shifting growing seasons to unpredictable weather, Oregon gardeners are seeing these changes firsthand. Garden Future is an OSU Extension-led initiative that empowers Master Gardener volunteers to engage the public in conversations and actions for gardening in a changing climate. This project is built on the power of conversation—research shows that talking about climate change in relatable, solution-focused ways is one of the most effective ways to inspire action. And who better to lead these conversations than gardeners like you?
How You Can Get Involved: We’ve created a Garden Future Volunteer Guide to give you an overview of the project and materials available to use. Inside, you’ll find:
Tabling resources & outreach materials – Posters, prize wheels, and interactive tools to engage the public
Conversation starters – Tips on how to frame discussions around climate-smart gardening
Training & learning opportunities – So you can feel confident talking about gardening in a changing climate
Ways to share stories & insights – Help collect gardener experiences and be part of the conversation
The success of this project relies on Master Gardener volunteers who can help champion it. Once you’ve read the guide, think about fellow MG volunteers who would be interested in working on this project. Reach out to them. Reach out to your MG coordinator and let them know you want to help with Garden Future. Your involvement is what will make this project thrive.
Are you ready to be part of the future of gardening?
Start conversations at tabling events and community gatherings
Share your story—how has your gardening changed?
Help document and uplift other gardeners’ experiences
Stay connected through the Garden Future Champions newsletter
Together, we can make a difference—one conversation, one garden, and one story at a time.
If you are an OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer and would like to learn more, become a Garden Future Champion, and to receive your copy of the Garden Future Volunteer Guide, please email mastergardener@oregonstate.edu.
P.S. Garden Future will be at Hortlandia – Stop by! Reach out to Amy Espinoza to find out about volunteering at the Garden Future booth at Hortlandia. Special thanks to our friends at the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon for offering us this opportunity!
Q: What’s a fun way to earn continuing education hours while flexing your horticulture expertise?
A: Our annual Oregon Master Gardener Trivia Series, of course!
We’re turning up the heat once again this fall/winter and inviting OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers to join us for a little friendly competition with each other. One Thursday a month, November through February, at 7 p.m., hop on our Zoom to test your gardening knowledge and vie for cool prizes—not to mention bragging rights for your county!
We’ll have 50 questions related to a different theme each month, and topics range from the super scientific and technical to the practical and historical, so there’s something for everyone. (Plus, it’s multiple choice, so even if you slacked on studying, you still have a 25% chance of getting it right!)
Botanical terminology, classification, nomenclature, plant parts. To score well, study up on leaf shapes, margins, and arrangement; common plant families; and the parts of flowers.
Gardening tools and gadgets, garden inventors and innovators, historic and current garden tech, and famous historic gardens will be featured in this session. We’ll learn about the history behind common garden tools, and amazing botanists and gardens that paved the way for modern horticulture.
All things seed-related, just in time to refresh your memories for the new gardening season! Study up by viewing the seed-related videos from the Growing Oregon Gardeners “Level Up” series and you’ll be ready for this seed drill.
A smorgasbord of unrelated garden trivia. Questions may be drawn from the nooks and crannies of the giant Master Gardener handbook, plant clinic experiences and questions, or horticultural pests of concern in Oregon. Challenge yourself and your fellow Master Gardeners—this season closer will be tough (and fun)!
How to participate
Join via zoom on the date of the event.
Connect to the trivia app (Slido) on your phone or computer.
At the start of the tournament evening, you’ll be directed to the Slido app to begin competing.
Multiple choice trivia, 50 questions per session.
Winners will be announced live during the Zoom event.
Each session counts as one Continuing Education Unit for Master Gardener volunteers.
Did we say prizes? Yes we did. For each session, you can win gift certificates to mail-order garden companies in the PNW.
1st place: $100 gift certificate
2nd place: $50 gift certificate
3rd place: $25 gift certificate
Winners will receive gift certificates approximately one week after each event.
The way that we currently think about, talk about, and act on issues of racial bias and other lines of difference in this country is woefully inadequate and it’s incomplete. . . The very robust and compelling evidence that has been coming out of the science community for the past ten plus years suggests that if we want to move to a radically different place—a radically better place—on issues of race and difference in this country, we have to pay attention to something called implicit bias.
Dushaw Hockett is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Places for the Advancement of Community and Equity (SPACEs), a Washington, DC-based leadership development and community building organization dedicated to bridging the gap between what people imagine and what they achieve. He’s the former Director of Special Initiatives for the Center for Community Change (CCC), a 40-plus year old national social justice organization founded in the memory of the late Robert F. Kennedy.
As an outgrowth of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Initiative (TRHT), Dushaw serves as healing facilitator/practitioner. In this capacity, he has facilitated healing circles for numerous organizations including but not limited to the Independent Sector, the American Library Association (ALA), the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU) and the Michigan Council on Foundations.
He has served on the boards of numerous local and national organizations including the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). He currently serves as an advisor to the Perception Institute.
The presentation
Hockett begins his talk by discussing the three characteristics of implicit biases:
They operate at a subconscious level. The nature of implicit bias is that we don’t know that we have it.
They often run contrary to our conscious, stated beliefs and values.
They are triggered through rapid and automatic mental associations that we make between people and the attitudes or stereotypes we hold about those people.
He continues his argument by discussing why we must focus on implicit bias if we are to stop harming entire communities of people. Among these are:
The tools we’re currently using to address bias are insufficient because have been designed to address explicit bias instead of implicit bias.
Implicit bias is predictive. It allows us to predict how people will act based on biases that can be diagnosed using existing tools like Project Implicit.
Implicit bias can also be preventative. It can help us to develop tools—including internal motivation and habitual practices—that can shift us away from our current model of reactive, emergency responses to bias and toward a preventative approach based in part on public health research.
An implicit bias approach helps to reduce the shame and shaming that arises when we talk about bias. An implicit bias approach shifts the essential questions from “Are you racist or not racist?” or “Are you sexist or not sexist?” to “How do we align our actions and behaviors with our consciously held egalitarian beliefs?”
Consider and answer the questions in this learning guide.
Share your best ideas from your answers to the questions in prompts 3 and 4 with your program coordinator. (Ask them if they’d like to receive this information from you via email or another method.)
