Artemis recognizes that the sporting and conservation worlds have not always been safe, equitable spaces for all, and that people from Black communities, Indigenous peoples and tribal nations, communities of color, LGBTQ2+ communities, and those with disabilities have been (and in many arenas, still are) excluded or spoken over. We also acknowledge that Western conservation has its roots in colonial occupation of Indigenous lands, and ideas of nature and wilderness that privileged access to a select few defined by race, class, and gender.
As a program dedicated to gender equity and women’s leadership in sporting and conservation, Artemis seeks to repair these harms by role modeling what equity-centered sporting and conservation can look like. We believe the sporting and conservation worlds benefit from a diverse array of lived experiences, perspectives, and lifeways, and seek to demonstrate that through our work. We are doing so by being intentional about how we make hunting and fishing more accessible, who we invite to our community and uplift, what projects we take on, and who we partner with.
Artemis plays a critical role in diversifying the outdoors and sporting world. Only 22% of hunters and 37% of anglers in the US are women. Sportswomen are a growing population but remain underrepresented and underserved. Moreover, our Ambassadors truly reflect the diversity women have to offer the sporting world – 23% of our Ambassadors identify as women of color, compared to 2% of hunters and 22% of anglers of all genders nationally. 9% identify as LGBTQ+ women. Our Ambassadors’ ages range from 24 to 57, represent 29 different states and 5 tribal nations, and have skills spanning 15 types of hunting and angling, including salmon, bass, ocean, and trout fishing; falconry and hunting with dogs; trapping; and waterfowl, upland bird, turkey, and small and large game hunting. Their professions include environmental careers such as wildlife biologists, game wardens, fishing and hunting guides, and conservationists, but also include ranchers, nurses, teachers, and more. Approximately half are parents or caregivers passing their hunting and angling skills on to future generations.
We humbly and diligently strive for equity and inclusivity with our actions and our words, in collaboration with our Artemis community and our partners in the national hunting and fishing conservation community. We are actively working to partner with organizations and individuals that represent varying identities and lived experiences, to help make Artemis and the sporting and conservation worlds safe, inclusive, empowering spaces for all. If you are interested in partnering with us on those efforts, please let us know! We welcome feedback and dialogue on how we can grow in our approach to equity-centered conservation.
Artemis is an initiative of the National Wildlife Federation. You can read more about NWF’s commitment to Equity and Justice NWF’s commitment to Equity and Justice here.
