Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Skip to main content

Our Strategic Priorities

In 2019, a working group of ESA Governing Board members under the leadership of then President-elect Osvaldo Sala worked on defining the core statements and values of the Society, and on developing strategic goals through 2022. The following statements and goals were endorsed by the Governing Board in May 2019 and shared with the membership at that year’s Annual Meeting in Louisville.

MISSION

The Ecological Society of America advances the science and practice of ecology and supports ecologists throughout their careers.

VISION

The Ecological Society of America envisions a future where people embrace science to understand and foster a thriving planet.

VALUES

  • Integrity: ESA is a trusted source of scientific knowledge that serves as a foundation for understanding and action.
  • Inclusion: ESA provides the community of ecologists of diverse backgrounds, heritage, and career paths with a supportive home that advances their aspirations.
  • Adaptability: ESA responds creatively to continuous change in our natural and social environments.

STRATEGIC GOALS

Advocate for ecological science

  • Promote the value and importance of ecology
  • Advance the visibility and quality of ecological education
  • Give voice to the needs and aspirations of ecologists

Nurture the vibrant community of ecologists

  • Expand the ecological community in number and in human diversity
  • Encourage and support a variety of career paths for ecologists
  • Work toward fully inclusive participation of diverse people in science

Foster the creation and dissemination of ecological knowledge

  • Organize ecologists to identify emerging areas of inquiry
  • Sustain and enhance the journals to attract the best work in the field and serve the information needs of the ecological community
  • Host forums for the exchange of scientific research, discovery, and application

Promote the use of ecological science to address environmental challenges

  • Convene thought leaders and subject matter experts to identify the most pressing environmental challenges and their solutions
  • Engage with diverse stakeholders from all sectors on environmental topics
  • Communicate ecological knowledge relevant for decision-making to policy-makers, resource managers, and the public

Build and maintain a dynamic professional scientific society

  • Expand ESA’s reach locally and globally
  • Strengthen governance and management processes