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Kort Maeda

Kort Maeda

University of Washington

  • Environmental Studies
  • Visual Communication Design

My name is Kort Maeda and I currently attend the University of Washington where I study Visual Communication Design and Environmental Studies. As a fourth-generation Japanese American with generational roots in Hawai’i, I learned about my connection to the land through storytelling and hands-on experience. As a visual learner, creating art has always been how I make observations and interact with the world around me. I believe art and storytelling to be the most powerful tools for amplifying BIPOC narratives and equipping communities to lead radical change. I am interested in designing for environmental justice, looking at social equity within the built environment. I am most passionate about decolonizing sustainability narratives, equity in outdoor spaces, and community organizing. On slow days and when the sun is out, I enjoy outdoor rock climbing, experimenting with film photography, and making all kinds of art.

Support the Conservation Scholars Program

The Conservation Scholars Fund directly supports students who are pursuing a career in conservation through the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at the University of Washington. Effective conservation strategies are inclusive, involving a diversity of stakeholders and incorporating multiple values. Yet, the conservation community does not reflect the collective voice of our country. Without a significant, serious and immediate increase in diversity and inclusion, the conservation community will become a movement of the past instead of a guiding principle of the future. Our program aims to change that.