IvoRi Schley (sh-ly)

BIO

IvoRi (she/her) is a fiber artist, geographer, farmer, and environmental educator galore from Clayton County, GA. Inspired by Dr. Dolittle and Pocahontas, IvoRi decided she would commit to an environmental job at an early age. IvoRi explored the wide world of environmental careers, from shadowing park rangers and ag extension offices to stewarding wealthy trails and learning food security politics first hand. Castration labs and insights from the livestock industry influenced IvoRi's conversion to veganism and planty relations.

Today, IvoRi aims to increase positive land relations with food apartheid communities.

Everything is alive! So everything naturally deserves respect. Inspired by Afro-Indigenous folklore, nature reverence, and afro-futurism in greenspaces, IvoRi currently hosts fiber art workshops and implements education programs for k-12 youth, public, private, and homeschool audiences.

EDUCATION

MS in Geosciences; Geography

Georgia State University, May 2025

BS in Agriculture and Environmental Systems; Urban and Community Horticulture

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, May 2019

WORK HISTORY

2024 Garden Educator and Specialist. Spelman College. Atlanta, GA

2022 Farm Education Manager. West Atlanta Watershed Alliance. Atlanta, GA

2022 Environmental Educator. Food Earth Birth. Decatur, GA

2021 Hydroponic Technician. Vertical Roots. Forest Park, GA

2021 Environmental Educator. Wylde Center. Decatur, GA

2021 Environmental Educator. Blue Heron Nature Preserve. Atlanta, GA

2020 Urban Farmer. Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture (TLW). Atlanta, GA 2019 Environmental Education and Outreach Steward. AmeriCorps, Highlands Cashiers Land Trust. Highlands, NC

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2024 Southeastern Agrarian Youth Network (SAYN) Gathering. Waterford, MS

2024 Afroecology Encounter. Marlboro, MD

2024 Society of Outdoor Professionals. Lake Tahoe, NV

2024 Weaving Wisdoms Conference. Carrolton, GA

2024 Dimensions of Political Ecology (DOPE) Conference. Lexington, KY

2023 Black Sheep Fiber Circle Residency. High Hog Farm. Grayson, GA

2019 Residency Teacher. Club Boulevard Elementary. Durham, NC

2018 State Park Environmental Educator. Haw River State Park. Browns Summit, NC

2018 REU Student. North Carolina State University. Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2017 REU Student. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Lincoln, Nebraska

2016 REU Student. Michigan State University. Hickory Corners, Michigan

2015 Biotechnology Agriculture Apprentice. Tennessee State University

MEMBERSHIP

SOLO Wilderness First Responder, since 2024

Southeast African American Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON), since 2023

Georgia Organics, since 2023

National Women In Agriculture Association (NWIAA), since 2023

High Hog Farm, since 2022

HABESHA, Inc, since 2021

Permaculture Womens’ Guild, since 2020

CONFERENCES

2024 Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals

2024 SAAFON Weaving Wisdoms Conference

2024 Dimensions of Political Ecology

2018, 2022, 2023, 2024 Black Farmers and Urban Growers Conference

AWARDS

2024 ATL R.O.O.T.S Grant

2024 Metro Atlanta Farmer Support Fund Award

2024 Food Well Alliance Farmer Support Grant

2024 Persimmon Collective Fund BIPOC Farmer Grant Honorarium

2024 Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals Scholarship

2018 National Science Foundation (NSF) East Africa Research and Education Partnership

2015-18 NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates