This month, The Applied Ecologist is amplifying the voice of early career ecologists from around the world working in the field of applied ecology to help inspire the next generation. In this post, Jasmine Lee (British Antarctic Survey) and Christy Hehir (University of Surrey) share their story below.
Our backgrounds
I am an environmental psychologist lecturer from the University of Surrey. In my spare time, I like to walk my golden retriever Fred, do yoga, read biographies and drink oat lattes.
I am an Antarctic conservation biologist and spatial ecologist from the British Antarctic Survey. In my spare time, I like to squeeze my hours full of being outside hiking and exploring nature, playing sports (underwater rugby and baseball), boardgames and reading fantasy novels.
What are you working on right now?
Christy and Jasmine: As social and life scientists, we have combined forces to mobilise a defence against alien species reaching Antarctica by forming a public engagement and biosecurity campaign using comics and cartoons. We are the Polar Alien Hunters.
Our vision for Polar Alien Hunters is to ensure that all visitors to Antarctica engage with and use the latest, best-practice biosecurity measures and most importantly, understand why we need to keep Antarctica free of alien species. We share the stories of those alien species who have reached the polar regions and illustrate the simple steps each visitor can take at home before leaving and enroute to Antarctica to help prevent invasions.
We also aim to evaluate current Antarctic biosecurity practices, their scientific rationale and efficacy, and the impacts of human behaviour on the engagement with and uptake of those practices. These will help to develop an evidence-based framework for Antarctic policymakers and environmental managers to help prevent the continued spread of non-native species to the Antarctic regions and limit the damage on Antarctica’s biodiversity.
We’ve got lots of ideas in our pockets and several long-term plans. In the immediate future we are finishing our first comic and also have an animation on the way (watch this space)! We are also engaging with National Antarctic Programs and the Antarctic tourism industry, and hope to include the Polar Alien Hunters messages in their biosecurity guidance.
What has motivated you in your career?
Christy: My environmental interest was first ignited when I travelled to Antarctica with Students on Ice. Aged 21 at the time, such experiences did not just change my life, they gave me a purpose for life: if we protect the poles, we protect our planet. Travel had inspired me to see the world’s environments with new eyes and I wanted to understand the psychology behind my new thinking.
Jasmine: I’ve always loved nature and biodiversity and as I went through my undergraduate zoology degree, I realised I wanted to do something bigger picture – and conservation seemed a natural calling. And Antarctica, well, Andrew Denton can say it much more eloquently than me: “If Antarctica were music it would be Mozart. Art, and it would be Michelangelo. Literature, and it would be Shakespeare. And yet it is something even greater; the only place on earth that is still as it should be. May we never tame it.” …and so I hope it can remain for all generations.
What have you enjoyed the most on your ECR journey?
Christy: To me, the magic of research is its potential for real world impact. The best bit about becoming a Polar Alien Hunter is that it has enabled me to think beyond my discipline (I now know what tardigrades and rotifers are) and together, we are able to create bigger and more wholistic solutions to combat invasive species.
Jasmine: My research journey has been absolutely brilliant. I’ve loved every moment, from honours to PhD to postdoc. Asides from being privileged enough to see, feel and experience one of the most breathtaking and remote places on the planet, I also love working with and being inspired by kind, passionate, genius and sparkling humans from all over the globe.
One piece of advice for other ECRs
Christy: One word– passion! If you are passionate about your field of research, then the PhD journey is a privilege. Every day I get to read, write and hopefully contribute a little to conservation – that’s a pretty cool (polar pun intended) day job!
Jasmine: Work with good people! These relationships are likely to be the ones that endure and with whom you look forward to the next project. Meetings with the Polar Alien Hunters are always productive but they are also fun, humorous and something I look forward to!
Find out more about the Polar Alien Hunters
If you are interested in finding out more about the Polar Alien Hunters or would like to get in touch, please visit the website: www.polaralienhunters.com
You can also follow us on Twitter: @Polar_Aliens
Discover more posts from our ECR Journeys blog series here.
