For Black History Month 2024, the British Ecological Society (BES) journals are celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world and sharing their stories. In this blog, Dr. Sharon Kahara shares her story and journey in academia.
Name: Dr. Sharon Kahara
Affiliation: University of New Haven, USA
Ecology Interests: Wetlands, wildlife, carbon dynamics
How did you get into ecology?
I always loved nature and wildlife but didn’t really decide to fully pursue Ecology until my doctoral research. I joined a wildlife club as a child but we didn’t really do anything in it despite living in one of the best countries for wildlife viewing – Kenya! My parents didn’t think it was a serious hobby and tried to get me to pursue Medicine. I basically told them I was interested in Biology but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. So I got a Biology degree but pursued a career in publishing and graphic design for a couple of years before being accepted to study Environmental Science in the Netherlands. That’s where I experienced a phenomenal aquatic ecology program where we research facilities stationed at wetlands and lakes across Europe. I never turned back after that.
What are you working on right now?
Right now my focus is understanding the impacts of invasive plants on wetland carbon sequestration. I’m also interested in how salt marsh invertebrates influence carbon and nitrogen cycling. Our theory is that sea level rise and human development are accelerating carbon losses and that invasive plants and invertebrates may be the mechanisms altering biogeochemical conditions.
I’m also working with game development researchers to create Ecology Games. Currently, gamification is focused on education as a tool to explain concepts and improve classroom participation. But I believe this can be a whole field unto itself and may become an important research tool in the future.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love being outside. It brings out my goofy side, which some people don’t understand. For instance, a couple of weeks ago we had a class field trip to the beach, the sun was out and a cool breeze was going, so I brought a boogie board just in case I had time to catch a wave. I honestly could break out into song while collecting soil samples – it just makes me so happy. When I took my grads sampling in California, I decided to walk alone for an hour to the furthest sampling point. When I’m in that zone I can collect data all day. I find it therapeutic. I love sharing my results with other Ecologists at meetings because I often find people just as excitable as I am.
What are your hopes and ambitions for the future?
I’d love to increase capacity for young Ecologists in Africa. I remember starting out on a major project after my Masters degree (20 years ago!) and feeling pretty helpless due to lack of resources and funding. Since then I’ve met a lot of young and inspiring ecologists and naturalists. Most of the time they make a living serving as guides or support staff on projects with researchers from Europe and America. But they have incredible potential to generate their own research and I want to be there to help them develop ideas and connect them to resources to pursue their own objectives. This is the only way to ensure sustainable conservation for the long term.
For myself. I hope to develop a strong research lab which would allow me to pursue all the amazing ideas I’m particularly interested in Ecology Games for education and research. I hope to collaborate with faculty from other fields. If I could I’d start a journal just focusing on this to promote their use.Â
The theme for BHM UK this year is ‘Reclaiming Narratives’. What does this mean to you?
To me, my plan to help African Ecologists gain the support they need to conduct their own research is critical. So much of the conservation in Africa is driven by western ideas of conservation and the fortress conservation model. I want to see that region reclaim the historic, pre-colonial indigenous land ethic that allows people to connect to their land and heritage as well as the animals, plants and ecosystems. Our folklore is so steeped in wildlife analogies and love of nature, but our wildlife conservation is steered by Western interests especially tourism.
Are there any black ecologists who are doing work you admire, that you’d like to mention?
Yes! I’ve been reading about the work done by Dr. Sparkle Malone at Yale School of the Environment. She’s doing incredible work estimating carbon fluxes using novel methods. I haven’t met her yet but I plan to do so soon!
Are there any aspects of your academic career or personal journey as a Black ecologist that you wish to share?
There are hundreds of times over the course of my career when I felt I didn’t belong in the room, and so it took me a while to speak up and share my views. Now I see my voice as being a critical part of the conversation. Research ethics is something I emphasize strongly because for the longest time, pseudoscience was used against Black people. I’d encourage Black researchers to develop a strong background in data analysis and statistics for this very reason. I take it personally.
Are there any ongoing issues in the ecological or academic landscape that you would like to highlight?
We are still severely underrepresented in the natural resource sciences and I need to see more students willing to try even if it means they might fail!!! Yes, I said that! The more we see Black students getting into the field the more of our own perspectives we can pursue.
If you could see one change in academia to positively impact Black ecologists, what would that be?
If it were possible, I wish we could get funding to promote more in-person gatherings to meet and support one another.