Field Notes: Volume 2, Issue 7
Dear Friends,
When we inducted our first group of Fellows in 2003, WINGS was a pioneer in its support of women scientists and explorers. Sixteen years later, we proudly continue our core mission of funding and supporting a growing community of (now 125) Fellows and Flag Carriers, proving that women are on the frontiers of discovery in every field around the world. The WINGS WorldQuest flags, which have traveled to some of our planet’s most remote regions, including the North and South poles and almost 60 countries, have become a symbol of bold leadership, innovative thinking and uncommon courage.
So if you need inspiration or a reason to feel hopeful about our world, come meet one of these extraordinary women at an Explorer Talk (there’s one on November 6), the annual research forum and spring awards gala (exciting details in the next newsletter), and follow us on social media. We share their backstories, updates, and let’s-do-this mindsets, and link you to their latest initiatives.
We get nonstop energy boosts here at the WINGS hub, too, as Fellows and Flag Carriers visit on their way to and from expeditions. In the past two weeks, we’ve sat down with: Constanza Ceruti who was passing through after coordinating an archaeological symposium in Switzerland; April Burt , who gave a sold-out Explorer Talk about her recent marine plastic pollution expedition to the biodiversity hotspot, the Aldabra Atoll (photos below); Allison Hanes, who returned Flag #23, which she took to Indonesia while shooting films about the shamans of Siberut and the Mentawai gibbons. At the same time, we shipped out Flag #29 to marine conservation biologist Callie Veelenturf on her way to Panama’s Pearl Islands for a five-month pilot study of critically endangered leatherback sea turtles. Read on for more about Callie’s work.
We make sure that these changemakers stay in the field and that their discoveries have a platform and a network for sharing. Thank you for helping us give these women a voice and fostering a community dedicated to science, exploration, and a thriving, sustainable planet. With Giving Tuesday just around the corner, we hope you will consider continuing your support with a year-end gift!
Yours in discovery,
Beth Nixon
Chair, Board of Directors
In this issue:
Register now for our November 6 Explorer Talk with Flag Fellow Kate Harris
Register for our October 26 yoga/barre class at the Flatiron Athleta store studio hosted by the Junior Council
At 81, Helen Thayer continues to be a “work in progress” and trek the world
Flag Carrier Callie Veelenturf heads to Panama to study Leatherback Nesting Grounds
Read this article by IP lawyer Nicole Gallo, who hosted the September webinar for our Fellows and Flag Carriers on trends in female patenting, and the importance of intellectual property protection and patent registration for women in STEM-related research and exploration.
And more news from Krithi Karanth, Constanza Ceruti, Laly Lichtenfeld