(Intended for session: Eleanor Sterling: A Legacy of Cooperation in Science)
In 2024, I was privileged to be selected as the inaugural Eleanor J. Sterling Postdoctoral Conservation Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History. What I knew of Dr. Sterling’s work and the way she conducted it continues to influence my research today.
First, she was an inspiration to pursue multi-disciplinary work. Because I use both ecological and sociological components in my research, I have been able to publish some of my most impactful work, and it has led to opportunities such as my current position at AMNH where I incorporate ethnobotanical research into questions concerning conservation and ecology.
Second, Dr. Sterling knew that research products like academic papers were limited in how they could benefit communities. She worked with communities to develop more relevant products. For example, in the Solomon Islands she and partners developed a cookbook reflecting the different habitats that this community used and conserved. Similarly, I dedicate time and effort to locally-relevant booklets, Storymaps, columns and op-eds that are often more impactful than peer-reviewed journal articles.
Finally, the few times I was lucky enough to meet Dr. Sterling, I could see the real value she placed on working with Indigenous partners, and seeing them as true leaders and partners in their collaborations. These relationships take an immense amount of time, humility, and trust to build, which she prioritized. I ground myself in work that serves the communities that I consider myself a part of in the Micronesian Islands. I seek constant feedback from resource managers and community leaders and work towards assuring that future conservation leaders are from these islands.
As with many others in this session, her example continues to shape my work moving forward.