Women of Science

Women of Science:

Doing the work of science in the real world

by Mackenzie Moran

Close your eyes, and imagine a scientist. Who do you see? I could make a few educated guesses, but whatever stereotype you chose, I’m here to break it. What if I told you that the field research being conducted in the Alaskan wilderness, in an ecosystem facing the consequences of climate change in real time, was driven by women, clad in waders, trucker hats, and raincoats? Well, it’s the truth. The Copper River Delta is a dynamic ecosystem that is suffering the consequences of climate change in real time. In the face of decline, female scientists have been taking on the challenges of the Alaskan wilderness in pursuit of understanding something they love, the outdoors. While field research has historically been conducted by men, these women represent a new generation of scientists that are changing the way we think about science, and who it is accessible to. To conduct research in a setting like the Chugach National Forest, scientists need to be tough and resourceful, as this landscape is among one of the last pristine landscapes left in the world. That means it is wild and unpredictable, with challenges that could put researchers lives at risk if they are unprepared. Their knowledge is their power; brute strength plays no role in the game of science. It is all about the will of human curiosity and the questions asked. That is their motivation. The scientific women in Cordova are at the forefront of a movement, a transition away from what society traditionally knows as science, into a new way of practice that creates an avenue to further gender inclusivity and willingness to give power to the female mind.

Elizabeth Camarata, a Biological Science Technician with the US Forest, leads herself and two other female scientists out onto the Copper River Delta to conduct field surveys on a pond of the team’s interest. The skiff cruise into the delta is the first step in of a series of obstacles that these women must take to get to the right pond.

Elizabeth Camarata and Jillian Jablonski assess the water levels of the delta to keep the skiff from stalling out on the water. As the boat slows, they will anchor to a jetty muck jetty before preparing their poke boats to take them through narrow forks of the river the skiff cannot travel on.

One method of transportation used to transport across the delta and to and from ponds are pack rafts. These inflatable rafts act can come in handy for handling equipment, as well as act as bridges between land masses when the water gets too deep for the researchers to cross. This raft was towed back and forth to get both Elizabeth and Amelia across the ponds without flooding their waders.

In preparation for a study Elizabeth is conducting on an invasive species, known as elodea, she carefully hangs on the edge of a pack raft as she creates a sample square in the pond by anchoring wire to the pond floor and staking and marking measurements with stakes. In the distance, Jillian conducts her bird survey.

Jillian Jablonski, a University of Alaska Anchorage Graduate Student, came to the Copper River Delta to study its waterbird species. As the climate begins to change, and pond usage varies amongst species, and Jablonski is interested how figuring out what birds are using these ponds, and which have moved on.

The Copper River Delta is covered in thick vegetation, who’s intricate webs of root systems create a plush footbed for the scientists to trudge on during field work. Vegetation like this create thick borders around the outskirts of the ponds.

Camarata, Jablonski, and McReynolds make sure they are well prepped before beginning to conduct their surveys. Camarata will be focusing on the botany of the pond looking for invasive species. Jablonski will conduct a survey of the bird species making use of the pond. McReynolds will take water samples of the pond to test its acidity levels.

Cottonwood plants rustle in the breeze on a beautiful day in the Copper River Delta. A sea of these plants make the outskirts of the ponds look like they are covered in a dusting of snow.

As biological technician who specials in botany, Elizabeth finds joy in the splendor that is the Copper River Delta ecosystem. Here, she picks a bundle of cotton wood plants in bloom so she can bury her face in their soft seeds during her lunch break. Sun and warm temperatures are uncommon for the delta, and Elizabeth wants to enjoy every second of a beautiful day in the field.

Birds.

Amelia McReynolds, an undergraduate at Notre Dame, spent the summer in Cordova, Alaska as a research assistant, whose specialization is in chemistry. On assignment with Jillian and Elizabeth, she was tasked with taken water samples that she would collect for her team’s research, as well as for information pertaining to Elizabeth’s study of invasive species.

After a long day of trudging through bogs and collecting data, the women grab a snack and share some laughs before making the three-mile trudge back to the forest service skiff.

Elizabeth Camarata, gears up for a long day of manual labor, when the USFS staff will work on building a plastic barrier that will assist in an experiment being conducted about Alaska’s invasive elodea species.

Camarata uses a chainsaw to dig into the muck of the wetland of the Copper River Delta, breaking up the roots of the various plant species to make way for the barrier installation.

As an Ecology and Botany Technician, Camarata is an essential player in the Elodea Project. But her favorite part about the day was getting to use the chainsaw as part of the operation. “It’s just so much fun to get to use all the kind of equipment I take care of all the time, but never really get to use in the field.”

“They [the public] view people born out of knowledge as uncertain because they choose not to delve deep enough. But really, we [scientists] just ask more questions” says Camarata.

“The more questions I have, really, the more I know, that’s the curse of knowledge” says Elizabeth Camarata, an Ecology and Botany Technician, when commenting on why she is attracted to studying the sciences.

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USFS Biological Technician

Elizabeth Camarata

"It never really occurred to me, until recently, that I was a woman in science. It just occurred to me that I was person in science. Now, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to understand that it means so much more to be a female in this field."

-ELIZABETH CAMARATA

Carmen Harjoe

As the storm rolls in, Carmen Harjoe debates with her team about whether to continue their surveys, or call it a day. Harjoe is determined to keep moving forward, but will not be willing to do so if it will put her crew in danger by being out on open water.

Brooke Rigoni, an Oregon State University undergraduate researcher, squats down to take the temperature of the water to assess if toads could potentially be in the area, giving the researchers more clues of where to look.

Fresh tracks indicate that the researchers could potentially have some company. As Carmen and Brooke conduct their survey, it’s Rachel’s job to be on the lookout for bears, such as the one that left the trail below, so they can feel safe in the Alaskan wilderness.

Carmen Harjoe and her research assistant, Brooke Rigoni begin their survey of the Ocra inlet by measuring the tide levels before walking back to the tree in line search of Boreal toads.

Harjoe and Rigoni, led by Rachel Ertz, a Fisheries Technician at the US Forest Service cross over a strong stream that deposits into the Ocra Inlet before beginning their morning survey.

Throughout the day, the team and I kept coming across fresh Brown Bear tracks near our survey locations. While I had hoped to see the bear in person, the closest I ever came to him was photographing his tracks.

Brooke reels in the measuring tape after Carmen paced a survey section. Unforunately, neither of the pair spotted any Boreal toads.

As a part of her research, Harjoe measures the length of the area she is surveying by splitting her paces into certain distances. If she were to see a toad, her sample sizes would help indicate where more of them could be located.

In between surveys, Carmen laughs as she takes a bite of her sandwich. Despite not having come across any of her beloved toads, she remains optimistic and excited to be outside working in such nice weather.

After walking some length of the orca inlet, the trio heads back to the starting point where the ocean skiff is anchored. Next stop is Hitchinbrook, also known as Boswell Bay, where the crew hopes to come up with a species sighting during their next survey.

A sea of clouds settles in over Ocra Inlet, as a storm blows in from the south, ready to take away what sunshine was left in the day.

Rachel Ertz inspects bear tracks on Hitchinbrook Island, as she evaluates the bears proximity. With her bear gun slung over her shoulder, she would be ready to take action if the bear were to be within a threatening distance to the team.

“I think my favorite thing about the job is getting the opportunity to be outside everyday. My friends will call me and complain about work, but I’m not complaining, because I get to spend every day in such a beautiful landscape” says Harjoe.

Brooke Rigoni didn’t quite know what she was getting herself into when she applied to be Carmen’s research assistant for the summer. “As a marine biology major, I just wanted to be in a beautiful place, with some kind of relationship to the ocean, where I could learn how to be a better biologist.”

Rachel Ernst, Fisheries Technician, not-so formal portrait

Rachel Ernst, Fisheries Technician, formal portrait

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OSU Graduate Student in Biology

"How cool is it that I have a job that allows me to experience these places that most people will never see in their lifetime? That’s what keeps me going, just my love for being outside."

-CARMEN HARJOE

Melissa Gabrielson

“This giant wetland, the glaciers behind us, the mountains, the landscape, what it does over the course of a season, over the course of a year is really amazing…that is constantly bringing me back because I feel like I’m constantly learning” says Gabrielson.

Melissa Gabrielson lays down her bear gun against her poke boat before taking a quick snack break. In a few moments, she’ll dig into a Snickers bar, her favorite source of quick energy in the field.

“Things are always changing, there’s always something new, something new to discover…and that’s what keeps bringing me back as a scientist” says Gabrielson, who has now led the Dusky Geese Nest Island Monitoring project for three years.

Each nest island is carefully managed by members of the Dusky Geese Team in the Chugach United States Forest Service division. Gabrielson is sure to not miss a beat when it comes to inspection, to better serve the bird populations that use the island as a nesting site.

An abandoned egg shell provides evidence that at least one nest has benefited from the installed islands. Gabrielson is on the lookout for these kind of cues during her inspection.

“Growing up, I did really want to be a biologist from a pretty young age. I was really into animals, I was really into nature and the outdoors…and I was just really into digging in things and finding things” says Gabrielson.

Elodea, an invasive species to the Copper River Delta, is a small water plant that has recently over taken many ponds of the Delta. The USFS staff are still unsure of what kind of effects this species will have on the ecosystems in the area. (additional note here—each of Gabrielson’s bird “print” tattoos represents a species she has worked with in the past)

Rescue coats and life jackets are hung up to dry among the storage shack at the Dusky Geese Base Camp. Traveling by airboat during the rainy season often leaves the researchers soaked after a day of surveys.

Gabrielson cleans up with a few members of her team in the early hours of the morning as they prep to head out and the Copper River Delta and conduct their surveys.

Inside the kitchen tent back at base camp, the Dusky Geese Team keep track each individual nest island’s location and current health, so not one site is left unmanaged.

“Poke” boats, which resemble kayaks, are the transportation method of choice when it comes to navigating the small ponds. Field technicians and researchers drag these boats through all kinds of terrain as they hike to the next pond, where they will eventually have to paddle to nest islands.

Another one of Gabrielson’s favorite things about her job, is the interactions she has with her team. “The people that we bring in, all the interns, all the seasonals, it’s amazing to see their passion, to see where they’re coming from, to see what they’re about, and then to help mentor that…to help push them in the right directions.”

The easiest way to navigate the shallow waters on the Copper River Delta, especially during low tide, is via air boat. Gabrielson and her team can only take them so far into the Delta, before the rest of the survey is completed via a small kayak known as a “poke boat”.

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Biological Technician, Chugach Division of the USFS

"When I came to Cordova, I had no idea that there were so many women between the science center and the copper river watershed project, and the forest service and even the state that are in the science field. And it's a really great support system, and we all kind of back each other up, and I just think that it's really really cool to see that, cause you don't see that in a lot of places."

-MELISSA GABRIELSON

"I don’t think of it so much as a feminist issue, so much as a humanist issue where I wish that the guy who told me I enunciate too much doesn’t live in a world where it’s threatening for anyone that a woman speaks clearly and is eloquent."

-KATRINA HOFFMAN, President of the Prince William Sound Science Center

Mackenzie Moran in action; this piece is part of a larger 25 page thesis titled. She interviewed and shadowed 9 women scientists in the field.