To celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, we are excited to share a collection of blog posts showcasing the work of some of the BES community. In each post, they discuss their experiences in ecology, as well as what this year’s theme, ‘Accelerate Action’, means to them.

What work do you do? 

I consider myself primarily an ecologist and, perhaps secondarily, an entomologist. I am fascinated by species interactions and how they are mediated by the environment. My work has spanned invertebrate ecotoxicology, alternative reproductive tactics in wild populations of mice, and, most recently, the association between insects and their microbial mutualists. This February, I joined the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the University of Pretoria (UP), where I am excited to interact with students and impart my passion for ecology to upcoming scientists. In addition to this, my research at UP will continue to focus on the ecological and evolutionary consequences of insect-microbe interactions, with an emphasis on insects causing damage within the South African agricultural sector. When I am not doing research or teaching, I enjoy reading and editing blogs for Methods in Ecology and Evolution as blog associate editor, where we highlight the work published within the journal.  

How did you get into ecology? 

Answering this question is never straightforward for me because my story is not an inspirational tale about how I was fascinated by ecology from a young age. There was no “eureka” moment, born from an interesting natural observation. Rather, for me, becoming an ecologist is the culmination of a cascade of events, and circumstances that led me to where I am today. The truth is that I did not know ecology was something one could devote a life and career to until I got into university at 18. Besides what I learned in biology at school, I had never known or even met a person who was an ecologist. This was simply a distant concept, found only in the textbooks at school. 

I went on to register for a B.Sc. in Zoology, which I knew very little about, as I had not been exposed to information about such study choices before. Why, then, did I enrol for a B.Sc. in Zoology, one might ask? The answer is not very interesting either: it just happened to be a degree for which I was offered a bursary to study. As a first-generation student from a disadvantaged background, I was financially constrained, so I accepted that offer. Today, I can safely say that a decision I took from a place of desperation became one of the best things I could have done. 

I wish this story were different, but my journey into ecology began precisely at that point. While my entry into the world of ecology may have been accidental, it was also inevitable. Through the various modules I did within the Zoology program, the ecologist in me came to life. I began to ask questions about things that had seemingly gone unnoticed before. As I witnessed the urbanization of the rural area I grew up in, I found that the animals and vegetation I had once been surrounded by had virtually disappeared. Where had all the frogs, chameleons, and butterflies that I observed as a child gone? The little critters and crawlers that used to run up my feet on hot, sunny days were no longer as abundant or diverse as I had once known them to be. 

And so, you see, I consider myself quite lucky because it was in the “accidental Zoology” program that I found ecology. I can’t help but shudder at the thought that I might not have ended up in ecology if I hadn’t made that decision all those years ago. This is why I’ve made it my personal mission to share my passion for ecology and entomology—especially with those who, like me, may have never even known it was an option. 

Who inspires you?  

I am inspired by my mentors, the ecologists and evolutionary biologists on whose “giant shoulders” I stand. To collect field data for my MSc project, I travelled to the Succulent Karoo Research Station, located in a remote and semi-arid region of north-western South Africa. Carsten Schradin, Neville Pillay (my MSc supervisors), and their team have been collecting data there on populations of small rodents for decades, seeking to answer important questions about the evolution of sociality. During my time at the research station, I was amazed by the devotion and rigor with which data was collected—from population-level to individual-level, virtually in the middle of nowhere, during the mornings and evenings. The success of this long-term study required exceptional dedication from an army of ecologists at all levels: undergraduates, postgraduates, and research managers who have cycled through the station over the years. Later, when I moved to Germany to study insect symbioses, I was once again inspired by my supervisor, Martin Kaltenpoth, whose fascination with host-microbe interactions was simply infectious and has shaped the research that I now continue to pursue post-PhD. The lessons I’ve learned from my mentors now guide how I approach my own mentoring, teaching, and research. 

How do you think we could ‘accelerate action’ within ecology and science, to move towards gender equality?  

“To accelerate gender equality within ecology and science”, there are multiple factors that need to be addressed. Despite significant strides toward gender parity at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels, women remain vastly underrepresented in leadership positions. While it’s essential to create inclusive and supportive spaces with equal access to opportunities, it’s also vital to recognize and address the imbalances that hinder the retention and upward mobility of women. Offering support to balance family responsibilities with research and ensuring women have access to mentorship are critical steps in making this happen. In our strides, we should not overlook the vast underrepresentation of women of colour and gender minorities in the sciences. These individuals face unique challenges and barriers that go beyond gender, often being marginalized due to race, socioeconomic status, or other aspects of their identity. 

To accelerate action, we need to ensure that diversity and inclusion efforts actively account for these intersectionalities. This means creating spaces where women of colour, as well as non-binary and gender-diverse individuals, are not just seen as outliers but are given equal opportunities to succeed, lead, and shape the future of ecology. It’s about recognizing that equality cannot be achieved without embracing diversity in all its forms—whether in research teams, leadership roles, or funding opportunities. By addressing these disparities, we can create a more inclusive scientific community that truly represents the rich diversity of perspectives needed to tackle the complex ecological challenges of our time.