I believe that sharing one's passion with others in meaningful, informed, and culturally-appropriate ways can drive positive change for our future. Below are some of the outreach experiences I've engaged in over the years. If you're interested in in-person or remote presentations (for any age group!) about primate conservation or pursuing wildlife/conservation careers, please reach out!
Outreach
Diversity + Inclusion in STEM and Conservation
STEM fields in general, and conservation fields in particular, suffer from a lack of diversity and the necessary inclusive structures to support diverse individuals. Environmental issues are one of the greatest issues facing the world today, and it's only with a plurality of perspectives, voices, and backgrounds that we will find solutions to these issues. Widespread, systemic change will be needed to truly address this issue, but below are some of the ways I've engaged in diversity and inclusion oriented outreach.
1000 Women in STEM
This collaborative project invites women in STEM fields to submit 90-second videos describing their work to an open-access, online database. Videos are available for K-12 classroom use and aim to broaden students' understanding of STEM career opportunities and demonstrate the diversity of women in STEM fields. Want to use these videos in your classroom or submit a video yourself? Check out the website here!
Skype a Scientist
I love participating in the Skype a Scientist program launched by Sarah McAnulty and David Jenkins! This program connects scientists to classrooms around the world so that students can digitally meet and learn directly from researchers. This program helps to break down stereotypes of what a scientist "looks like" and makes STEM fields more accessible to all. I've given guest lessons on anthropology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation to a number of classrooms across the U.S. I look forward to continuing to participate in this program!
Outreach at Home
In addition to outreach in Indonesia I also enjoy engaging in outreach at home. These efforts focus on conservation and sustainability more broadly, and have been a wonderful way to build roots and contribute to my community.
Global Issues, Local Choices:
Palm Oil Sustainability at UGA
In 2018 I received a Campus Sustainability Grant to launch a research and outreach-based program addressing palm oil sustainability at the University of Georgia. We used results from student assessment surveys to design outreach efforts that specifically target students' current understanding. So far we've done in-person outreach at a number of UGA student-oriented events and begun building social media campaigns on Instagram and Twitter. We've recently been recognized as a Registered Student Organization and will to continue research and outreach efforts at UGA and around Athens.
Roots & Shoots
In Fall 2014 my partner and I founded a local chapter of Roots & Shoots, a Jane Goodall Institute program, at local school with primarily refugee and immigrant students in San Diego, California. This outreach program focuses on mentoring students in developing community-oriented projects that benefit people, animals, and/or the environment. During the program we engaged in community mapping projects to develop student understanding of community resources and needs, delivered lessons on environmental conservation, and built and installed a Little Free Library for the City Heights community.
Outreach in Indonesia
As a foreign researcher being welcomed into another country I strive to give back to the communities in which I live and work. By giving presentations about my research, local wildlife, and conservation I hope to make my work more accessible and to encourage support for environmental conservation.
Student participants in conservation education programming in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Outreach at Salatiga, Central Java middle school.
Kristen Morrow with Biology undergraduate students at Universitas Nasional Indonesia.
Student participants in conservation education programming in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
K-12 Outreach
In Summer 2018 I participated in K-12 outreach in association with the Language Teaching Center of Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana in Salatiga, Central Java. This program was a great opportunity to engage with middle school students about tropical forest conservation while also building their English language skills. I also was grateful for the opportunity to present about my research to Biology undergraduate students at Universitas Nasional Indonesia in Jakarta.
In Summer 2019 I visited middle schools around Bantimurung-Bulusaurang National Park, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. These outreach programs stem from my Master's research and focused on primate ecology and conservation priorities in the region.
Discussing strategies for planning and designing conservation research projects using ethnographic methods.
Discussing guidelines for how to design ethnographic research projects.
Outline of participants' research project designs.
Discussing strategies for planning and designing conservation research projects using ethnographic methods.
Capacity Building
In Summer 2019 I was pleased to be able to co-lead a workshop on ethnographic research methods with fellow PhD student Paul Thung. Our workshop was part of the larger symposium and workshop on Integrating Ecological and Ethnographic Research for Effective Conservation in the Threatened Rungan Landscape.
Our workshop was taught in Bahasa Indonesia and provided lecture-based background on the theory and methods of ethnographic research, participant observation data collection exercises, and participatory project planning for conservation research. Many thanks to Dr. Viola Schreer for guidance in the planning of this event!
Operation Wallacea Field Education
Operation Wallacea is a conservation organization that provides high school and university students the opportunity to gain hands-on STEM field training in high conservation value areas. In Summer 2019 I was a visiting PhD Student Scientist at Operation Wallacea forest field sites in Sulawesi and Borneo, Indonesia.
I assisted with students' field training by providing guest lectures on primate conservation issues and research methods and by discussing primate field research techniques and challenges while on forest surveys.