In December I went along to the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting which took place in Birmingham. This was the second time that I was fortunate enough to attend as an associate editor (for Methods in Ecology and Evolution, MEE). MEE feels a bit 'like home' to me, as I used to work as the journal coordinator when the journal was founded. Conferences and meeting are always places where I go to catch up on the latest science, but the BES Annual Meeting is doubly special because the society's scope is broad enough to encompass a huge variety of topics, from urban and population ecology to quantitative ecology and policy. This also means that the Annual Meeting is an opportunity to meet colleagues, friends and in general to network. This year, as I usually do, I went along to the Women Networking event. As I sat with other women, some of whom had already taken part in the society's Women in Science mentoring scheme, I felt a mixture of excited and daunted as I take on my new role as senior mentor for returners to science. Women like me, who have taken a carrier break and are hoping to come back to academia, have joined the newly-established peer-group mentoring opportunity to share their experiences and talk about the common challenges that come with balancing caring responsibilities and a professional life. Of course there is no magic wand to strike the perfect balance, but I really believe that having a peer network and talking to other people who have made that transition, may help others find new perspectives or just get useful tips on how to cope. I remember reading just that in Every Other Thursday (by Ellen Daniell), a book describing how a group of women scientist met regularly to be a sounding board, to share experiences, to wind down and feel at ease with others who shared the same challenges. I do hope that the returners to science peer-mentoring group will be that sounding board for those trying to come back to academia after a break.
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In August I attended the International Society for Behavioral Ecology (ISBE) 18th congress in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was one of the best conferences I have ever attended. Not just because of the great science I expect to find, but because this is one of the most child-friendly conferences in my field. There were fewer participants than usual, which meant I could interact with people more easily. The range of topics covered and the plenaries were inspiring - which is exactly what you want a conference to be. It was set in the beautiful and friendly city of Minneapolis. Above all though, ISBE provided free childcare and travel grants for early career researchers. As an early career researcher, part postdoc part lecturer, and with a young family (I have a brood of three), this is an amazing opportunity to present my work, meet colleagues and travel with my family. I submitted a poster and a travel grant and was lucky enough to secure both. As I started preparing my poster, the children were interested in what I was doing. It seemed fitting that they should prepare their posters too. And so they did. We went along to the conference with all posters rolled up in my tube (even managed to retrieve it after forgetting it during the security checks!) and the two eldest and I (the youngest wasn't so keen in preparing his), attended the poster session. Needless to say, their posters were far more popular than mine! The children loved the evening sharing their work with other conference participants, it was the highlight of our stay. After the conference, we took some time to explore the green and blue state of Minnesota, which is just about perfect for a family of nature addicts. Below is a selection of our favourite nature shots. If you ever get the chance, Minnesota is gorgeous. |
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August 2023
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