Expertise rarely emerges in isolation.
Whether in science or any other field, it is often shaped through relationships. For many women in science, careers turn on moments of recognition — parents who made the natural world feel familiar, mentors who offered encouragement at the right time, colleagues who named possibility before they did themselves.
For International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we’re highlighting four women whose work powers Conservation International’s science across the globe. From forests and grasslands to oceans and coasts, each reflects on the people who shaped their path — and helped them see that they belonged.
Melissa Tlhapiso
Soil scientist, Botswana
Whitney Yadao-Evans
Delivery director, Hawaii
Dafne Grados Tello
Forest engineer, Peru
Mere Lakeba
Managing director for the Pacific Region, Fiji
