Spotlighting Field Biology Award Winners

I didn’t really understand that I wanted to get a degree in coastal environmental management until I was snorkeling in a muddy pond in Bermuda and plucking tubeworms off mangrove roots. I also didn’t really figure out how to create a digital illustration of climate change impacts to coral reefs until I drew lots of really rough sketches with pencil and paper. And I’m pretty sure I’ll always be learning how to surf, but that is only happening through many hours in the saltwater.

Living these experiences helped draw me to the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation. Across the foundation’s interest areas–arts and crafts, protecting nature, teachers and classrooms, and field-based science–we are supporting individuals on learning journeys fueled by hands-on, sensory experiences.

For the Awards in Field Biology, this means the type of scientists who get their feet wet and their fingernails dirty. In both 2020 and 2021, we supported an annual class of five outstanding biologists who have shown remarkable creativity in their research, demonstrated dedication to field-based work that advances their scientific discipline, and face a crossroads where an award like this could boost them to the next level – but who also might be under-recognized. In fall of 2022, we will again be celebrating five additional field biologists. These insightful people get out in the world, engage with their study subjects and environments, are driven by exploration and curiosity and, as a result, might ask different questions and seek to solve them from a different vantage point than someone who only sits behind a computer screen.

It is one thing to read about these winners’ scientific studies, creative mindsets and adventures in the field, and it’s an entirely different experience to feel transported there. Although we cannot all fly to these beautiful and fascinating ecosystems, we can replicate some of their experiences via video and their stories. Please enjoy these two videos highlighting winners of the Awards in Field Biology, Colleen Durkin and Pedro Peloso, both of whom dedicate themselves to field biology. Thanks to Colleen and Pedro for sharing their work with the rest of us to demonstrate how our actions make a difference in the natural world. We plan to support and spotlight more inspiring people in the coming months.

Thanks to the teams at 32K Productions and Spitfire Strategies for their help in assembling these stories.