Kaitlin Webb
She/Her
I am queer + pan and I am an ecology researcher.//
I am Queer + Pan and I am an Ecology Researcher. // Though I’ve worked in conservation ecology for a few years now, I hadn’t always pursued science. I went from workaholic to corporate burnout to wanting to return to my biggest love – science! My biggest takeaway from the last few years is that it’s never too late to discover and pursue deeper layers of yourself. I’ve been lucky enough to work on ecological projects in Yellowstone National Park (land of the Apsaaloke, the Blackfeet, the Bannocks, and the Shoshone), Hawai’i Volcano National Park (on Kanaka land), and in the upper Amazon cloud forest (on Quechua-Kichwa land).
It took me a long time to address my sexual identity. I thought I had accepted myself early on but found that I’d put off actually owning my identity, embracing it, celebrating it, and most importantly – not hiding it. It took a lot of reflection to realize how much I’d ignored in processing my sexuality, and how much more alive I feel now that I’m openly myself. Visibility campaigns like 500QS mean so much to me when I feel alone and discouraged in science. Thank you to everyone on here!