Every year, the world uses this day to celebrate the women’s rights movement and continues to highlight ongoing women’s rights issues. This year, the theme for IWD is ‘For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment’. Here at SciEnvy, we would like to play our part by highlighting the work of our fellow environmental scientists who have helped to pave the way for future generations of empowered female scientists.
Rachel Carson
Rachel Carson (27th May 1907-14th April 1964) was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist whose works played a pivotal role in advancing marine conservation and the global environmental movement. Carson began her career as an aquatic biologist with the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, but she later transitioned to full-time writing in the 1950s. Her sea trilogy, consisting of Under the Sea Wind (1941), The Sea Around Us (1951), and The Edge of the Sea (1955), brought her critical acclaim with The Sea Around Us even winning a National Book Award.
In the late 1950s, Carson shifted her focus to conservation, particularly the dangers posed by synthetic pesticides. This culminated in the publication of Silent Spring in 1962, a groundbreaking work that highlighted the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment. Despite facing fierce opposition from the chemical industry, Carson continued to advocate for environmental protection while battling breast cancer. Silent Spring not only raised public awareness of environmental and health issues but also led to significant policy changes, including a nationwide ban on DDT and the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Nixon administration.
Carson's legacy endures as Silent Spring is considered one of the most influential works of non-fiction of the twentieth century. Posthumously, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter for her contributions to the environmental movement.
Sylvia Earle
Sylvia Alice Earle (born 30th August 1935) is a groundbreaking American marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer, widely regarded as a leading advocate for ocean conservation. Known as the "Sturgeon General" by her fans, Earle has made significant contributions to marine science and exploration. She holds the record for the deepest walk on the sea floor and was the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Earle was named Time magazine’s first Hero for the Planet in 1998 and has received numerous honours for her work, including the United Nations Champion of the Earth Award in 2014 and the TED Prize in 2009, which she used to establish Mission Blue, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating protected marine areas globally.
Earle’s career began in the 1960s with pioneering research, including her extensive studies of marine life in the Gulf of Mexico, where she was one of the first scientists to use SCUBA to document underwater ecosystems. She went on to participate in numerous expeditions, including the Smithsonian Institution’s Man-in-Sea project in 1968, where she became the first woman to live in an underwater habitat. Earle’s expertise also contributed to the Tektite II Project, a U.S. Navy initiative where she led an all-female team, gaining international attention and making history.
In the 1980s, Earle designed underwater vehicles and continued her deep-sea explorations, including a record-breaking dive to 1,250 feet, which she documented in her 1980 book, Exploring the Deep Frontier. Her work as a scientist, educator, and author has been instrumental in raising public awareness about the ocean’s ecological importance, which she calls "the blue heart of the planet."
Throughout her career, Earle has published over 200 works, led more than 100 marine expeditions, and spent over 7,000 hours underwater. Her commitment to ocean conservation, education, and innovation has made her a global icon in environmental advocacy, helping to shape the modern understanding of the importance of protecting Earth’s oceans.
Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai (1st April 1940 - 25th September 2011) was a Kenyan social, environmental, and political activist best known for founding the Green Belt Movement, an environmental organization that focuses on tree planting, environmental conservation, and promoting women's rights. She was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, recognizing her tireless work in both environmental conservation and the empowerment of women.
Maathai's journey began in 1960 when she became one of 300 Kenyan students selected for the Airlift Africa program, which allowed her to study in the United States. She earned a bachelor's degree from Mount St. Scholastica and a master's degree in biology from the University of Pittsburgh. Maathai went on to become the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a Ph.D., which she received from the University of Nairobi.
Upon returning to Kenya, Maathai was struck by the environmental degradation in her country and the need for women’s rights advocacy. In response, she founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, which trained Kenyan women to plant trees in deforested areas and encouraged them to sustainably utilize the land for economic gain. The Movement has since trained 30,000 women and helped plant over 51 million trees, contributing to both environmental restoration and poverty reduction.
Maathai’s activism extended beyond the environmental sphere. She became a political leader, serving as an elected member of Kenya's Parliament and as Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources between 2003 and 2005. She also held various intellectual roles, writing books and contributing to discussions on ecology, development, gender, and African cultures and religions.
Throughout her life, Maathai's efforts were often met with resistance, her work, however, left an indelible mark on Kenya and the world. Maathai passed away from ovarian cancer in 2011, leaving behind a powerful legacy of activism and social change.
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall (born 3rd April 1934) is a British zoologist, primatologist, and anthropologist, widely regarded as the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees. Her ground-breaking 55-year study of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania has revolutionized our understanding of these animals and their relationship to humans. Goodall's discovery in 1960 that chimpanzees make and use tools challenged the long-held belief that only humans could use tools, a pivotal moment in 20th-century science. Her work showed that animals are not as different from humans as once thought, highlighting the complex emotional lives and social structures of chimpanzees.
In addition to her scientific work, Goodall is a passionate advocate for animal welfare and conservation. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which focuses on chimpanzee conservation, and the Roots & Shoots program, which encourages young people to take action on behalf of animals and the environment. As of 2022, she serves on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project and has received numerous honours, including being named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002.
Goodall’s legacy extends beyond her research; her work has sparked worldwide efforts to protect animals and the natural world. Through the Jane Goodall Institute and her public advocacy, she continues to inspire people globally to consider the impact of their actions on the planet and its inhabitants.
Anna Botsford Comstock
Anna Botsford Comstock (1st September 1854 - 24th August 1930) was a pioneering author, illustrator, and educator in natural studies. Growing up on her parents' farm in New York, she developed a lifelong appreciation for the beauty and wonder of the natural world. After marrying entomologist John Henry Comstock, she began illustrating insects, creating thousands of detailed drawings for her husband's books and their joint projects. She was also an accomplished artist and wood engraver, known for illustrating entomological textbooks with her husband, including their first joint effort, The Manual for the Study of Insects (1885).
Comstock earned a degree in natural history in 1885 and started writing her own influential works, including The Handbook of Nature Study (1911), which remains a standard textbook today and is now in its 24th edition. She made history as the first female professor at Cornell University and broke new ground by designing the first outdoor nature study program for children. Her approach took science out of the classroom, fostering a love of the natural world and promoting conservation. This innovative method became a model for nature study programs worldwide, inspiring future generations to value and protect nature.
Summary
So, to all scientists, or aspiring scientists studying environmental science or otherwise, know that there are dozens of inspiring women that have helped to pave the way for you, whether that includes the women detailed in this article, other influential female scientists, or even the women around you every day.
Happy International Women’s day!
-From the editors of SciEnvy.
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