MEET THE OBSERVERS

David Haskell is a writer and a biologist. His latest book, Sounds Wild and Broken, explores the story of sound on Earth and is a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction and the PEN E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, as well as an Editor’s Choice at The New York Times. His previous books, The Forest Unseen and The Songs of Trees are acclaimed for their integration of science, poetry, and rich attention to the living world. Among their honors include the National Academies’ Best Book Award, John Burroughs Medal, finalist for Pulitzer Prize, Iris Book Award, Reed Environmental Writing Award, National Outdoor Book Award for Natural History Literature, and runner-up for the PEN E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. The American Academy of Arts and Letters granted him an Award in Literature in 2024, stating that his writing “expands the possibilities of language”. Haskell received his BA from the University of Oxford and PhD from Cornell University. He is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, a Guggenheim Fellow, and William R. Kenan Jr. Professor at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, USA.

Marcia Bjornerud is a structural geologist specializing in the physics of earthquakes and mountain building, currently serving as a professor of Geoscience and Environmental Studies at Lawrence University. Her research integrates field studies with quantitative models and has taken her across the world to places like Svalbard, Ellesmere Island, and New Zealand. A Fellow of the Geological Society of America, she has been a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Norway and New Zealand. Bjornerud is a contributing writer for The New Yorker, Wired, and the Los Angeles Times, and is the author of several popular science books, including Timefulness, which was longlisted for the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Prize and a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize in Science and Technology.

Manu Prakash is a professor of bioengineering at Stanford University, known for his innovative research in life sciences and engineering. He is the co-creator of the Foldscope, an affordable paper microscope designed to democratize access to scientific tools and education- what Prakash calls, “frugal science.” In his lab, Prakash and his team use interdisciplinary approaches including theory and experiments to understand how computation is embodied in biological matter.  He has received numerous awards for his contributions and commitment to inspiring future generations of scientists, including the NIH Director's New Innovator Award and recognition from Forbes as one of the "30 Under 30" in Science. Passionate about science outreach, he actively engages in initiatives to inspire future generations of scientists.

Eguiarte is a professor of biological science at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, as well one of Mexico's most prolific and creative students of evolution. He helped inaugurate the field of conservation genetics in Mexico,  employing genetic approaches to analyze the domestication and origins of important Mexican plants such as maize, beans and squashes. Alongside his colleagues, Eguiarte has unraveled the recent adaptive radiation of Agave driven by the aridification of North America, providing deep insights into how climate change can drive ecosystem evolution.

Valeria Souza is a evolutionary biologist based at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico,’s Institute of Ecology, UNAM in Mexico City. With over twenty years of fieldwork at Cuatro Ciénegas, she studies unique prehistoric microbial life in desert springs, advocating for their protection against groundwater extraction. Sousza’s fieldwork employs population-genetic methods and microcosm studies to explore gene transfer, diversity, and environmental adaptations. Her research reveals ancient microbial lineages thriving under extreme conditions. An award-winning scientist, she has received honors from the MacArthur Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Society of Freshwater Science, underscoring her impact in microbial ecology.

Jacques Pienaar is a quantum physicist based at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who, in his own words, tries to make sense out of the notoriously confusing world of quantum mechanics-- and in turn, reshape our understanding of science's role in society and how we perceive reality. His research specializes in causality, information theory, and the subjective Bayesian interpretation of quantum theory, known as QBism. Pienaar’s technical and philosophical exploration of QBism emphasizes decision-making in an uncertain world, positioning science as a tool for effective action rather than merely a means of technological advancement.

Jessica Oreck is a filmmaker and collector of various things. As a director, writer, producer and editor, she makes projects large and small that instill a sense of wonder and invite viewers to question their natural world. Jessica’s award-winning first feature-length documentary, Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo, played theatrically around the world and aired on PBS’s Independent Lens series in 2011.  Jessica operates the Office of Collecting and Design, a museum of diminutive, lost, forgotten, and obsolete objects, currently being transposed into the bed of a 16-wheeler.

Dr. Earyn McGee is a herpetologist, science communicator, and aspiring Natural History TV Show Host. Earyn has merged her love for lizards and passion for social justice to create the popular social media game #FindThatLizard; each week she posts a photo of a camouflaged lizard and participants have to find it. Her captions are a space to share both lizard natural history facts with players, as well as an opportunity to talk about conservation and social issues. Dr. McGee’s graduate studies focused on the impact of stream drying on the lizard population. She’s also exploring ways to get more Black women into natural resources careers. Committed to diversity and inclusion, Earyn was a graduate student mentor to the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars program, which aims to increase the diversity within the conservation field. Earyn earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Howard University. As well as both a Master of Science and PhD in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Wildlife Conservation and Management from the University of Arizona. Dr. McGee now works as the Coordinator of Conservation Engagement at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Aimee is a poet, essayist, and professor who draws from her Filipina and Malayali Indian background to give her perspective on love, loss, and land. Aimee is the author of the New York Times best-selling illustrated collection of nature essays, World Of Wonders: In Praise Of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, & Other Astonishments. She also wrote four previous poetry collections: Oceanic, Lucky Fish, At The Drive-In Volcano, And Miracle Fruit. With the poet Ross Gay, Aimee co-authored the chapbook Lace & Pyrite, a collaboration of epistolary garden poems. She most recently worked on Bite By Bite: Nourishments And Jamborees, an illustrated essay collection celebrating food– how it can be a locus for care, grief, desire, nostalgia– drawing on research and personal memoir. Aimee is the first-ever poetry editor for SIERRA magazine, the story-telling arm of The Sierra Club. She is professor of English and Creative Writing in the University of Mississippi’s MFA program where she received the faculty’s Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement Award.

Dallas Hudson is a phenologist engaged in the endless project of cataloguing change in the land on which he lives. He has been plotting data for the last two decades and now keeps tabs on over 500 species each year.

Juan Pablo Carusso is a nature recordist, sound designer, soundscape recordist, accessibility and inclusion consultant and birdwatcher with over two decades of experience in capturing and disseminating nature sounds. Trained at the State University of Campinas in Brazil under Jacques Vielliard and at Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology, he specializes in bird song identification. Juan Pablo has published over 15 works on bird sounds and collaborates with the Macaulay Library. His commitment to accessible tourism led to the creation of South America's first birdwatching route for the visually impaired, earning him recognition for transforming nature tourism.

Chad Benner is a hunter, lobsterman, corrections officer, and friend.