The Wildlife Conservation Student Society held a guest lecture with Dawood Qureshi, a queer, freelance journalist, wildlife filmmaker, ambassador for the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, and TV researcher for the BBC Natural History unit on Friday, March 10.
Qureshi received a bachelor’s of science in marine biology at the University of Portsmouth and now is using her degree to communicate her passion for wildlife and nature conservation with others in hopes of making the information more accessible to those interested.
As an engagement officer for the youth-led nature organization A Focus on Nature, Qureshi wants to show people that despite what others might tell them, to be yourself is to be a better scientist and ecologist.
She explained discrimination and bias are a big issue in this field of work and young people may feel a lot of imposter syndrome because the scientists they see in the field don’t look or act anything like them.
Despite this, Qureshi stresses that when someone shows their differences and understands their strengths and who they are, they can get further in their careers than people who try to pander and stay in a box. She explained, someone who knows how to ask questions and understands the fundamental chaos to personal progress is someone who is a well-rounded scientist that has passions and understanding.
One of Qureshi’s purposes aligns with that of the Wildlife Conservation Student Society, which is “to take a community-based approach towards conservation of species location to California and Monterey Bay, while also focusing on global conservation through education.”
She hopes “to create an inclusive and engaging space for members to explore and get involved with the conservation of local wildlife [and] to take a philanthropic approach by raising awareness for conservation organization efforts by connecting students to stewardships and volunteer opportunities.”
The Wildlife Conservation Student Society also announced their elections for chair positions for next semester. Applications are due Friday, May 18 by midnight. Registered members of the club can apply for a chair position at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdX1iet_O3rm20DAJSiV4tKe0yd5HaAC-UoxeVmzshcNOtxFg/viewform.