Dear Friends,

Thank you for helping us soar in 2022. We are so grateful for your generosity and heartfelt support, which gives us so much to celebrate:

Five new Women of Discovery awardees working across three continents in areas as diverse as climate change, ethno-conservation, water security and human-wildlife conflict, honored at our 2022 annual gala highlighting the joy of discovery, collaboration and connection;

Fifteen new Flag Carriers advancing our understanding of global issues about causes as varied as disappearing sea ice in the Arctic, elephant population recovery in Mozambique, anti-infective drug discovery in Egypt, primate communication in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, and gibbons and deforestation in Indonesia.

Annual Explorers Forum, Explorer Talks and other gatherings bringing our women leaders together to share their remarkable work with you and each other, leading to even more bold ideas and initiatives;

WINGS Junior Board hosted three fundraisers this fall, including a cocktail reception, broadening awareness of the WINGS mission among young professionals and scientists, and raising funds to send 8 more Flag Carriers into the field

With your enthusiastic support and encouragement, these 2022 women join a passionate community of 150 extraordinary WINGS Fellows and Flag Carriers carrying out critical research and initiatives that push the boundaries of discovery to protect our planet and its fragile ecosystems.

Looking ahead to 2023 – our 20th year advancing the pioneering work of women leaders in science and exploration – we will be working doubly hard to reach and ensure more women advance and thrive in these traditionally male-dominated fields.

But we can't do it without you. Whether it's $25 or $50 or $2,500, your investment will go a long way towards giving them a voice, a seat at the table, a platform for collaboration and connection - and a brighter, more sustainable future for our planet. Make a gift in someone's honor today.

We look forward to sharing exciting plans for our 20th Anniversary and our 100th Fellow in the next newsletter. Until then, we have an inbox full of extraordinary women looking to engage with WINGS for the critical expedition support and the connections WINGS makes possible. As we close out the year, can we count on your support for these entrepreneurs in discovery? Please make your year-end gift here.

Thank you and warm wishes for a safe, happy holiday season from all of us at WINGS WorldQuest.

Yours in discovery,

Meredith Ayan

Executive Director

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In this issue:

· Flag Carrier Expedition Launch: Dr. Cassandra Quave & Medicinal Plants of Egyptian Oases

· New books published by WINGS Fellows and Flag Carriers

· Updates from WINGS women making headlines

· New Board members at WINGS bring leadership and field experience

Flag Carrier Expedition Launch:

Dr. Cassandra Quave

Ethnobotanist Dr. Cassandra Quave (Flag #25) is in the Bahariya Oasis of Egypt’s Western Desert collecting plant specimens to fight illness and disease. One of the oldest existing records of the medicinal applications of plants is the Egyptian “Ebers Papyrus,” which dates back to circa 1550 BC. Despite the historic importance of Egyptian flora in the foundation of medicine, many of the species documented in this record remain unstudied by the lens of modern science. Cassandra’s group will collect and authenticate herbarium specimens of each species under study and create extracts for chemical characterization and pharmacological evaluation in a panel of antibacterial and toxicity laboratory models. Follow her work here and here.

Cassandra gave the 2022 gala audience an exciting peek at her work when she took part in our formal flag-passing ceremony that evening. Weeks later she received an inaugural Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communication by a Research Scientist from the National Academies of Sciences. Read below in our holiday books section about her memoir, “The Plant Hunter: A Scientist’s Quest for Nature’s Best Medicines.” The book celebrates her life in science, starting with her roots in rural Florida, where she thrived as an active, curious child despite major physical disabilities. It chronicles how she found her passion for research as an undergraduate and later returned to Emory university to establish one of the world’s top laboratories for ethnobotany — the study of how traditional people use plants for survival.

New Books for Gifting

WINGS explorers are prolific researchers and writers. A great way to support their bold ideas is to gift their books to your favorite readers of adventure and science. Here are just a few works published in 2022 that will stretch your imagination with extraordinary stories of people and a planet of possibility and hope. Read about and order the books here!

What WINGS Women Are Up To

The WINGS Women of Discovery and Flag Carriers are constantly making history and headlines! On land, in the sea, and in the air, our explorers are making an impact. To read about their most recent groundbreaking work, click here.

2006 Fellow Janine Benyus

2011 Fellow Gretel Ehrlich

2008 Fellow Vera Kingeekuk Metcalf

2011 Fellow Meenakshi Wadhwa

WINGS Welcomes New Board Members:

Please welcome our newest board members, Dr. Mandë Holford, 2019 Fellow, Dr. Krithi Karanth, 2019 Fellow, and Jeanine McHugh. Each of these women bring unique leadership experience and expertise as well as exciting new energy to the WINGS mission and team.

Dr. Mandë Holford, 2019 Fellow

Dr. Krithi Karanth, 2019 Fellow

Jeanine McHugh

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