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| Dear Friends,
We are thrilled to share so many inspiring updates this month! On October 19, WINGS inducted five extraordinary Women of Discovery at our awards gala in New York City. Joining our global community of 96 WINGS Fellows, Karletta Chief, Jill Heinerth and Rae Wynn-Grant awed us with stories about their innovative research and pushing boundaries. 2022 Fellows Adjany Costa and Citlalli Morelos-Juárez beamed in their virtual comments on what it means to be a woman working in the field sciences and to receive a pivotal Woman of Discovery Award.
Flag Carriers ethnobotanist Sefra Alexandra and marine scientist Gaelin Rosenwaks, as part of our flag-passing ceremony, delivered a WINGS numbered flag to ethnobotanist Cassandra Quave to carry on her upcoming expedition to Egypt’s Bahariya Oasis. Then 2019 Fellow Krithi Karanth took the stage with a stirring update on her work in human-wildlife conflict and the impact of being part of the WINGS family. The twin themes of the joy of exploration and being together again were brought home by emcee and stand-up comedian Ophira Eisenberg and award-winning tap dancer Ayodele Casel, who choreographed an uplifting performance exclusively for the event.
Thank you to all who attended and those who cheered us across the world and all of our channels. Your support is bringing real change and helping us all to soar!
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Meredith Ayan
Executive Director
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In This Issue:
- 2022 Women of Discovery Awards Gala Photos
- Flag Carrier Expedition Launch
- Sustan Eaton and Sea Women Expeditions head to the Arctic
- New Flag Carrier
- Dominique Gonçalves and The Elephant Ecology Project
- Flag Report Highlight
- Rahayu Oktaviani, javan gibbon conservation and community empowerment
- What WINGS Women of Discovery Are Up To:
- Anna Cummins
- Dr. Mandë Holford
- Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
- Dr. Nalini Nadkarni
- Dr. Sheila Ochugboju
- Callie Veelenturf
- Junior Board Update
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| 2022 WOMEN OF DISCOVERY AWARDS
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Flag Carrier Expedition Launch: SWX
Canadian Marine biologist Susan Eaton and the all-female Sea Women Expeditions (Flag #32) just launched their ocean science and snorkel expedition to Arctic Norway to scout, record and document disappearing sea ice in the Arctic. The team of 34 ocean explorers, scientists, artists, photographers, videographers, lawyers, historians, traditional knowledge holders, educators, and scuba diving professionals will be running three back-to-back women's leadership programs in Tromso, Norway, followed by three back-to-back ocean research programs in deep arctic fjords that include a eDNA water sampling program, a passive acoustic recording program with multi-directional hydrophones, and a behavioral study to document interactions between snorkelers and orcas during the winter herring run. The expedition was recently accepted as a UN Decade of the Ocean project. (Photo credit: Jo-Ann Wilkins)
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New Flag Carrier: Dominique Gonçalves
Mozambican ecologist Dominique Gonçalves leads the Elephant Ecology Project (EEP) in Gorongosa National Park, where she investigates elephant movement and range expansion in relation to habitat use and Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC). As a keystone species, elephants help maintain the integrity of entire ecosystems, which in turn deliver climate regulation benefits and resilience to climatic shocks. The WINGS Flag Carrier grant supports a critical component of Dominique’s assessment and monitoring of elephant populations in the Gorongosa National Park-Zambezi sector: the 99 active cameras distributed along the areas of high probability of elephants occurrence. Dominique also works closely with the park’s Girls’ Club programs, promoting education and health to prevent early marriage. (Photo credit: Charlie Hamilton James)
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Flag Carrier Report: Rahayu Oktaviani
The javan gibbon is listed as an endangered species because of habitat loss due to deforestation and forest degradation. Indonesian primatologist Rahayu Oktaviani (Flag #23) and her team collected data about the tree preferences and ecology of the javan gibbon in Indonesia’s Gunung Halimum Salak National Park with the goal of developing specific conservation actions, including education and community engagement. A key part of their work was to develop an effective conservation program that positively impacts species survival while considering the needs and empowerment of the local community.
>> Read the full Flag Report here
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IN THE NEWSThe 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.
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2009 Fellow Dr. Mandë Holford
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2011 Fellow Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
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2018 Fellow Dr. Nalini Nadkarni
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2016 Fellow Dr. Sheila Ochugboju
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2019 Flag Carrier Callie Veelenturf
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WINGS Junior Board Fall Update
By Junior Board Chair, Elisabeth Dewailly
The WINGS WorldQuest Junior Board had a very successful cocktail event on October 4th at The Malt House in Greenwich Village. This was a great opportunity to network and connect with professionals of all ages, with over 50 attendees and over 100 donations. During the event, we were able to share with attendees information about the impact of WINGS and the value of WINGS' mission. Attendees received two drink tickets and an Athleta gift card. Each event ticket also provided a raffle entry, and our raffle winner brought home a few bottles of wine, $75 worth of Athleta gift cards, and some WINGS branded gifts. There were many who donated in support of our women explorers despite being unable to attend; we were able to raise funds to support at least three WINGS flag carriers in a single event!
It's time for the annual WINGS Junior Board Holiday Raffle! The raffle extends from November 26th - December 4th.
Every year the WINGS Junior Board teams up with a mix of local + national restaurants, businesses, and services for the WINGS Holiday Raffle. A perfect gift for friends and family this season. Some of the businesses highlighted this year are Starbucks, Sugar Fish, Eataly, Athleta, 7th Street Burger, and more! We will be giving away more than $2500 worth of gift cards and prizes!
All you have to do to enter is Venmo @WingsWorldQuest with the amount of tickets you wish to purchase. As we always say during the holidays, the more the merrier!: 1 ticket for $15, 3 tickets for $30, 5 tickets for $45, 10 tickets for $80. Venmo with the memo - “WINGS Raffle – Name – Email”
Winners will be announced on December 4th via email.
Looking ahead, we're excited to be building out our operating model and strategic plan for the next few years to accelerate our growth and impact! To learn more about the WINGS Junior Board, please visit our website. To get involved, contact our Member Engagement Chair Mia Nixon or Board Chair Elisabeth Dewailly.
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