The Peregrine Fund's International Women in Science Week Celebration is in partnership with the Idaho Environmental Education Association (IdEEA).
Hi! My name is Marta Curti and I'm a biologist and environmental educator at The Peregrine Fund. I work as a field biologist and coordinate the environmental education program for our Ridgway's Hawk Conservation project in Dominican Republic. In the picture above, I'm climbing a tree to reach a Harpy Eagle's nest in Panama.
My work matters because wildlife matters, wild places matter, and people matter. I believe that this work gives me the opportunity to affect the world in a positive way. I love the moment when people first hear about the Ridgway's Hawk and begin to understand why it is such an important species for the island of Hispaniola.
I never thought I would ever work as a biologist. I didn't like math or science in school and, though I loved animals, I grew up in a large city and didn't have much outdoor experience. But after I graduated from college, I took a trip around the United States, visiting national parks and forests. I spent the summer hiking, camping, and backpacking. That trip changed my life. I fell in love with nature. Because my background was in writing and education, I was able to get a volunteer position with the National Park Service, and then with the USFWS, as an environmental educator. I spent all my free time volunteering to help the biologists. I conducted roadkill surveys, helped feed Mexican Gray Wolves that were part of a captive-breeding program, and eventually was given my own projects to lead. That was over 20 years ago!
Being a biologist can involve a lot of long hours in the field, and sometimes, many of those hours are spent waiting for something to happen! Other times, your day is spent hiking non-stop. If you want to become a biologist and can enjoy just being in nature and find excitement and adventure in events both big and small, you will love working as a field biologist!
Learn more about the work Marta and her teammates are doing to conserve Ridgway's Hawks.
Thank you to our Women in Science Celebration collaborators at the Idaho Environmental Education Association! Learn more about how they're inspiring the next generation of conservationists.
Support our Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk Project by buying a t-shirt!
