Plant life.

The Courage to choose how to engage in big problems.

Every week I ask my Brave New Girls podcast guest how they define courage. This week my guest is Dr Erin Zimmerman Phd evolutionary biologist, science writer, botany illustrator and author of Unrooted. She says it’s important that we understand and document plants so that we can save the ones under threat of extinction.

“I think for me personally at least, it’s the courage to stay engaged with something. The problems I’m talking about vis-a-vis plant extinction are big and wide-ranging and far away in a lot of cases. They can seem far away. So it’s very easy to disengage when a problem feels both unmanageably large and very far away. So I think courage is choosing to engage even with something big and frightening and doing what little you can in your own life to try to make things better.”

Erin’s passion for plants began early, growing up on a farm in Southern Ontario. She pursued her dream, studying at the Montreal Botanical Garden and later working at the prestigious Kew Gardens. Her work took her to the remote rainforests of northern Guyana, collecting plant specimens and contributing to our understanding of plant diversity and evolution.

 However, Erin’s journey from a dedicated botanist to a full-time writer and mother is a testament to her courage and resilience. Her story underscores the challenges faced by women in scientific research and the tough choices they often have to make. The first was the decline in natural history research, with fewer tools and expertise available to discover and understand new species. The second, more personal, was the loss of talented female scientists who, upon becoming parents, found the competitive field unaccommodating to their caregiving responsibilities.

Erin’s own experience mirrored this troubling trend. After having a child, she found it increasingly difficult to balance her demanding career with her responsibilities as a mother. She recalls returning to work after a brief maternity leave, only to find there was no appropriate space to pump milk for her child. “They looked at me like I was crazy and said there’s an old shower stall in the women’s washroom we’re not using. Buy yourself a folding table. You can go there,” she shared, highlighting the lack of support for working mothers in academia.

Faced with the impossible task of excelling both as a scientist and a mother, Erin made the difficult decision to leave her research career. She turned to writing, a passion she had nurtured through a weekly biology blog during her PhD. Writing allowed her to engage a broader audience and advocate for plant conservation and the importance of women in science. “I started to feel that potentially I could do more good as a writer than I would have as a scientist,” Erin reflects.

Now as a writer she can communicate directly with people about the importance of plants and their role in supporting all life, including human existence, on the planet. She says we can all contribute in our own way. And that learning about plants should start in school. No matter where we are though, we can all play our part.

Dare to do things differently, for the greater good.

Top Ten Tips for Women in Science

Follow Your Passion: Let your curiosity drive your career choices, even if it means changing paths.

Seek Mentors: Find mentors who can guide and support you through the challenges of a scientific career.

Advocate for Flexibility: Push for more flexible working conditions, such as remote work and childcare support.

Network: Build a strong professional network for advice, opportunities, and support.

Balance Personal and Professional Life: Find a balance that works for you and don’t be afraid to make changes if it doesn’t.

Document Your Work: Keep detailed records of your research and accomplishments to help bridge any gaps during career breaks.

Engage in Outreach: Participate in public outreach to share your passion and knowledge with a broader audience.

Stay Resilient: Persistence is key in the face of challenges and setbacks.

Prioritize Self-Care: Take care of your mental and physical health to maintain long-term career sustainability.

Inspire the Next Generation: Encourage young girls to pursue careers in science through mentorship and education.

Erin Zimmerman’s courageous decision to leave her career in botany highlights the significant challenges faced by women in scientific fields. Her story encourages women to follow their passions, advocate for better working conditions, and remain engaged with important issues like plant conservation, but do it in the way that suits your life. Erin’s journey from a scientist to a writer and mother shows that courage often involves making tough choices to better align one’s career with personal values and responsibilities.

PS. Does Erin's experience resonate with you? As your Creative Transformation Coach, I support and guide you through your challenges, stress & fears and give you the tools to create the life you want. 

If you would like support in combating what holds you back to reset & rise and grow your inner Brave New Girl for a better life, book in for a free chat and we can take it from there: BOOK A CHAT

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