The scientific women in Cordova, Alaska are at the forefront of a movement, a transition away from who society traditionally sees in science by bringing a unique female presence to field research. Of the 62 people in Cordova who listed science as an occupation in 2016, 95% of them were women (US Census Bureau, 2016). In an industry plagued by gender discrimination, in an environment that is not for the weak of heart, this amount of representation is remarkable.

The Chugach National Forest is a dynamic ecosystem that is suffering the consequences of climate change in real time. The effects that environmental degradation will have on the economy of Cordova are monumental, seeing as the commercial fishing industry is tied in to the livelihood of almost every person in the community. Understanding how to combat climate change is crucial in order to protect the area’s resources and maintain the population’s ability to survive in the landscape they call home. In the face of environmental decline, these women have been taking on the challenges of the Alaskan wilderness in pursuit of understanding and preserving something they love, the outdoors. Together, the female scientific community in Cordova are breaking down stereotypical gender roles, forging a path towards gender inclusivity, and empowering the female mind in the field.

To conduct research in a setting like the Chugach National Forest, scientists need to be tough and resourceful, as this landscape is among one of the last pristine landscapes left in the world. This means that it is wild and unpredictable, with challenges that could put researchers’ lives at risk if they are unprepared. The job requires them to be in the field, almost seven days a week, conducting procedures and research, or assisting fellow researchers in the Chugach Division with projects of their own. Their uniforms are waders, rain jackets, and trucker hats. Their weapon of choice is a bear gun or bear spray. Many of these women have been mobile for most of their lives, moving from job to job, ecosystem to ecosystem, in pursuit of the perfect balance of the feeling of home and the ability to do good work. Some have pursued Master degrees, others Ph.D.’s. Years of their lives are dedicated to the science, all for the sheer joy of knowing a little more today than they did yesterday, surrounded by the beauty of the natural world. 

In the Summer of 2016, I traveled to Cordova, Alaska with a team of journalism students to report the effects climate change was having on the community and its surrounding ecosystems. What I didn't know, was that the first day on the job, I would connect with a team of women that would inspire me to change my summer's course of action. The result of this encounter has become the focus of my undergraduate thesis project.

From what I gathered in my interviews, many of the women I have worked with have experienced a point in their career where their actions and decisions in the field have been second-guessed by their male counterparts, and they often feel that this skepticism is associated with their gender. But if they were not capable, these women would not be working in this region, doing the jobs that they do. Their knowledge is their power; brute strength plays no role in the game of science. It is all about the will of human curiosity in the pursuit of answers and understanding. That is their motivation. The scientists of Cordova are not just women in science, they are women of science.