FAMILY FIELDWORK: PARENTING, PERSEVERANCE, AND A PANDEMIC PIVOT

Much like during major disruptions in Earth history, life must find a way to adapt amid changing circumstances. The catastrophic crisis of the pandemic forced many of us to find new ways to ‘survive’ as resources disappeared, responsibilities shifted, and the familiar comfort of routines were shattered. As a faculty member, I quickly re-envisioned how to do my courses online yet maintain active learning by using Jamboard, breakout rooms, and more. As a mom, I attempted to juggle new needs at home while still having a demanding workload. Teaching and parenting had to be prioritized, and the idea of research seemed out of reach given limited access to the lab and restrictions on travel for many reasons. That is, until a new research direction became a reality.

Here I share the story of a research collaboration that emerged from conversations related to sharing the challenges of motherhood. Prior to 2020, my research portfolio consisted primarily of work on modern marine biota and fossils, but during a pandemic, and with young kids at home, my options for field adventures were limited. Fortunately, an opportunity to shift into studying terrestrial gastropods came when I needed it. This was a research project where I could bring my kids into the field, safely meet with students to collect data, and ask exciting new questions about the fauna in my own backyard. Using the citizen science app iNaturalist, I created the project Atlanta SLIME to study the diversity and distribution of urban land snails and slugs in my city as modeled after the original project with that name in Los Angeles. This growing research direction has now led to multiple undergraduate and graduate student projects, awards and internships, and discoveries of non-native species not yet recorded in the state of Georgia. The stress and challenges of the pandemic as a working mom were and still are very, very real, and incredibly hard. For many of us with young children at home our familiar routines continue to remain a distant memory. However, being able to build new collaborations, have invigorating conversations about research, contribute new meaningful data to science, and mentor students in the field, all while caring for my kids at home, was an inspiring, rewarding, and effective way to keep that scientific spark alive and well despite the chaos of the world around me.