Naturalists | 02.29.24
Sharon Dorsey
Seeing Wildlife in the Everyday
Intro
We’re excited to add Sharon Dorsey to our team of talented Naturalists. Coming from the eastern lands of the US, Sharon is an upcoming thought-leader in the birding and science community and someone to keep your eye on for all things sustainability, serious shorebird knowledge and how to spot simplicity in the everyday.
She’s also a short story contributor to a collaborative book project titled ‘Been Outside: Adventures of Black Women, Nonbinary, and Gender Nonconforming People in Nature’ (see more here), a guest storyteller on the July 1, 2023 episode of the ‘We Out Here’ podcast (listen here), and recently produced her first autobiographical documentary ‘Black In Conservation’ (view here)! Read on to get to know Sharon here or find more about this rad environmentalist on Instagram and Twitter @sharinnature and her website (see here)
All photos by Austin Harrison @ace_shoots
Hey Sharon! Nice to meet you. First of all, tell us about you!
My name is Sharon Dorsey. I am a native of Baltimore, MD, a birder, an environmentalist, an explorer, and a science communicator! Currently, I attend Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA as a graduate student studying the nesting behavior of an endangered shorebird species - the piping plover. I have recently returned to Baltimore however, and in my spare time I love exploring my city and birding wherever I can!
Can you tell us a bit about your passions beyond “work”?
I find so much joy in introducing folks to the outdoors and wildlife viewing. Growing up in Baltimore my surroundings were predominantly manicured lawns, painted pavement, and trees sandwiched between the sidewalk and the street. It wasn’t until college that I began exploring more of the natural spaces around the city that were hidden right beneath my nose. More importantly, I also began to notice urban wildlife in my everyday places. Ever since I found my passion, I have been introducing my family and friends to these natural spaces and encouraging them to realize that they, too, can be naturalists.
Do you find that these passions blend, merge or complement your work?
Definitely! Representation of BIPOC folx in the conservation field is still very much lacking. Pursuing this degree and sharing my fieldwork experiences with the public are ways that I think I can indirectly inspire more students to study natural resources-related fields and change perceptions of the general public of what natural resources professionals look like!
Another goal is to normalize noticing the wildlife encountered in everyday life, or better yet to go out into nature and look for them. After you start noticing wildlife, you’ll begin to think about its behavior and biology – Why did that bird choose to nest there? Does this bird migrate for the winter? How do birds fly anyway? These types of questions mean you’re developing your naturalist mind and thinking about what role this species plays in the ecosystem and hopefully developing care and concern for the conservation of this species as well. I’ve recently learned this is called developing your “ecological identity” and I’m looking forward to learning more about this concept myself! I believe we all have a responsibility to protect wildlife and their habitats and this sense of responsibility often grows from paying attention to wildlife in the first place.
What are your materials and how do you think about them?
For my fieldwork, we use spotting scopes and binoculars to search for the federally threatened piping plover. Plovers are the same color as the sandy beaches they inhabit, so they are well camouflaged in their environment. I rely on the clear scope lens and swiveling tripod to track a plover’s movements and behavior. With the strong magnification of my spotting scope, I can see the distinct differences in a plover’s color pattern but more importantly the colored flag and bands on their legs that uniquely identify the individual.
Do you have any heroes’ to speak of? How are you inspired?
I am inspired by so many people. First and foremost, my family members who set the example of prioritizing education as a way to build my future. I also have a number of role models and mentors that have made the conservation field and wildlife biology a celebrated space for me — Dr. Mamie Parker, Charisa Morris, Jerome Ford, Lamar Gore, and Eric Morris. I also greatly look up to Diamon Clark, Ela-Sita Carpenter, Atiya Wells, and Symone Barkley who are Black women in Baltimore promoting outdoor adventure and environmental education amongst marginalized communities.
What other brands do you love?
I don’t particularly follow brands, but I support minority-owned small businesses whenever I can. Outside of Nocs, of course, some brands I try to promote include: Black Folks Camp Too, Outside While Melanated, Hmble Hstle Clothing, The Fruit Mkt, and By Myself Or Nothing.
These days, about 90% of my shopping is done at second-hand stores and thrift shops, so it’s always an adventure to see what piece will catch my eye and come home with me.
What keeps you going?
Two things: 1) reminding myself of the sacrifices made by those that came before me, and 2) serving as a role model and paving the way for the next generation of scientists.
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