I am so happy to be back in the field! Today is the second weekend day here (and yes, Saturday counts as a working day). I’m sitting in my dissection room in the research station relaxing, thinking about a conversation I had with Florian earlier. I told him that the first time I came to the field with Deborah, the way she greeted her colonies and talked about the ants made her look like she was glowing.
Florian, who has far more field experience than I do, smiled and said he felt the same — that it’s being in the field that always reminds him why we do all this research. That really touched me. I keep thinking about what he said, because I completely agree. Over the years, we build this bond with the creatures we study. With global warming and drought hitting the Arizona desert harder and harder, I find myself studying how these ants adapt to the changing environment, but at the same time, quietly worrying about them.
It reminded me of Deborah’s talk last Friday. She spoke with a deeper urgency — and a hint of sadness — about the decline in colony numbers: more colonies dying, fewer new colonies starting. She’s worried they might not survive the pace of climate change, let alone adapt to it. And I understand what she means.
I think it’s magical, this shift that happens when you start feeling a connection to the animals you study. It’s not just about running experiments or watching them in the lab anymore; it’s about seeing them in their natural habitat, witnessing their tiny daily lives. I’m still figuring it out — I’m not sure if I want to be a full-time field scientist, since I have never been in the field for months. Spending one month a year in the field and the rest of the time in the lab feels like a good balance for me right now. But every time I’m here, I can’t help but think how much I’d love to come back again.
Anyway, on this rare day off, I finally built my academic personal website! You can check it out here: https://www.krisaye.org/
Feel free to let me know if you like it, or if you have any suggestions for making it better.
Krisa Mie 