Watson Fellow Crys Moosman ’21 Shares Lessons in Conservation
After a year of travel through six countries, Crys Moosman ’21 recently returned to Grinnell to share their Thomas J. Watson Fellowship journey. Through work with twenty nine organizations in Iceland, South Africa, Namibia, Australia, Brazil, and Costa Rica, Moosman’s whirlwind year was an intensive exploration of wildlife conservation efforts around the globe.
Moosman’s love of the outdoors began young, they explained to an ARH room packed full of current students, faculty, community members, and former soccer teammates. They grew up birdwatching with their mother in the Teton Valley of Idaho, becoming intimately acquainted with the flora and fauna of their home. “I was studying this biology and ecology as a child but didn’t even realize it,” Moosman recalled.
Moosman credits their time at Grinnell and advisers and biology faculty Kathy and Peter Jacobson with shaping their love of the wilderness into a tangible career path: conservation. “At Grinnell, I realized that I could be someone who studies and explores the outdoors with the purpose of protecting it,” said Moosman.
At the recommendation of the Jacobsons, Moosman began considering the Watson Fellowship as a senior. They worked closely with Ann Landstrom, director of global fellowships and awards, to shape their application.
“Watson projects are significant and deeply connected to the person, while explored and shared with others around them,” says Landstrom. Even if an application does not result in a Watson Fellowship, applying gives one an opportunity to articulate their passions and curiosity while mapping out the incredible journeys those interests might take them on. As Moosman shared, “Each interview in the application process is an opportunity for you to get excited and to share that enthusiasm with someone else.” After receiving Grinnell’s nomination, their Watson application went on to the national level where it was ultimately selected for funding.
One of Moosman’s primary intentions with the Watson was to study how conservation efforts can involve local communities. Whether in the ecotourism economy of Costa Rica or along Australia’s coral reefs, Moosman saw how complex collections of attitudes, practices, needs, and perspectives shape how humans engage with local wildlife. “Often, you can’t meet the needs of wildlife without meeting the needs of the people in the local community too,” they explained.
As a result, Moosman now emphasizes the importance of locally informed conservation. “Conservation efforts need to incorporate local and indigenous knowledge,” Moosman shared with the gathered listeners. “In order to make progress, we must collaborate and trust each other — even those who don’t always clearly align with conservation efforts.” When it comes to wildlife conservation, Moosman has found that humans — and the interexchange of the knowledge they hold — are essential players.
Even beyond conservation efforts, Moosman believes we have a lot to offer each other. “One of the greatest things we can do for each other and for the world is to share our passions with each other,” Moosman concluded, inviting Grinnellians to pursue the questions that excite them and to share that excitement with the world.
We certainly are grateful that Moosman shared their passion with our campus community. Welcome back, Crys Moosman, and congratulations!
Read more about their Watson experience.
To learn more about applying for the Watson or other Global Fellowships and Awards, visit the CLS GFA page and set up an advising meeting with Ann Landstrom on Handshake.