about me
My Story
Hi, I’m Kass! I’ve always loved exploring the outdoors and learning about the wild places around me. I took my passion for the natural world with me to college, and I graduated from Bryn Mawr College in May 2022 with a degree in biology and a minor in environmental studies. Now, inspired by my experience keeping bees in my home state of New Jersey for the past seven years and my goal of having a career in ecology and conservation, I’m spending the next year (January 2023 to January 2024) travelling around the world to learn more about beekeeping and pollinator conservation as a 2022 recipient of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. I started this blog to document my journey and all of the incredible things that I’ve been able to experience as I trek around this crazy planet of ours. You can read more about my fellowship, the project that I’m working on, and how it all works, below.
The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship
The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship (more often referred to as just, “the Watson fellowship” or a “Watson year”) is a one-year grant for purposeful, independent exploration outside of the U.S. awarded to graduating university seniors nominated by one of the Thomas J. Watson Foundation’s 40 partner institutions.
Essentially, the Thomas J. Watson Foundation funds year-long projects designed by fellows to explore one of their passions or interests and “enhance their capacity for resourcefulness, imagination, openness, and leadership while fostering their humane and effective participation in the world community.”
Applicants first submit a resume and two essay—one on themselves and one on their proposed project—to their institution and undergo an interview process. Each institution can then select up to 4 candidates to nominate for the national selection. Candidates resubmit their materials to the Watson selection committee and undergo a second interview after which about 40 fellows are selected to represent the next class of Thomas J. Watson Fellows.
My Fellowship Project
My fellowship project involves working with beekeepers, researchers, conservationists, agriculturalists, and community members in the different places I travel over the course of my fellowship year to explore how beekeeping and pollinator conservation is practiced around the world. I created my fellowship project to learn more about the connection between people, pollinators, and the environment, as well as how we can both protect and enhance that connection.
How it works
I was given $40,000 by the Thomas J. Watson Foundation at the start of the year to use on my project as I see fit. The main rules are that I can’t come back to the U.S. for the duration of my year and I have to do my project independently. Independently in this case means I have to figure out where I want to go, what I want to do, who I want to meet with, and how to get myself there all on my own—no one tells me what to do or comes with me to help. I write quarterly reports that I send to the Watson Foundation every three months to let them know how it’s going, and at the end of my fellowship year I’ll be giving a short presentation at a symposium with the 41 other Watson fellows in my cohort on what I did during my year. Other than that, it’s all up to me.
My Tracks
My “beeline” around the world definitely hasn’t been straight. I kicked off my travels in January by heading to Madagascar, where I volunteered with a conservation research program in the southeast for two months. From there, I headed to southwest India, where I spent a month living with a beekeeper and his family before then shadowing students taking a beekeeping course at a nearby forestry college for two weeks. After that, I hopped over to southeast Kenya where I spent two months interning with an organization focused on conserving elephants and fostering sustainable development using beekeeping. In July, I headed to Europe where I’ve been exploring beekeeping in Austria, Slovenia, and Romania. Next it’s off to do research on butterflies and other critters in the Peruvian Amazon. After that, we’ll see. . .
THE BLOG
I started this blog as a way to document the things that I see, do, and learn during the course of my Watson year. I will, of course, include things on bees and other pollinators, but I’ll also talk about the many other things that I encounter during the course of my travels (so if honey isn’t a part of your cup of tea, don’t worry, there will be plenty of other things for you).
I’m always looking for feedback, recommendations, contacts, travel tips and suggestions (including places, things, or people I should include on my itinerary), thoughts, questions, stories, or even just a hey. You can head over to the Contact page to find the best ways to reach me. Welcome and happy reading!