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Women In Polar Science

Natasha Gardiner

Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury (New Zealand) and Antarctica NZ

Natasha sitting behind the New Zealand flag at the 2022 ATCM and CEP in Berlin which she attended as a member of the New Zealand delegation.

Natasha sitting behind the New Zealand flag at the 2022 ATCM and CEP in Berlin which she attended as a member of the New Zealand delegation.

What’s the work that you do?

I am working on my PhD; my background is in psychology and sociology. My research explores science-policy interactions in the context of decision-making at the international level (i.e. in the context of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) and the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP)) and at the domestic level here in New Zealand. In particular, I’m interested in the drivers and barriers that contribute towards ‘successful’ Antarctic science-policy knowledge exchange practices. Alongside my research, I also work as an Environmental Advisor for New Zealand’s National Antarctic Programme, Antarctica New Zealand. In this role, I’m privileged to work with some incredible humans and also contribute towards New Zealand’s engagement with the CEP. I’m also a member of the steering committee for SCAR’s SRP Ant-ICON (Integrated Science to Inform Antarctic and Southern Ocean Conservation). My role within Ant-ICON is the EMCR lead for the synthesis theme, which aims to foster mutual understandings between Antarctic research and policy communities to enrich Antarctic environmental decision-making.

What keeps you going?

In my mind, Antarctica really is the Earth’s final frontier. But everyday I am confronted with scientific evidence that speaks to a different reality – Antarctica is now victim to the same anthropogenic pressures and threats that we see all around the globe. I really believe that through innovative, courageous and bold decisions at individual and institutional levels, we can together ensure that Antarctic environments are safeguarded for their own right, but also for future generations. This belief is what drives my work!

What’s your message to the world?

Live simply so that others may simply live (that one was Gandhi, not me!)

Organisation: Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury (New Zealand) and Antarctica NZ

Nationality: New Zealand New Zealand

Disciplines:

Social science and Antarctic environmental management

Connect:    

Research

We are grateful to The Ocean Foundation for acting as our fiscal sponsor in the US, the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation for sponsoring this project, and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) for supporting us.