Community Science Fellow Highlight: Imeña Valdes

Fellow Highlight: Imeña Valdes

Imeña Valdes earned her B.S in Biology and a Certificate in Agroecology from Florida International University and an M.S in Plant Biology and Conservation from Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Her graduate research focused on pollinator preferences between native and cultivated native plants. Imeña has an interest in the creation of urban green spaces to help connect fragmented habitats so animals, like pollinators, can be supported and protected. Currently she is Illinois Project Wingspan Agriculture and Outreach Coordinator for Pollinator Partnership and an adjunct instructor at both DePaul and Roosevelt Universities in Chicago. Imeña’s Community Science Project in Hollygrove Dixon aims to tackle the Urban Heat Island Effect by implementing Nature Based Solutions, including the installation of solar energy systems.

Tell us about the Thriving Earth Exchange project you are a part of.

The project focuses on tackling urban heat island effect in the Hollygrove-Dixon neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana by implementing nature-based solutions. Incorporating solar energy and green spaces, for example, would reduce the overall heat experienced in the neighborhood and potentially decrease electric bills and provide an increased quality of life for residents. The goal is to foster a more resilient community in the face of climate change.

What inspired you to get involved in community science?

I’ve spent most of my time as a scientist in labs and in the field without seeing the science put in practice and/or shared with the broader community. I wanted to learn how to work with communities and help them achieve their goals in hopes that the efforts would increase their ability to contend with the challenges brought on by climate change. 

Can you share a memorable experience from your work as a community science fellow with Thriving Earth Exchange?

Since the project requires (mostly) in-person work it was a challenge to find scientists with particular skill sets in and around New Orleans to participate, so every time a scientist joined our team was a memorable experience for me. There was a moment earlier this year that many of our scientists were actually all in the same place at the same time so we had a (mostly) in-person meeting and it was incredible to have seen everyone come together to talk about future plans. 

How do you think community science can make a positive impact in our society?

Community science allows scientists and community members to work collectively to solve problems that the community is directly impacted by, which gives them agency in how a problem is addressed. When we work together we come up with more ideas, can collect more data, and can accomplish so much more – in science and in society.