MADELINE CANMANN

'As a young person, I wanted to be a scientist. I assumed that meant I would be able to experiment and explore problems from the comfort of an isolated laboratory somewhere. To make progress toward that dream, I went to The Evergreen State College and studied biogeochemistry, soil science, and science communication. After working in the field for a few years, I realized no matter how much thought or energy I put into protecting and helping heal the planet, the effects were shallow.

After I had enough of feeling powerless, hopeless, and angry about the way people relate to the environment, I made the decision to broaden my focus and accept the fear of jumping into the world of information in all its messiness and complexity. That was over four years ago now. I found my way to the Institute for Humane Education after years on Coursera and my local library. I bridged my hard science background with courses on human health, writing, ceramics, economics, political science, psychology, philosophy, behavioral science, communications, sociology, etc.

As I move in and around different fields of knowledge, I find happiness and hope in hunting for connections, solutions, and experts I can learn from. I am a student, a researcher looking at pronatalism and overpopulation, a writer, an artist, a community-member, and a friend. My North Star is to spend my life being as effective as possible in protecting non-human animals from human short-sightedness and greed, however I can.'