Name, where are you in the world right now?

Tahiry Langrand, and I’m in Reston, Virginia.

Where are you joining us from?

I’m getting my Bachelor’s of Science in Sustainability, pursuing the Ecosystems track at ASU. I’m also getting a minor in Spanish language studies, and a certificate in Biomimicry - which is nature-inspired design for sustainability.

Why did you choose to work with Conservation X Labs (CXL) this summer?

My parents are both naturalists/conservationists, so I grew up around nature. I knew I wanted to pursue something in environmental science, but felt I wanted to understand the human element too. Social issues, and things like environmental justice, are just as important as hard science. I was interested in CXL’s approach - which is not traditional to conservation. I like the fact that it’s market-based, and although it’s a fairly small organization, it is high impact. Lastly, I met Alex when he gave a lecture on his book The Snow Leopard Project at ASU - I really liked his book and couldn’t put it down - so he’s someone who has inspired me.

What will you be working on with us?

I’m working with the Open Innovation team to research microfiber pollution for the upcoming Microfiber Innovation Challenge. I’m organizing all of the recent research and literature and synthesizing that research to use in our challenge design, marketing, and communications materials. Not only am I looking at the background and impacts of microfiber pollution, but I’m also trying to learn about some of the potential solutions.

Do you have a favorite species?

I’m a birder - I love all birds. I keep binoculars right next to me while I work, in case I see something out the window. I like that you can bird anywhere in the world- in cities, in the middle of the ocean, in the Arctic. And there are 10,000 of them - I’ve seen 1,478 (12%), and I’d like to see all of them. Recently, I went on a trip off of Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, and I saw seven new species in one trip. But I threw up the entire time because the seas were rough.

How are you staying entertained during the pandemic?

I watch movies with my family, go birding with my dad, and hike. I also just started the Duke Conservation Scholars. The Conservation Scholars was supposed to be 8 weeks in the field in California - which we aren’t doing. But there’s a good cohort, and I’m kind of reconnecting with local ecology. For example, there’s an ecoregion in the western part of Maryland called the Allegheny Highlands, which is similar to that of Western New England, and there are species of birds that only nest there in that region.

Outside of your work at CXL, what’s one of the coolest projects you’ve worked on so far?

I started a network called Constellation - I’m the executive director. It’s an online network to share student-led projects and initiatives to facilitate the culture of sustainability on college campuses.