Earthwatch at 50: Marlyn Omondi

Earthwatch at 50: Marlyn Omondi’s story

After receiving a Shulman Award in 2016, Marlyn Omondi joined the Global Coral Reef Conservation Project in the Seychelles by the Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) where she was working as a Research Intern whilst studying for a Masters degree.

The project – a collaboration between Earthwatch, Mitsubishi Corporation, the Universities of Essex and Western Australia and the Seychelles National Park Authority – enabled Marlyn to gain a broader perspective and understanding of socio-economic research related to conservation in different parts of the world. It also gave her an opportunity to spend time and exchange ideas with other early career scientists.

“It allowed me to look at things from a different perspective. Understanding what [people] did in [other countries] and also getting a feel of what happens in the Seychelles gave me a more global [way of] thinking in terms of connectivity of resources and ecosystems.”

The opportunity greatly supported Marlyn’s transition to her current role at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi. Her work at UNEP encompasses conservation projects from Somalia to South Africa including the Seychelles, where her local knowledge of the islands has proved invaluable and directly applicable to her current work.