A conversation with recent UC Berkeley graduate and UCSF Zero Waste Fellow, Kiani Baetsle.
So, you just graduated from UC Berkeley with a major in Conservation and Resource Studies in the College of Natural Resources, and your minor was in Geospatial Information Sciences and Technology.
How did you find your way into conservation and resource studies?
I've been interested in the natural world since a young age. A specific memory is that in the fourth grade, I saw this BBC documentary in class and was introduced to the topic of zoology. That’s where I grew more interested in it as something I could pursue in the future.
My focus in college was ecology and conservation biology, but I was also happy to incorporate some elements of planning and mapping through my GIS minor since I love urban environments. I spent my childhood in Shanghai, China, before moving to Los Angeles, then went to school in Berkeley, and am now living in S.F., [I’ve always lived in] more populated areas.
It feels like there's always something going on in urban environments, and a lot that the city can provide for you.
At Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya), one of the many places Baetsle says she has been lucky enough to visit with her family.
Travelling is also a big reason for my interest in and respect for the natural world.
What are the things that you think San Francisco's doing well and the things that you think San Francisco could be doing better, from a conservation and mapping perspective?
In terms of environmental health, the City and the Bay definitely have a long history of environmental inequalities and industrialization. Some areas are definitely disproportionately polluted and environmentally burdened.
What is great is that the city has many nonprofits and organizations working toward it. This spring, I was working at an environmental justice nonprofit [Brightline Defense] in the city, so I feel like that was a good way for me to bridge my environmentalism with my mapping skills and just become more familiar with the city.
I really appreciate how natural spaces are so well incorporated in the city itself, how you can access wetlands and marshes, as well as the open ocean, and then also go hike up in the hills and get a view of the city.
I’ve loved exploring here and I think it’s quite beautiful.
Baetsle in Point Reyes for an early morning field-based course on vertebrates in the Bay Area.
In thinking about your experience in undergrad, in this recent experience, with Brightline, what do you feel excited to bring to UCSF in your time here?
I've explored many different roles and gained knowledge from a range of environmental and biological fields. I was involved in environmental and ecological research throughout undergrad, then explored environmental policy through other internships with the state and a local nonprofit.
At UCSF, I'm excited to bring these technical skills and perspectives while also gaining a better sense of the waste diversion practices for an institution as large as UCSF, and look forward to getting a sense of how sustainability and environmentalism work in a health care space.
It's actually quite exciting just knowing that UCSF and San Francisco are so attentive to these waste policies.
Baetsle conducting research at Friday Harbor Laboratories in Washington, where she worked for a summer on the effects marine heat waves on the growth and development of sea star larvae
Can you tell me a little bit about the mapping experience you're hoping to bring here, and how you see it as a tool to support UCSF’s broader mission of decarbonization?
That's something I still want to explore, since my previous mapping experience was mostly in city- or place-based visualizations or in ecological or biological data visualizations of species, organisms, or climate processes. I think this is a skill that I want to continue to develop and keep up with. I'm still exploring how I can contribute to UCSF and sustainability in this space with my skill set. In general, it's interesting to think of where these materials come from and to also be conscious of where they end up.
Baetsle scub diving in Malaysia during a Biodiversity study abroad program.
A lot of people just don't really think about the start and end point of these materials, but I think it's important to be more conscious of how you're consuming these products and resources.
I’d love to hear about any hobbies you have or things you do outside of your work as a UCSF Zero Waste Fellow.
One of Baetsle's unfinished whittling/ woodworking projects: a pelican.
A great thing about San Francisco is there's just so much to explore and check out on the weekends or even weekdays, and just hanging out with friends, being in these public spaces and feeling the life of the city with other people around you. [I’ve been] exploring different communities and districts in the city too and getting a sense of how each area has its own character.
I also want to try and get back into art in some way. I picked up whittling in high school because I really like hands-on 3D art. I also took a ceramics class my last semester of undergrad, and that was really fun.
I enjoy being more interactive with the medium that I'm working with and then having a piece that has different dimensions.
I'm just happy to be here, happy to be back in the city. This is definitely a really interesting environment to work in, and I'm excited to get going with projects with such a great sustainability team.