Seattle’s Innovation and Leadership in Climate Equity Panelist Q&A: Ashley R. Townes
By Yordanos Tesfazion
Ashley R. Townes is a PhD student at the University of Washington who is addressing environmental inequities in Rainier Beach through salmon habitat restoration. Over a span of 12 years, she has traveled to over 60 countries, working, learning, and researching culturally-specific contexts, local environmental issues, and traditional knowledge systems. Ashley’s travels and professional development experiences led her to study fish ecology and work on sustainable development and restoration projects in South Seattle.
As the Technical Advisor to the Rainier Beach Link2Lake Committee, she spearheaded the efforts to restore a portion of Mapes Creek before the arrival of endangered juvenile Chinook salmon in January.
Ashley is on the panel for our upcoming Earth Day event at Town Hall Seattle! Learn more about her and her work ahead of the April 22nd event:
You’ve traveled to 65+ countries conducting research and addressing local environmental issues. From international education to sustainable development to natural resource management, your wealth of knowledge has brought you to Seattle. What experience(s) inspired you to focus your studies on fish ecology at the University of Washington?
Transcript: You know, my journey was truly shaped by an incredible experience in Bangladesh. When I was getting my master’s degree in Vermont, I was part of a graduate school project working with an NGO called BRAC, based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that’s the capital of Bangladesh. And I was assigned a fish farming project and was partnered with a group of extraordinary women. Some of them were widows, others were acid burn survivors who had started a tilapia fish farm with support from a local bank, and they received some grants.
And visiting this farm was just incredibly eye-opening. The way these women use their knowledge of ecological systems, combining low-tech solutions with deep-rooted local practices was absolutely brilliant, and it made a significant impact on me.
It made me think about all the ways we could practice sustainability, how we can be self-sufficient, how we can work harmoniously with nature and support community health and spiritual life through fishing. And inspired by this resilience, by their resilience and innovation, I decided to shift my focus towards a career in fisheries right then and there.
And after returning to the United States, I began exploring different career paths and everything led me to the PNW (Pacific Northwest), specifically the University of Washington. Here, I could dive deep into fish ecology, blend theory with practice, and both contribute to and lead projects that make a real difference.
The salmon habitat restoration project at Be’er Sheva Park relies on your leadership and expertise. How did you learn about and get involved with the project?
My journey with the Be’er Sheva Park salmon habitat restoration project began as part of my active involvement with the Rainier Beach Link2Lake Open Space Committee, which I joined in 2019. Living just about 700-800 feet from the park, I had a front-row seat to its ecological transformation. My curiosity about the local ecosystem led me to a 2018 monitoring report on the daylighting of a previously hidden underground creek in our neighborhood, Mapes Creek. This creek had been brought to the surface in 2014, and the data collected over the next three years revealed a steadily increasing presence of juvenile Chinook salmon. This trend showcased Be’er Sheva Park’s role as an essential resting spot for these salmon as they journey toward the Ballard Locks and onward to the Pacific Ocean.
Intrigued by these findings, I saw a golden opportunity to expand upon this success. The consistent presence of salmon at our shoreline highlighted the ecological potential of the area. Our committee advocated for and secured a significant grant of half a million dollars, which funded in-water construction and also supported broader park improvements and renovations. This initiative aimed to rehabilitate and enhance the habitat with native vegetation, large woody debris, and experimental plant mounds to reintroduce historical plants and provide refuge for wildlife. This comprehensive approach has not only restored a crucial habitat but also revitalized a community space, marking a significant milestone in our local conservation efforts.
This far along in your academic journey, you don’t see many people who look like you in the classroom, especially as one of the few Black ecologists in the country. What kind of barriers do you face as someone who is extremely underrepresented in your field and what can other ecologists learn from your experience(s)?
Yes, it’s true – I often find myself as the only Black person in my field, from studying Japanese and hieroglyphics instead of Spanish and Latin in school to engaging in rowing or squash rather than basketball, and now pursuing fish ecology. Each step of the way, my choices have not been the norm, and this uniqueness often placed me in isolation within these spaces.
One of the most crucial lessons I’ve learned is the importance of building a supportive community. Surrounding yourself with people who not only support you but also share your experiences or aspirations can significantly buffer the challenges of underrepresentation. It’s important to actively seek out groups and affiliates who can relate to your journey, you don’t have to do everything alone.
Moreover, maintaining an open heart and mind has been pivotal. My grandma and mom, both phenomenal women who raised me, always said, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” This motto underscores the necessity of taking risks and persistently pursuing one’s dreams despite the lack of familiar faces along the way; it’s imperative to reach beyond what seems possible.
Having a mentor, regardless of one’s stage in life, is invaluable as well. This guidance is even more important today, as both science and diversity, equity, and inclusion are under significant threats. For those in any field, but especially in ecology and environmental science, embracing these practices not only helps in personal growth but also enriches our entire field, promoting a diversity of thoughts and innovations that are essential for the advancement of science and human progress.
Thank you for sharing more about yourself and your work, Ashley! Learn more from Ashley and other local leaders in climate and equity at our Earth Day panel at Town Hall Seattle on April 22.