Ivana Thompson – Aspiring Marine Biologist

ms. IVana ThomPson – asPirinG marine bioloGisT

Ivana Thompson hails from Region #4 Georgetown and is a former student of Queens College and former part-time intern at World Wildlife Fund for Guianas. This 24 years old youth enjoys traveling to different regions of Guyana and spends her free time going to the gym, bingewatching Grey’s Anatomy, and spending time with her four pets one (2) dogs (Marley and Mei) and three (3) freshwater turtles (Sylvanus, Bonnie, and Clyde).

Ms. Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from the University of Guyana and is presently pursuing her Masters in Natural Resources Management (Marine and Terrestrial Ecosystems). She has no regrets undertaking studies in this area. When asked what drove her to this area of study, she stated “Having a love for marine life more specifically sea turtles sparked my interest. Additionally, I have benefitted from the active support of mentors from Guyana Marine Conservation Society, University of Guyana, and World Wildlife Fund for Guianas, who inspired and exposed me to professional development opportunities which have contributed to my studies and will eventually contribute to my future career in this area of study”.

With the current oil boom in Guyana, Ivana believes her studies will play a vital role in the proper assessment and representation of the marine ecosystems which will facilitate further protection and conservation of sensitive ecosystems and related organisms, through education. Ms. Thompson stated “Doing my Masters in Jamaica helped me to develop a much greater appreciation for Guyana’s biodiversity. Guyana represents a biodiversity-rich country that contains numerous significant protected species that all contribute to the high value of Guyana’s resources. The level of Guyana’s biodiversity-rich species is one of its most admirable features.”

Her advice to policymakers is not to disregard the importance and value of our environment in every decision to be made, in every project to be undertaken, in every policy to be developed. More needs to be done to preserve our marine life and this cannot be done without thorough baseline studies of the marine environment. Therefore, in developing policies catered to environmental sustainability, policymakers should ensure thorough up-to-date research informs their decision-making. Ms. Thompson admires World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Guianas and Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS) because it has allowed for a wholesome scope of studies, not only from an environmental perspective but overall social and economic development. WWF facilitated training in environmental preservation while ensuring social inclusion through activities such as gender-based workshops and perception studies. GMCS has also placed her in a position to be exposed to several levels of learning which has been pivotal in increasing her knowledge and dedication towards marine conservation. Ivana sees these as admirable traits as they promote truly sustainable development by ensuring environmental protection is in unison with social inclusion and economic growth

When asked what guidance she would give to litterers and polluters this is what she had to say, “The environment forms the foundation of my studies. Some people fail to understand that taking care of the environment is directly linked to taking care of ourselves and preserving our own lives. Therefore, littering or polluting especially at a high level is detrimental to our own survival on this Earth. We are already experiencing some of these adverse effects with degrading living conditions, extreme weather conditions, and decline or complete removal of some livelihoods”.

The brilliant 23 years old Ms. Ivana Thompson’s advice to youths is to “Get involved in promoting conservation and protection of the environment. It does not always mean making this your area of study or getting into a related career, but there are daily activities that can further sustain our environment and reduce our carbon footprint such as, minimizing the use of single-use plastics and not littering. Therefore, keep yourself informed, and when you do inform others because protecting the environment means protecting our own lives”.