Pikok honored by Explorers Club for conservation work

University of Alaska Fairbanks graduate student Kimberly Kivvaq Pikok has been honored for her conservation efforts by the Explorers Club.

The international organization, which is dedicated to the advancement of field exploration and scientific inquiry, honored Pikok as one of its “50 People Changing the World That the World Needs to Know About.”

The Explorers Club 50 was established in 2020 to amplify science communication that is “more inclusive and represents the many diverse voices in the global scientific community.”

Pikok is researching seasonal changes in Utqiaġvik’s spring whaling season by uplifting Indigenous knowledge gathered from hunters and whalers through interviews, a film project and the Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub database.

Pikok graduated from UAF in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology. She is continuing her studies as an interdisciplinary studies graduate student in the Tamamta Fellowship program, which combines Indigenous and Western knowledge in fisheries and marine science research. 

“I can’t imagine that anyone embarks on a career in wildlife biology or any conservation-focused field for recognition and awards, because it’s the results we achieve and the difference that we make that matter most,” Pikok said. “Everyone in the community are stewards because we do this work for our people, communities, the next generations, the animals, the land and our culture.”

Explorers Club 50 honorees receive membership in The Explorers Club, which was established in 1904, along with access to its worldwide network of explorers, media promotion and lecture opportunities.

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