From Sea to Sky: Desert / Island Flora and Fauna – Examining the unique biodiversity and conservation challenges of desert and island ecosystems

The From Sea to Sky Spring Hybrid Speaker Series brings scientists, humanists, and social scientists into conversation through “archipelagic thinking,” a framework that highlights the relationships between places that may seem separate, such as oceans and deserts, islands and mountain “islands.” The goal is to think across geographies and disciplines to better understand how ecological systems, colonial histories, and local knowledge shape interconnected human and more-than-human worlds. The panel From Sea to Sky: Desert/Island Flora and Fauna reflects this approach by placing questions of ecology, power, and care in dialogue. From the colonial eradication of Haiti’s Creole pigs to the biodiversity sustained in Arizona’s riparian corridors, from Indigenous camel herding practices in the Thar Desert to collaborative efforts to reduce bycatch and protect marine species, these research initiatives reveal how animals, habitats, and communities are entangled across systems. Together, they illuminate shared challenges and possibilities across desert and island environments, fostering conversation that is historically aware, ecologically grounded, and oriented toward more just and sustainable futures.