Reflexivity is central to my approach as an environmental anthropologist. My research is guided by a commitment to examining the assumptions that shape how people understand relationships between humans, environments, and other forms of life, and to approaching environmental issues as fundamentally relational. Rather than treating people and ecosystems as distinct or opposing domains, I attend to the ways social, cultural, and ecological processes shape one another.

As a White settler researcher, I am attentive to how my background and training shape the questions I ask, the relationships I build, and the interpretations I bring to my work. This awareness requires ongoing reflection, listening, and accountability, particularly when working in contexts shaped by colonial histories and unequal power dynamics. In practice, this means prioritizing collaborative relationships, being transparent about the limits of my perspective, and creating space for community knowledge, values, and expertise to inform research processes and interpretations.