Data, Dawn Choruses, and African Skies

Newswise —

“There’s a funny story about me eating a worm, you know, channeling my inner bird,” laughs Billi Krochuk, BRI’s data scientist. Growing up in the suburbs of Ontario, Billi spent a lot of time outdoors, traveling with family, but she always had an interest in African wildlife and birds. In high school, she participated in a trip to Africa to understand more about the conservation work that happens.

“Why aren’t people paying attention to Africa?” Billi wondered. She wanted to engage with the continent in a more open-minded and authentic way. She wanted to understand the conservation work and research taking place in Africa, and particularly the Congo Basin. What better way to do that, than by going there?

From the moment she stepped off the plane in Johannesburg, South Africa, she knew instantly, “Yep, this is a country and continent that I’m going to certainly keep coming back to.”

Billi completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Cape Town, where she conducted her undergraduate research at the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology. “I was very fortunate to be surrounded by researchers who valued creative thinking and fostered a supportive environment.”

After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked with Biodiversity Initiative in Equatorial Guinea. “I have a pretty all-in style of personality, and I try to bring that energy into my work”. Her previous work has created new opportunities to collaborate with existing research networks within the Central African research community.

Her training has instilled in her the importance of skills transfer, and when she’s out in the field, she works to train people so they have the autonomy to conduct their own research. “I try to make myself obsolete in a research group,” Billi says.

Her experience in Africa inspired her to highlight the positive stories about researchers, especially in the on-the-ground research that happens there. “I like to uplift other people’s stories because oftentimes in the media you only hear about the negatives coming out of Africa.”

At BRI, Billi works to manage complex datasets, with a focus on data quality and longevity. She sorts through thousands of data points to make sure they are recorded correctly. Scientific data can go back many decades and ensuring that things are as they should be on the data side helps to mitigate future issues. “Having the perspective of a biologist really benefits when designing and managing our database,” Billi remarks, noting the intricate connections between datasets. While her work time is split fairly evenly between data management and fieldwork, “I’m definitely a field biologist at heart,” she says.

Billi has been leading our biodiversity surveys in South Dakota and Wyoming, a project for which the team collected baseline data on soil carbon, vegetation, and wildlife populations as part of a larger project coordinated by South Dakota State University. This past summer, she coordinated the fieldwork logistics and survey design, as well as conducted bird point counts. “It’s exhausting, but worth it when you get to see beautiful sunrises and listen to the dawn chorus every morning”.

Working in the grasslands, Billi spent her days interacting with ranch staff, many of whom are working on multigenerational operations. “I try to approach any kind of interaction with as much humility as I can.” Billi acknowledges she is a visitor to these areas, and curiously seeks out the inherent knowledge of others, whether it’s the grasslands of South Dakota or the rainforests of Central Africa.

As she looks to the future, Billi is excited to return to the African continent to assist in fieldwork for ongoing BRI projects in early 2025.