Géoblog

Category: Focus on good practices

How do field and research practices in the geosciences and environmental sciences evolve? Find out in this dossier the testimonies and reflections of our research community.

  • Toward inclusive fieldwork: A handbook in the making

    Toward inclusive fieldwork: A handbook in the making

    Floreana Miesen is a field technician, involved in a variety of field projects at the Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST). Natalie Emch is Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) officer at the Faculty of Geoscience and the Environment. Through their involvement in this working group, both would like to ensure fieldwork would be a positive learning and professional experience for all. Three other people are actively working in the group: Prof. Georgina King, Dr Ian Delaney and Léa Rodari.

    Fieldwork constitutes a crucial element in teaching and research within Geography and the Earth and Environmental Sciences. It has a pivotal role in shaping a student’s career trajectory and for accomplishing research objectives. Recognizing its significance has raised the following concern: how can we make fieldwork as inclusive and accessible as possible? In a collaborative effort to address this issue, Floreana Miesen and Natalie Emch are actively engaged in a working group tasked with crafting a toolkit to help make fieldwork more accessible. The aim is to come up with solutions that respond to the various needs, by involving the entire student and research community in the reflection process.

    Can you say more about this working group “A good practice guide for fieldwork”?

    N.E : The working group endeavors to collect input and advice from members of the FGSE across different perspectives and institutes. Our aim is to produce a Handbook of Good practice – a useful resource for both teaching staff and students. It will be a support document for preparing and organising any type of field camp, whether for teaching or research purposes. Unlike a set of rigid rules or directives, the Handbook aims to inspire and guide. It will cover aspects such as communication, sanitary installations, accessibility to material to give some examples. We would like the community to know there is a support structure at the faculty to address these challenges related to fieldwork.

    What will be the content of this handbook?

    F.M. :  The document is structured around simple questions for teaching staff and participants. They encompass safety and well-being issues. For examples: “Have the participants been informed about the daily schedule, the mobile phone network coverage, local customs…?” – “Have participants been informed of the equipment to bring and how to obtain it?” – “As a participant, am I uneasy about an issue I wish to raise with the organisers? Is there any constraints I could to share with the organisers, such as family care responsibilities?”

    The important point is to foster timely communication and open dialog between organisers and participants. This initiative seeks to raise awareness about the fact that students may not dare to express significant concerns, such as safety and personal needs. It’s central to avoid assuming that everyone has a sleeping bag, has been to the mountain tops or is free of family duty.

    “The aim of the document is to remove barriers that can hinder or prevent participation and learning, and to create safe and pleasant conditions for everyone.”


    Floreana Miesen

    Work in progress – your input is welcome!

    You are a student, a teacher, a researcher at the FGSE and wish to share your experience on the field? Or do you simply want to know more? Feel free to contact the working group ce-fgse@unil.ch.

    We are still collecting input from different perspectives and across the three FSGE institutes. For instance, we welcome suggestions about:

    • What type of support is needed to organise a successful field camp? (Training in conflict management, in how to deal with anxiety…?)
    • As a participant, what information do you need to prepare a field camp with confidence?

    Why this project for a good practice guide?

    N.E. : UNIL is committed to improve the well-being of its members and the inclusion of people, regardless of their gender, ethnic or migratory background, disability… This work is hence a contribution to UNIL’s ambition to fight inequality. Issues of safety and personal integrity in the field are part of UNIL’s action plan for equality, diversity and inclusion, and our working group is part of this commitment.

    “When people feel safe, respected, valued, supported, they are able to actively contribute.”

    Natalie Emch

    Natalie Emch, why is this project important to you?

    N. E. : When I arrived in 2022, a workshop had just taken place at FGSE with Ann Rowan (University of Bergen, Norway) (March 2022), which addressed the question of inclusivity in fieldwork.  Feedback from the students highlighted that fieldwork was highly valued, as it enabled them to acquire scientific and practical know-how that was distinct from that of the classroom.

    However, some students highlighted their anxieties, their specific needs and lack of clarity around responsibility and field conditions which can interfere with their learning. We observe that due to hierarchical structures and the fact that students are evaluated they can feel shy to speak up.

    This led to the decision to create a working group to address this issue and develop a handbook for good practices. As the EDI officer of FGSE, I have embraced this project and I hope this work will attract more diversity in the field.

    For Floreana, field work is an opportunity to see and feel the study landscape. (Photo: Nikola Schulte-Kellinghaus)

    Floreana Miesen, why is this project important to you?

    F. M.: I enjoy everything related to fieldwork. During my studies in Geography in Germany, I had the opportunity to participate in a lot of field courses and field research. I felt it really was one of the best ways to learn. Fieldwork was my motivation to apply for this position at IDYST. I still appreciate the variety of projects and approaches in the field.  However, I have noticed that students sometimes face challenges. For example, they can feel overwhelmed by the gap between their experience of hiking with friends and the demands of working in mountainous terrain.

    I am convinced that to focus on the learning objectives, students should not be preoccupied with managing challenges related to personal needs exacerbated by a field course. By addressing issues – like physical fitness requirements, personal constraints or financial limitations – this handbook proposes strategies to lower entry barriers. 

    “I would like to convey my enthusiasm for field work, and ensure that more people can enjoy fully this experience.”

    Floreana Miesen

    Links

    A multi-pronged FGSE approach of welfare and security

    The FGSE is committed to protecting its students and employees and to improving study and research conditions from all points of view, through various bodies (Health and Safety Committee, Equality Commission, Ethics Commission, internal support for employees), and through more informal steps such as the production of this Handbook.

    This Handbook of Good Practices for Fieldwork in the making is primarily designed as a list of recommendations, and does not have a binding scope like the two Décanat Directives for fieldwork (Directive à l’intention des membres de la FGSE sur la sécurité et les mesures de protection pour le travail de terrain) and off-campus activities (Directive FGSE pour les travaux de recherche impliquant des déplacements à l’étranger).

    The Fieldwork Directive requires each person involved in fieldwork to carry out an adequate risk assessment beforehand, in an autonomous and personal way. It is more focused – although not only – on physical safety in field camps, while the Handbook of Good Practice focuses on the emotional safety and personal integrity of people participating in camps or excursions, so as to make them more accessible. 

    The future Handbook also develops, deepens and thus very usefully complements the concepts that appear briefly in the second directive, devoted to the elements to be taken into account in general when planning off-campus activities.

  • Towards a more inclusive and ethical paleontology

    Towards a more inclusive and ethical paleontology

    Farid Saleh, Institute of Earth Sciences

    Dr Farid Saleh is a paleontologist specializing in the formation of fossil deposits. In August 2023, he begins his Ambizione project at ISTE on the preservation of Cambrian fossils dating back over 500 million years.

    As Diversity Officer at the Palaeontological Association, he is actively involved in initiatives to promote diversity. His international experience – in Lebanon, France, Morocco and China – has enabled him to reflect on changing practices in the field of paleontology. He tells us how he hopes to foster collaboration and inclusion in his own work.

    You’re in charge of diversity at the Palaeontological Association. How did you come to take on this role?

    In 2018, the Palaeontological Association carried out a study on diversity among its members1. The results revealed that several communities were under-represented, particularly people from ethnic minorities and disadvantaged backgrounds. As a result, the association decided to appoint a Diversity Officer to develop an equality and diversity strategy and action plan.  

    I got the job, which I’m holding for three years, until the end of 2023. My experience as a Lebanese researcher who has worked in France, China and now Switzerland gives me a good understanding of the visions of the Global South and historically privileged European countries.

    What were your first actions as diversity officer at the Palaeontological Association?

    For example, we raised the issue of the living conditions of some members, which were not taken into consideration. The association’s membership fees, although very low, represent a large sum for someone whose salary has been reduced by the economic crisis, as is the case in Lebanon, or for students from certain regions. We have therefore reduced the price for people from low-income countries. 

    We have also introduced a new system for awarding ” Undergrad Research Bursaries”, to avoid bias in evaluation and increase the diversity of applicants. The principle is that of a random lottery, but with priority given to under-represented communities. Let me explain: the committee checks that the candidate projects are feasible and that the costs are justified. If these criteria are met, the projects are entered into the draw. Candidates also have the option of entering their nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation and so on. This data, if provided, remains confidential. But it is used in the drawing of lots to favour under-represented communities.

    The Paleontological Association has also been working on a Code of Conduct2, which applies to all its members in the course of their professional activities. This code aims to “create an inclusive and diverse environment within palaeontology and to protect members from harassment and discrimination”. Members are expected to “promote a culture of scientific and research integrity, respect, fairness, and inclusivity and avoid conflicts of interest.”

    Finally, an international mentorship system now enables juniors to be guided in their career path and job search by a more experienced person. The support of scientists from different institutes around the world will help reduce inequalities in access to quality supervision and expertise.

    As a scientific discipline, paleontology has inherited a colonial history that has long excluded local communities in certain countries from the building of their collections. What has changed in the way the profession has taken account of inclusion issues?

    The situation has improved considerably over the last ten years. In the past, paleontologists considered it normal to collect material in a distant country, bring it back and publish the data, without taking into account the people and the region of origin of the samples. 

    The desire to integrate local communities and the importance of documenting the origin of fossils in research have emerged. These are really radical changes, because when I started my thesis in 2017, nobody was talking about these ethical issues. I myself was not very aware of these topics.

    Some countries, such as Brazil and China, now have laws banning the export of fossils (some even date back to the 80s). In Morocco, where I work a lot, the political will to protect our heritage is increasingly present.Countries with large fossil collections, such as Switzerland, France and the UK, are also putting in place regulations and principles to clarify field interactions linked to acquiring and working with fossils. Some countries are still lagging behind on these issues, particularly when it comes to the restitution of geological heritage, but the situation is improving and awareness is international.

    Of course, the restitution of fossils is costly, and it takes time to set up the infrastructures needed for their proper preservation on site. Morocco, for example, is in the process of building new museums to accommodate the large number of Moroccan fossils, in addition to the existing ones. To increase local expertise too, scientists are starting to work with local communities, involving them in research and training students.

    Publishers also play a role in changing practices. Some require proof of the origin of fossils, asking for export permits, the name of the person who collected them, etc. This is also a guarantee for them, as scientific papers have sometimes been retracted, for example because the authors were unable to demonstrate the legal provenance of their fossils, or because the fossils were illegally registered outside their country of origin.

    As part of your work as Diversity Officer, have you also worked on issues of gender or LGBT+?

    The diversity study carried out at Palaeontological Association showed that the LGBT+ community was not under-represented among its members, which is very good news. So we haven’t carried out any projects in this area for the time being. Nevertheless, we strive to create a supportive and secure environment in all our meetings, events, and sponsored activities. Any form of discrimination or harassment against members of the LGBTQ+ community is strictly unacceptable and is completely prohibited per our Code of conduct3.

    On the other hand, women are still in the minority. The association is now encouraging better representation of female researchers. My personal experience has also made me think about these issues. When I wrote my first scientific article, there were four co-authors – all men, none women. And yet, in my laboratory in Lyon at the time, I could easily have knocked on the door of the office next door to seek the advice of several female paleontologists. However, I considered our work to be of sufficient quality.

    But once the article was published, I had the opportunity to present it at a seminar, and a female expert I knew well gave constructive and useful criticism that could have improved our work! I’ve now got into the habit of presenting my results at conferences before publishing them. This approach allows me to refine them further and take a step back. Although some people argue that we should be wary of the risk of spoliation by revealing unpublished results, I consider these risks to be minimal compared to the benefits I derive from the valuable advice I receive. 

    Interacting with a large number of people allows me to discover databases and offers me new and different perspectives. I want to avoid building walls around myself, and I’m convinced that a diversity of viewpoints enriches our understanding.

    During your own fieldwork, which partners do you work with? In which countries?

    During my thesis, I worked on the Moroccan site of Fezouata, well known for its exceptionally preserved and diverse fossil assemblages. In Morocco, it’s often local people who collect the fossils. We work closely with Mohamed Ben Moula, a professional fossil collector. It was he who discovered the Fezouata formation, arguably Morocco’s most important fossil site, in the late 90s. The Paleontological Association recognized the value of his work and expertise by awarding him the Mary Anning Prize4 in 2017. Ce prix récompense les amateur·rices en paléontologie, mais dont la contribution a eu un impact important dans le domaine. This award recognizes amateurs in paleontology, but whose contribution has had a significant impact on the field.

    I then worked for two years with China, for a postdoc. And I never touched a Chinese fossil! It was a special situation, because it was during the COVID pandemic and I was working remotely. But you should know that in China, it’s almost impossible to export fossils. This is due to very protective laws and a very strong local infrastructure and expertise. So I was able to carry out my project from my place of confinement.

    In addition to collaborating with international amateurs and paleontologists, it’s also important for me to train local people, so that they in turn can make the most of their geological heritage. When we were in the field last May in Morocco, for example, we helped a motivated student to collect data and put together a solid thesis project in Switzerland.

    What advice would you give young researchers to promote inclusiveness?

    A fundamental principle to which I attach great importance is that of fostering collaboration and making it visible. It’s a principle I’d like to pass on to young researchers. One way of putting it into practice is to include in the list of authors of an article all the people who made that article possible.

    For me, this principle is of the utmost importance. According to some scientists and journals, a person only deserves to be a co-author if he or she has contributed to the “scientific” aspect. But is writing a paragraph or changing the discussion more deserving than discovering fossils? In my opinion, a scientific article is the fruit of the accumulation of various skills: from the person who found the fossil, prepared it and allowed it to be exported, to the person who analysed it or wrote up the results.

    As you can see, my papers often comprise a long list of contributors! For example, the colleagues who helped us obtain export permits are included in my thesis publications. Without them, the thesis wouldn’t have happened, and I’m grateful for their help. And although it’s not yet widely accepted, I’m not the only paleontologist to include amateurs in scientific articles. This shows that, in the field, their role is increasingly seen as essential. I think their inclusion also reveals the importance of the human aspect in paleontological research, over and above the scientific aspect: don’t forget that samples have a history, that they come from somewhere. What’s more, there is sometimes a lack of local academic paleontologists with whom to collaborate. This is partly due to our colonial past. Thinking about broadening the scientific community and valuing each other’s work is essential to advancing expertise in middle- and low-income countries.

    Farid Saleh, Institute of Earth Sciences

    Dr Farid Saleh is a taphonomist: he studies the degradation (physical, chemical, biological) of organisms in nature. On fossil deposits, this means trying to resolve these questions: to what extent do the fossils found reflect the original ecosystems? To what extent are they biased by preservation? If animals A and B are found in a fossil site, does that really mean they were the only ones present? Or did other animals live at that time, but their traces have not come down to us? 

    He is particularly interested in the first complex ecosystems – dating back over 520 million years. After studying in Lebanon and writing his thesis in Lyon, Farid Saleh now works at ISTE. To carry out his project, he has set up numerous international collaborations, with France, Morocco, China, Australia, Canada and the United States.

    Notes

    1. The results and recommendations of the diversity study are on the Palaeontological Association’s website ↩︎
    2. Find the Code of Conduct on the Palaeontological Association’s website ↩︎
    3. The Palaeontological Association’s Code of Conduct expresses its commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. « The Palaeontological Association will not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, ethnic origins, immigration status, religion, age, marital status, parental status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic background, educational background, or disability. » ↩︎
    4. Mary Anning (1799-1847), after whom the Palaeontological Association’s amateur prize is named, was a pioneering, self-taught paleontologist and fossil collector. Anning’s discoveries – such as early ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and pterosaurs – helped change our view of Earth history. To this day, her discoveries form an important part of the UK’s major collections. ↩︎
  • Fossil stories: testimony to a field in transition

    Fossil stories: testimony to a field in transition

    This series of conversations brings you the thoughts of our research community on field practice and how it is evolving. See also :

    Allison Daley, Institute of Earth Sciences

    As a paleontologist, prof. Allison Daley is passionate about the major events in the history of life and the early evolution of animal species. Her approach is to focus on specimens of exceptional preservation quality, enabling her to unravel the mysteries of animals long since extinct.

    Working in the laboratory at ISTE, but also on fossil sites in Morocco, she tells us about the changes taking place in her field and her actions to promote more inclusive teamwork.

    What’s field work like in your field?

    In my field of paleontology, there are two main types of fieldwork. 

    The first is exploration, with the aim of finding new fossil localities. This can be a challenging quest, even if you have good geological maps and try to target outcrops where you are likely to find new fossils. Access is also sometimes complicated, and a helicopter may be required.

    The second involves collecting samples from sites that are known to be rich and interesting. We spend weeks or months sampling specimens, and documenting their stratigraphic and sedimentological context.

    Where is your main fieldwork based?

    My work is based mainly in Morocco. I work a lot on the Early Ordovician Fezouata site, which contains fossils in an exceptional state of preservation. We can find animal soft parts, sometimes even their internal organs. And this site dates back to a period that fascinates me: just after the Cambrian explosion, but before a second great evolutionary radiation that followed during the Ordovician. Analysis of these fossils opens up fascinating perspectives on the early history of the Earth and the origins of biodiversity.

    What local partners do you work with? 

    My team and I go there on average once a year. But most samples are collected by a local professional collector, Ou Said Ben Moula, and his family, with whom we work a lot. He’s the one who found this exceptional outcrop and introduced it to paleontologists. He has no training in geology, but he knows the terrain like the back of his hand and has acquired incredible knowledge. 

    Mr Ben Moula attaches great importance to scientific research and knows how to recognize rare fossils of great value to paleontology. He therefore offers these specimens to museums and research institutes in the field (in Lausanne, Harvard, the Czech Republic…). He also runs a fossil shop, where he sells more standard fossils with less scientific value from all over Morocco.

    In certain regions of Morocco, the economy is based on the sale of fossils. Entire villages are dedicated to the research and preparation of specimens – such as the trilobites sold in “fossil fairs” – and to the sale of rocks containing shelly fossils, often used in construction as decorative building stone.

    In Morocco, ISTE researcher Dr. Pierre Gueriau (middle) and former ISTE PhD students Dr. Lorenzo Lustri (left) and Dr. Francesc Pérez Peris (right) examine Fezouata Shale fossils together with Moroccan fossil collector Lahcen Ben Moula (at back) (Photo credit: A. Daley).

    What happens to fossils from Morocco?  

    Today, the sale of fossils is a highly controversial business. The practice is sometimes perceived as “plundering” a region’s natural heritage. For my part, I understand the aspiration to preserve fossils locally within a Moroccan institution, and I hope that in time this will be possible thanks to the development of infrastructure in Morocco. However, as things stand at present, exporting is still the best way of studying these specimens and preserving them for the long term. 

    Paleontology is undergoing major changes. There is a growing awareness of a colonialist past. It’s true that Western countries have collected and appropriated many specimens, often without any compensation for the regions from which they came. Fortunately, attitudes and mentalities are changing, and there is hope that the situation will improve.

    Interesting initiatives are beginning to emerge. For example, each sample of the Fezouata collection currently housed at the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 was imported from Morocco and assigned a specimen number belonging to the Marrakech Collections of the Cadi Ayyad University of Morocco, with a view to eventually return them to a future museum in Marrakech. For the moment, Lyon is simply housing these specimens, pending the establishment of a local infrastructure when the samples are returned.

    This initiative has inspired me personally, and I’m currently building collaborations with professors and museums in Rabat and Agadir. I hope that when the right equipment is available locally, we’ll be able to transfer the collections to these Moroccan institutions. In this way, we will contribute to the preservation of the country’s paleontological heritage and promote scientific research at a local level.

    “I think practices are evolving in the right direction, and I’d like to be part of the change.”

    Allison Daley

    What local collaborations exist with researchers?

    The scientific expertise and interest of local people in paleontology has increased. Khadija El Hariri is an active researcher and champion of the Fezouata locality, with whom we have co-authored several articles on the analysis of the preservation of soft parts from the Fezouata site. Vice-President of the International Paleontological Association and a researcher at Cadi-Ayyad University, Khadija El Hariri is extremely committed to the preservation of fossil sites. Together with Khadija and other researchers from Morocco, France, Belgium, Spain and Switzerland, we worked towards having the Fezouata locality designated as one of the First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites.  Led by a collection of Moroccan universities and local organizations, there is also an initiative to create a UNESCO geopark in the Draa Valley region, so that the paleontological and archeological sites can be recognized and protected as a landscape of international importance, and contribute to education and sustainable development.

    Requests for geoparks always come from the country concerned, because if the project goes ahead, it will bring a huge amount of change. For example, the direct sale of fossils will be prohibited, even though many families make a living from this trade. In return, however, the project will enhance the region’s natural heritage and promote tourism. This could create a number of wonderful opportunities, such as the creation of a local museum in Zagora, or awareness-raising activities in schools. It could also strengthen people’s connection to their region.

    Moroccan fossil collector Mohammed Ou Said Ben Moula stands near the Fezouata Shale locality, with the sign announcing it as one of the First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites (Credit photo : A. Daley)

    What do you see as your role as a researcher in a Swiss institution?

    I’ve been invited to sit on the scientific committee for this UNESCO application. I comment on the documents, explaining the scientific importance of the site. But I’m not involved in the political decision, which is up to the region.

    My role as a foreign researcher is also liked to training early career researchers, for example in the scientific methodologies of phylogeny and taxonomy. This is not always easy. Some Moroccan students, although brilliant and motivated, do not qualify for a PhD in Switzerland, or not directly, if they come from a university that’s too technical, for example, or because we can’t get funding. Our university certainly needs to think about how it can welcome and train promising foreign candidates. 

    For my part, I support early career researchers from Morocco in their applications to federal grants, and I hope that soon I will be able to welcome doctoral students and postdocs from Morocco here in Lausanne.

    Do you need special authorization to collect and bring back samples?

    Yes, we have to announce our arrival locally and regionally. This is important for safety and transparency. During our last exploration, it was professors from Agadir who helped us with these formalities and notified the village council.

    The export of collected samples is also regulated by permits. It’s a fairly cumbersome, time-consuming procedure. But it ensures the traceability of the fossils. The Fezouata fossil collection we purchased for UNIL was exported after permits were obtained from the Ministry of Energy, Mines and the Environment of the federal government of Morocco.

    Any advice for young researchers? What do I need to do before going out in the field?

    It’s not always easy to find out what you need to do before going out into the field. Who should I contact? Who provides authorizations? Good information is essential. For this, of course, a local contact is ideal. He or she will be in a better position to know the procedures, which are not always available on the Internet.

    What do you pay attention to when preparing the site? What’s changed today in the way excavations are organized?

    When I started conducting fieldwork as a young researcher, the question of inclusion didn’t arise at all. I sometimes reported situations in which I felt uncomfortable, or even dangerous. I was then confronted with insulting reactions aimed at ridiculing me.

    These are now discussions that I consider essential and that I lead within my group. I don’t want people to find themselves in situations like mine. We attach great importance to mutual respect, so that concerns and difficulties are expressed and taken into account. We have these exchanges before going out into the field, but also in our day-to-day work. We therefore go beyond the FGSE’s recommendations, which include a pre-departure risk assessment [Directive sur la sécurité et les mesures de protection pour le travail de terrain]!

    It’s encouraging to see that these ideas are gaining in visibility, not only at palaeontology conferences, but also in scientific journals in the field. This testifies to a positive evolution in the scientific community. Discussions also address issues specific to women, such as pregnancy, to ensure participation in fieldwork without discrimination.

    Allison Daley in Morocco examining specimens from the Fezouata Shale (Photo credit : P. Gueriau).

    What are your plans for the future?

    An ambitious project that combines paleontological studies with tourism studies… There are some exciting collaborations in the pipeline, notably with a partner involved in the Geopark.

    More information

  • Investigation in Madagascar – ethnographic fieldwork in a rural landscape

    Investigation in Madagascar – ethnographic fieldwork in a rural landscape

    This series of conversations brings you the thoughts of our research community on field practice and how it is evolving. See also :

    Christian Kull, Institute of Geography and Durability

    Christian Kull is interested in environmental management in rural landscapes. He has worked in Tanzania, Kenya, India, Vietnam… But it was in Madagascar that he completed his master’s and doctorate. He fell in love with the landscapes of the country’s high plateaus, a mix of forests, terraces and small farms. He tells us how he conducts his ethnographic fieldwork.

    Christian Kull is a geographer. His work aims to shed light on the global environmental issues of our time. Environmental management is a central issue affecting human well-being, economic prosperity and sustainability. Rooted in the scientific disciplines of Political Ecology, Development Studies and Environmental Humanities, Christian Kull explores the historical, ideological and political-economic genesis of environmental problems and the conflicts that accompany them. To understand the dynamics of governance and foreign intervention, he has worked in deprived regions of the world.

    Christian Kull was president of the CER-GSE when it was launched in 2020, and helped to set it up. In this interview, he talks about his long-term work on wildfires and invasive plants.

    What partners do you work with?

    I have a particular interest in local stakeholders. I try to understand how people manage the environment around them, why they plant this or that, cut down trees, burn vegetation… And how these practices interact with national and international policy.

    So I work mainly with peasants, but also with people in the rural world – those with administrative positions, the pastor (churches play an important role here), the local school teacher – and on a more global level, with government and NGO officials, people in bilateral aid and at the university.

    Malagasy farmers explaining land use (Photo: Ch. Kull, 2006).

    How did you first come into contact with the people you want to interview?

    Now, I almost always undertake a project in partnership with the local university, in particular with their school of agronomy, forestry and environment, but also with the geography department. For my Master’s, it was totally different: I bought a plane ticket without knowing whether the professor to whom I had sent a handwritten letter had received it. As soon as I arrived, I knocked on the doors of people at the University of Antananarivo whom I knew only through their articles.

    They introduced me to a student, Arsène Rabarison, whom I then hired as a field assistant, as I didn’t speak Malagasy yet. Arsène also helped me in my learning: discovering rural life, knowing how to behave, learning about networks and how to find accommodation, etc.

    The peasants are welcoming, and in the hamlets you’ll always find someone to offer food and a place to sleep. The next day, they sometimes send a child to show you the way for a few hours.

    “In 1994, I set off with the 1969 Atlas of Madagascar. Some of the plates caught my interest: very precise field maps, 1 km by 1 km, where land use was mapped. My idea for the Master’s degree was to go and see 25 years later what had changed, and to explain these changes by talking to the people on the spot. I arrived in a village I’d chosen without knowing anyone there. But I could show them this map. Some of the elders even remembered the ‘French professor’ who had made it!”

    Do you need permission to discuss your research questions?

    I deal mainly at the local level, with the local town hall. But I also have a letter from the university. For local officials, it’s already a passport if someone in the capital has validated the project.

    When I worked at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, I had to follow a more bureaucratic ethical procedure, guided by the challenges of medical research, and aimed at avoiding past abuses towards Aborigines – who suffered from exploitative research. In Madagascar, I always managed to argue for oral consent adapted to local traditions (including formulas for thanking God…). I think the farmers appreciated this effort! For them, signing a piece of paper is rather worrying, and they don’t always read well, so oral consent is preferred.

    The ethical form advocated by my thesis university in the USA and by Australian universities was based on the premise that we alone are in a position of domination and power in relation to the locals in these exchanges. Although I have also observed that the figure of the researcher sometimes still commands too much “postcolonial” respect, I am critical of this perspective. I have chosen an oral consent procedure for pragmatic reasons, but also out of conviction. I consider that the people I interview also have a form of power, so I don’t need their signature to formalize our interaction. And I observe it too: if they don’t want to answer, they skirt around the questions with ease, they lie… I trust them! The key point before an interview is to say what I’m doing, that I’m not going to use their name and that they can choose not to answer.

    (Photo : Ch. Kull, 1998)

    How do you deal with sensitive issues that can get people into trouble?

    I’ve worked on fires, which are often illegal. But I never ask directly who started a fire. Instead, I’d say: “Did you see the day before yesterday, there was a fire up there. Why?”. And I’m never told, “I lit the fire for that reason”; but, for example, “I suspect that whoever lit it did so for that reason”.

    In my research, I move forward by piecing together observations, by triangulation, building up an argument little by little as if I were conducting an investigation. The Malagasy way of speaking is also rather indirect, so you have to know how to decode!

    How do you protect data on illegal practices, such as fire? Do you need to ensure source anonymity?

    The issues I’m working on with my partners and team are not highly sensitive, and again, the evidence is indirect since no one says “I started that fire” or “I cleared that forest illegally”.

    However, from the outset, the information gathered is separated from the real name of the source. And no file contains both elements, thus preventing cross-checking. If necessary, a correspondence file exists, but separate and password-protected (the name of the file shouldn’t be obvious about the nature of its contents either!).

    During my PhD, in my notebook, there were no real names. “Goatee” referred to someone with a small beard. I named a peasant “Ruedi”, who reminded me of my uncle of the same name…

    “The context of the interview is important: are we going to people’s homes? Is it relevant? Socially possible? Do we have their trust to do so? What do we have to give in return? Farm families often offer food. During my thesis, I decided to take a photo of the family – back in the days of 35mm film camera, when you had to go up to the city to develop the photos. It wasn’t a means of exchange, but a way of thanking them… That said, after 20 families, word got around, and when I arrived for an appointment, they’d put on their Sunday clothes. It made them really happy.” (Above: examples of family photographs to thank participants. Photo: Ch. Kull, 1998)

    What advice do you have for young researchers before they head out into the field?

    I brainstorm with them on interview guides, but the field is really a learning experience. I trust them. You have to dare to try things out, see what works and adjust if necessary.

    At Bachelor’s level, students are introduced to qualitative research and learn how to construct a survey. So they have a good grounding, and good manuals too. But it’s all theory … until you’re facing someone you want to interview!

    How do you get people to agree to talk about their practices? It’s a social process, where a smile and the way you present yourself are just as important as your knowledge of cultural codes (what’s acceptable, what’s not). Sometimes it’s explaining what you’re doing that’s decisive, sometimes it’s convincing the mayor beforehand. But fortunately, in Madagascar as elsewhere, people like to talk about their lives, as long as someone is interested.

    In the Master’s program, we also try to expose students to an “exotic” context. It has to be justified in terms of budget and climate impact, but these are essential learning moments.

    Are there any mistakes to be avoided when designing an interview?

    A subject close to my heart is that of invasive species. At the beginning, some students ask questions that already contain the answer: “What do you think of these invasive species?” If we ask the question like that, the foresters or farmers will try to please us, and say that these species “invade” them… If we ask them, “What do you think of eucalyptus, their strong and weak points?”, we’ll get other answers. Only then can we go further: “Have you heard that they are invasive? What does that mean to you?” It’s not the same conversation.

    “Here I am with farmer and shop-owner Augustin “Radatatoa”, in 2018, in Laimavo, Madagascar. He’s carrying photos taken in 1994 during my master’s work, which I mailed to him.” (Photo: Ch. Kull)

    How has your relationship with local people developed over time?

    For my PhD, I decided to spend four and a half months immersed in the culture and taking intensive Malagasy language courses. Every afternoon, I got on my bike and went to practice basic exchanges with farmers (“Do you grow rice?”). Then I lived in a village for 10 months. Staying in the field for so long allows you to learn a lot about the context in which specific issues are situated. For me, this is invaluable, and it’s the only time in a career when you have the freedom to do this. Little by little, you come to understand the networks, the stories of friendship, family, clan, religion, all those things that are so opaque at first. That’s what our students don’t always have the time to do now.

    The ethnographic approach takes time. It’s quite different from the more formalized research interactions that are now being taught more and more.

    “I work the old-fashioned way, notebook in hand. At the end of the day, I add notes, reconstruct, sort. I note down my observations, my conversations, but also all my encounters. Otherwise, two years later, I get everything mixed up, and it’s essential to remember people.”

    To go further

    Christian Kull, Institute of Geography and Durability

    Christian Kull is an expert in research on wildfires, a phenomenon that has a major impact on carbon dynamics, biodiversity and ecosystem services. As part of a SNIS project (Swiss Network for International Studies), he is currently exploring the most balanced fire management strategies to meet the needs of local communities and the challenges of climate change. With partners from Swansea University (UK), Antananarivo University (Madagascar), Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique), the South African National Parks and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Madagascar, he is targeting biodiversity hotspots in Madagascar and southern Africa.

    He has also contributed to our understanding of invasive species and plants, deforestation and reforestation, protected areas and agricultural conversion.

    Discover Christian Kull’s profile, blog and scientific publications.