Lydia Jennings facts for kids

Lydia L. Jennings is a Native American scientist who studies soil and the environment. She is an expert in soil health and how to clean up polluted areas. Her work also focuses on using indigenous science and making sure Native American communities have a say in environmental decisions.

Dr. Jennings helps groups that support Indigenous geoscientists. She also works to combine modern earth science with traditional Indigenous knowledge. Her amazing work was shown in a 2020 documentary called Run to Be Visible, made by Patagonia.

Early Life and Education

Lydia Jennings grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is a proud member of two Indigenous tribes: the Huichol (Wixáritari) and Pascua Yaqui (Yoeme).

She started her science journey at Cabrillo College, earning a degree in biology. Then, she went to California State University, Monterey Bay. There, she got a bachelor's degree in environmental science, technology, and policy. She also studied chemistry.

In 2020, Dr. Jennings earned her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. Her main research looked at tiny living things in the soil. She studied how these microbes could help clean up land damaged by mining. She also learned about the laws regarding mining on federal lands that are important to tribal nations.

Researching Our Planet

Dr. Jennings's research mainly focuses on how pollution moves in the environment. She also studies how to clean up pollution using natural methods, called bioremediation. A big part of her work is about environmental justice. This means making sure all communities, especially those often overlooked, have a healthy environment.

Before graduate school, Dr. Jennings worked for a few years. She studied water pollution at a field station in Big Sur, California. This experience made her want to use her science skills to help her own communities. She especially wanted to tackle environmental problems caused by mining.

Her current work helps make mining cleanup more effective and affordable. She looks for signs in the soil that show if a cleanup is working well. She also studies how laws have placed many mines on or near tribal lands.

Dr. Jennings has been part of the Indigenous Food Knowledges Network. In 2019, she visited the Chickaloon Village in Alaska. There, she learned about their traditional food and land systems. She says the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) helped her a lot. It taught her how to do research and how to respect Indigenous knowledge and data. This helped her connect earth science with cultural identity.

Dr. Jennings shares her research at international conferences. She talks about how soil parts help plants grow on reclaimed mine sites. She also speaks about Indigenous data governance. This means Indigenous communities controlling their own information. She uses her voice to show that Indigenous scientists are not just subjects of study. They are also leaders in scientific practices, using their cultural and environmental knowledge.

In May 2020, her graduation ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, Dr. Jennings decided to run 50 miles. She did this to honor the Indigenous scientists and knowledge keepers who came before her. Her run was filmed and turned into a 19-minute documentary. It's called Run to Be Visible and is available on Patagonia's YouTube channel.

Dr. Jennings often has a special helper in her fieldwork. It's her blue heeler dog named Salchicha, whom she adopted in 2019.

Awards and Honors

Dr. Jennings has received many important awards and honors, including:

• 2015 - National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow
• 2018 - American Indian Science & Engineering Society's Rising Leader Award
• 2019 - American Geophysical Union Voices for Science Fellow
• 2019 - Native Nations Institute Indigenous Data Sovereignty Fellow
• 2019 - Southwest Climate Adaptation Natural Resources Workforce Fellow