Dr. Fern Wickson is an Australian citizen who has been living and working in Norway for 15 years.

With a PhD across natural and social sciences and a keen interest in how we think about, talk about, and enact the relationship between humanity and nature, Fern identifies as a transdisciplinary ecologist. Her work aims to advance sustainable and resilient futures for the whole community of life on Earth through understanding and facilitating interactions between science, ethics, and politics in environmental conservation and management.

Fern is currently the Scientific Secretary of NAMMCO (the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission) - an intergovernmental organization that provides advice on the conservation and management of whales and seals. Previously, she has worked as a Research Professor of environmental governance, leading a group on the sustainable and responsible development of emerging technologies (i.e., biotechnologies and nanotechnologies).

As a Lead Facilitator for Homeward Bound, a global leadership initiative for women in STEMM, Fern has participated in the largest all-female expedition to Antarctica, twice. She is also a yoga and meditation teacher running her own studio, The Peaceful Wild, in northern Norway.

When she is not working, Fern enjoys hiking, snowboarding, kayaking, reading, and hanging out with her pets.

You can find more information about Fern here: https://www.fernwickson.com/ And more about Homeward Bound here: https://homewardboundprojects.com.au/

Fuel that Fire!

Angie Cibis is a 41-year-old freelance graphic designer living in Los Angeles with her husband and rescue pup. A dedicated urbanite despite (or maybe because of) growing up in rural IL, she lives in the middle of Los Angeles by way of Chicago. She has a BA in Graphic Design and a MA in Psychology and credits being childfree for making it simpler to start her own business, be an activist, and travel internationally. And while Angie's gotten plenty of negative comments about being childfree, she's ever-grateful for a life not defined by parenthood.

You can get in touch with Angie here:

Fuel that Fire!

Nirupama grew up in India and lived there until last year when she moved to the UK. She has been a content writer by profession in the past, but this last year has made her slow down and realize that her interests lie somewhere else, mainly in writing and in learning new languages.

She’s happily married for 9 years to a person she fell in love with 10 years ago. While they never sat down and decided to talk about children, the decision to be childfree was smooth and organic for the both of us. They love being with each other and don’t feel ‘incomplete’ without children.

It wasn’t until a friend recently called her courageous and brave that she realized the decision to be childfree requires strength. Because she is choosing to stand up for herself, to question societal norms. She wishes everybody would prioritize themselves over anything else, especially when it comes to big life decisions.

You can find Nirupama’s pieces on Medium here: https://nirupama-kondayya.medium.com/

And on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niruvaana/

Fuel that Fire!