Reflection

I chose Carlee Jackson as my Climate Hero because she is a shark scientist. I am personally very interested in biology, and I hope that by illustrating her life, I will be able to bring attention to this often neglected branch of science and the contributions it has had towards resolving climate issues. I presented her story in the form of a poetic ballad as this is the traditional form of poetry to celebrate heroic acts. John Keats’ famous ballad, “La belle dame sans merci” was a major source of inspiration for me in learning the ballad form and creating imagery in my poem. In this way, I hoped to give my readers a brief sketch of Carlee Jackson’s life and immortalize her great deeds, such as her creation of a minority protection group (M.I.S.S., Minorities in the Shark Sciences) and writing of a book clearing the legacy of sharks. She is a marine biologist most people simply don’t know about – an unsung hero – who is making great strides in her subject of interest to better understand how human activities are impacting sharks. Learning about her has personally got me excited and more confident in my ability to do something about solving the world’s ecological and climate issues.