Farrar Ransom is a recent graduate of Dartmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. They are currently working as the Seasonal Administration and Operations Assistant at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), after serving as a seasonal field technician. As an ecologist, Farrar is especially passionate about the roles fungi and insects play within ecosystems and how these often-overlooked organisms connect to broader ecological processes.
Farrar is committed to encouraging less experienced scientists, particularly those early in their journeys, to pursue their curiosity and growth in science, wherever that path may lead. They deeply believe that science communication is not just valuable but vital, and that every scientist should nurture this skill throughout their career.
For their outreach project, Farrar created a physical zine exploring the connections between ecology and contra dancing, a traditional New England folk practice. Inspired by the joy and hope they feel when dancing in community, especially during challenging times for both climate and science, Farrar used this creative medium to draw parallels between ecological systems and the rhythms of communal dance. Their zine invites readers to consider how everyone can be a scientist by observing and engaging with the natural world, to reflect on the interconnectedness of humans and nature, and to recognize the strength found in community. At its heart, the project offers a hopeful message: that together, we can navigate whatever futures lie ahead.
Farrar first shared their zine at the Montpelier community contra dances and included a printable version with folding instructions from the Dartmouth Book Arts Workshop so others could create their own copies. They plan to continue distributing the zine at the contra dances they are organizing at RMBL.
