This podcast forms part of a series in which we introduce members of the iLEAPS Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) and also the Early Career Scientist Network (ECSN) Committee and forms part of the iLEAPS Online conference during March 2021. During this podcast we talk to Dr Stefan Wolff who is a research scientists at the Max Planck institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany and the Atmospheric Tall Tower Observatory  (ATTO) in the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. Stefan discusses his career path so far as an early career scientists and explains more about his work at ATTO on work relating to quantifying atmospheric compounds over the rainforest and looking at biosphere-atmosphere processes. Stefan passes on useful advice to early career scientists. He also talks about LAECESS an early careers scientist network in South America.

Laura Azandi is a PhD researcher at the university of University of Yaoundé, Cameroon and Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.  Laura's research is on understanding the taxonomy, ecology and reproductive biology of orchids (Genus: Cyrtorchis) from the tropical region of Central Africa to enable the development of a future conservation strategy.  During this podcast we hear where Laura's passion for botany originated and we talk about some of the highs and lows of academia.  This podcast is for all the aspiring future botanists out there.

Buster Mogonong is an Ecologist based in South Africa; working under the internship programme offered by the Expanded Freshwater and Terrestrial Environmental Observation Network (EFTEON) which is hosted by SAEON South African  Environmental Observation Network. Buster's work is to conduct field surveys of the vegetation at the Benfontein nature reserve (in the Northern Cape, roughly 430km from Johannesburg) that lay within the footprint of the EFTEON Flux towers. This area is where two different biomes meet, the Nama-Karoo, and a grassy and Kalahari thornveld savannah.  Buster describes the background to the EFTEON project and his field site, the place where he will be conducting repeat vegetation surveys on 1 hectare measurement plots following the Socio-Ecological Observatory for Southern African Woodlands (SEOSAW) protocol. Buster's work on this site is just beginning and he is open to future discussions with researchers as his work progresses. In addition, Buster gives good advice about the importance of being part of a network as an early career scientist.

Emeka is a self-funded PhD student and research focuses on the novel generation of carbonaceous aerosols using laser ablation techniques. Previously he has studied the spatial distribution of NO2 concentrations in the south eastern region of Nigeria too. During this podcast Emeka discusses the work he is doing and what aspect he enjoys most about his work. He also highlights some of the very real and difficult challenges that can be faced by PhD students. However, the determination, strength and passion of Emeka for his research field is clear during this podcast and he gives good advice for any future early career scientists. 

Yves is a final year PhD student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Pan African University. His research has focused on finding natural alternatives to the use of fertilizers for the vegetative propagation of tree species, Prunus africana. Yves looked at the effect of Indigenous and Introduced Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Growth and Phytochemical of the tree.  During this podcast Yves tells us about his research and gives good advice for early career researchers about how to build your research skills and to keep positive. There is also a great reminder during this podcast that we should focus on our lives outside of our studies just as much too! This podcast is inspiring for future plant ecologists and shows how some of the problems in biosphere-atmosphere research can sometimes be solved by looking underground.