Joan Tremblay

Fulbright-University of Glasgow Award

Joan Tremblay has two lifelong interests: animals and stories. She values her connections to other living beings, and imaginatively exploring the worlds of others through literature. Joan has pursued these interests in two fields, graduating from the University of Connecticut with dual bachelor’s in English and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. But her proudest efforts – including volunteering at a natural science center, conducting wildlife surveys in her Connecticut hometown and sharing her thesis on the effect of Covid-19 lockdowns on carnivorans in the eastern U.S. – have all involved helping people to connect with and care about wildlife around them.  

Joan is thrilled to pursue both interests simultaneously at the University of Glasgow. The Fulbright will allow her to compare U.S. and U.K. conservation efforts and explore influences of folkloric traditions on conservation approaches. She is particularly interested in relationships between humans and nature in Scottish folklore, and how stories can connect people with their immediate ecosystems. Joan hopes the insights she gains will help build greater awareness of and support for wildlife among Americans. While in the U.K., Joan will volunteer with conservation organizations and personally connect with Scottish natural landscapes. She especially hopes to catch a glimpse of Nessie, or at the very least, a European badger.