Mary O’Brien

Scientist, activist, stakeholder member of Monroe Mountain Working Group, executive director of Project Eleven Hundred

Castle Valley, UT

9/16/22-9/28/22

Nestled on Mary O’Brien’s five-acre-plot in Castle Valley, Utah, Westies sit criss-cross applesauce in front of their assigned species, studying every minute detail about their plant. Our very first assignment from Mary is to get close and personal with a species of our choice on Mary’s property. Simply put, Mary wants us to understand the intrinsic value of all species.

In 1993, Mary O’Brien wrote in The Professional Biologist: “Once you’re a scientist, which means as soon as you systematically ask questions about the universe, you take a political side.” The article, titled Being a scientist means taking sides, reflects perfectly who Mary is—a scientist, a public advocate, and a fierce defender for the environment. A sociology major turned doctorate in pollination biology, Mary sits at the intersection of biology and politics. She is not afraid of taking sides. After teaching public-interest science and environmental advocacy, Mary spent decades working with conservation organizations. She is now the executive director for Project Eleven Hundred, a nonprofit aimed at protecting bees and native plants on the Colorado plateau.

After a brief stay in Castle Valley, Westies travel with Mary to Monroe Mountain to collect data on aspen growth after prescribed fire and mechanical thinning treatments. Mary is adamant about the tremendous negative impacts cattle grazing has on ecological health, especially after severe disturbances to the landscape. Empowered by her scientific training, Mary comments on many environmental assessments with the data collected by herself. Her passion and determination in the pursuit of a better future for the natural world inspire us all to become more informed and involved citizens of planet earth.

By Jake Wang