Women of the Arctic Council: Heïdi Sevestre

How did you get into your field of work?

I was born in a small village in the French Alps, and if you were to climb the mountain behind the village, you could see all the glaciers of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc area. I thought, wow, I really want to go there and explore! So, my parents signed me up for the local climbing club and during one of these hikes, the mountain guide said to me, “don't you know, you could be paid to study this environment?” I was 16 at the time, and that's when I got the idea to become a glaciologist.

At the time, I was interested in studying glaciers because it was my excuse to spend time in these mountains, and I had no clue about all the implications. That came soon after realizing how important these ecosystems actually are, not only in understanding climate change better, but also in catalyzing climate change.

What drives your professional development and your career?

I fell in love with these ecosystems when I was really young, and seeing them change so rapidly simply breaks my heart. I feel that we have a responsibility towards future generations to try to preserve these environments so that they can enjoy them and be mesmerized by them as much as I am.

Quite early on in my career I realized that, in order to make sure our science has the impact it deserves, we have to communicate it. We really need to be proactive in the way we share science. It was during my PhD on Svalbard that I started speaking to journalists and meeting with heads of states and other VIPs who visited the University Sentre in Svalbard. That's when I really understood that we need to go beyond reports and publications to make sure people felt connected with what we're talking about. And we need to help them understand that it’s not just down to the scientists, we need the policy makers, the media, the general public and the big corporations to really understand what's happening and act upon it.

Can you pinpoint a pivotal point in your career or life that has led you to where you are today?

I think the one moment that really shook me was when I put together a small expedition called Climate Sentinels. It was back in 2021, and it was an all-female research expedition in Svalbard.

In the first two weeks of that expedition, we experienced so many storms, I mean cyclone after cyclone. We had winds up to160 kilometers per hour. And this was a low carbon expedition, so we were basically skiing and camping the whole time. You feel so vulnerable when you find yourself out in the open and your team back home is sending you text messages telling you that if you don’t find another solution, your tent is going to fly away whether you’re in it or not. We ended up digging tunnels and burying ourselves. We spent days in these tunnels waiting for one of these cyclones to finish. And I just remember being so distressed for my team's life and my own life. And even though I had already spent many years in the region, that was the moment I fully realized what climate change meant for the Arctic and how violent and deadly things can actually be.

When you feel this at your core, it changes everything. I think this is what we’re missing with policy makers – because sure they know the numbers, but do they really feel it? I’m not sure. That only confirmed the need to continue doing the best possible science, and also the need to firmly communicate that when things are out of balance in the Arctic, it can really destroy everything.

What are some skills, traits or values you strive to bring to the workplace?

1. Empathy – for me, caring for people is the most important thing.
2. Being hopeful, even if it’s difficult.
3. Energy and creativity – instead of spending a lot of time thinking about problems, we really need to put energy into finding solutions.

What do you think are current challenges and opportunities for women in your career path?

It’s interesting, because I was teaching two weeks ago, and 95 percent of my class were girls. I mean, this is certainly a change from when I was a student.

I think the notion of mentorship and role models is very important. We need to stick together and help each other out. I certainly got a huge amount of help from other glaciologists when I was a young student.

I think it's important to show that women totally belong in field of glaciology. An explorer called Felicity Aston once said that she’s seen male scientists being totally emotional in the field, while female scientists have shown absolutely no emotion to break the stereotypes. In our field, what we really need right now is diversity. We need creativity. We need to get out of our silos. When you look at IPCC reports, for example, a third of the authors are women scientists. So, we need to help each other out. We need to create these opportunities for women, and we need to show that we belong there.

Do you have a piece of advice for young women who are interested in pursuing a career in your field?

Follow your passion, and, most importantly, reach out to people. Just this very morning, I had a call with this young student in France who was asking me questions about her choice of studies and career. All these important life decisions can be really scary. So please, do reach out, ask people about their own journeys. I think it's the most important thing, because you're not alone in this.

I’m so grateful for the mentorship and support I received during my early career and years of my studies. Now it's time to give back and help the younger generations to make the right choices. So, follow your passion, believe in yourself and reach out to people. It’s super important.