Part 2 of our conversation with Jean Shin, AIRIE.Foundation January 2026 Fellow.

In this interview, Jean reflects on what drew her to the Everglades and how encountering a radically different ecosystem has shaped her experience on the ground. Coming from landscapes defined by mountains and dense forests, she describes the Everglades as unfamiliar, flat, and constantly shifting, a place where change happens quickly and vulnerability is visible in inches.

As Jean observes ancient limestone, migrating birds, and species she has never encountered before, she is drawn not only to stories of struggle and survival, but to resilience. The Everglades becomes a living case study. Under immense pressure, what does it look like for ecosystems and communities to adapt, persist, and sometimes thrive?