When we feel overwhelmed and hopeless, many of us turn to our mothers or the mother figures we have in our lives for comfort and encouragement. As adults the challenges we face are much bigger than a scraped knee, with wider problems like climate change possibly luring us into despair.

Luckily, the Science Moms are here to help us understand how climate systems are changing and to fight the heavy attitudes of “climate doomerism.”

The diverse moms, who come from all over the US, are all working towards the goal of promoting solutions-based dialogue and research on climate change while fighting the stigmas that inhibit female academics and scientists. Above all, they wish to equip other mothers with the information they need to educate themselves and their own children about how they can help conserve the planet.

One member of the Science Moms is Joellen Russell, a climate researcher from the University of Arizona, who throughout her career has broadened her understanding of resilience from something that only applies to the individual, to something that is a truly collective force. Her journey to this understanding reflects humanity’s realization that distinct people, groups, and societies worldwide must share wisdom and combine forces if we want to stand a chance against climate change.

“I finally found my united voice,” says Dr. Russell. “It turns out that my students and my community members and my kids’ classroom teachers and all the rest of them were waiting for me to shake off the shackles of ‘just the science’ and talk to them about the values part. And I am thrilled.”