Ambika is trained as an evolutionary biologist and was an academic until 2023. Her research focused on the evolution of animal behavior; she mostly studied lizards. Her first book, coauthored with Melina Packer, is called Feminism in the Wild: How Human Biases Shape Our Understanding of Animal Behavior, and is an exploration of how we can transform the science of animal behavior when we embrace the fact that scientists are people and science is a human endeavor.
Despite her science-y past, Ambika has long thought of herself less as a scientist and more as a writer. She’s not sure what she wants to write next, but is actively looking for her next non-fiction project (and might try her hand at poems and stories for fun!).
In what ways does nature inspire or inform your work?
Nature, and animal behavior in particular, is the focal point of my work as a scientist and writer. I find the variability of animal behavior endlessly inspiring, sparking our imaginations as to the kinds of relationships that living beings can inhabit. Equally, animal behavior keeps me honest, reminding me that lived realities and evolved histories cannot be ignored, and instead must be worked with and within. In other words, nature embodies the tension between possibility and constraint, and my work lives in this tension.
What does it mean to you to be part of a thriving ecosystem?
It means offering oneself up to inter-reliance, both giving and receiving, each of which are deeply vulnerable acts. It means a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts. It means losing control while gaining resilience in the face of unpredictability.
