Sabrina Träger

#Conservation #PlantEnvironmentInteraction #PlantGenetics

1. Tell us about your background and why you joined the BES.

I specialize in plant ecology in grassland habitats. I did my PhD in Canada, working on root ecology with study sites in Sweden. Currently, I am a postdoc focusing on landscape genetic analyses, in Estonia. The BES allows me to stay connected with the European ecological community.

2. What inspires you most about ecology?

I am fascinated by the complexity of interactions between organisms, specifically plants and their environment. The fact that those interactions act on different scales, from molecular to global, makes ecology even more inspiring to me.

3. What experience do you consider to be the most significant in your career or studies to date?

Having had the opportunity to study and work in different places and environments, Asia, Europe and North America, did not only allow me to get to know interesting people and their work but also taught me to value the possibilities, knowledge, and abilities I have.

4. What advice would you give your younger self?

Be open to different ideas, concepts, cultures, and people. Stay as focused as you are but don’t be afraid of detours as they are valuable and can be helpful in discovering what you really want and often widen the view on other aspects that you didn’t consider before.

5. What is your favourite organism and why?

I don’t have a single favourite organism. However, I am particularly interested in plants since they seem inactive but have the same levels of interactions like animals, including movement or communication between individuals. In addition, plants are the vital beginning of the food chain.