About
Kaleena Davis is an American scientist and storyteller born in central Illinois in 2001. She attended high school in a small town called Monticello, and it was here that her love for nature was born. Each summer she went to and eventually worked for 4-H Memorial Camp at Allerton Park. She attended for eight years as a camper before returning to work as a counselor and recreation director. She passed the time exploring, teaching kids about the outdoors, and facilitating games and other recreational activities. It was here too that she began storytelling. She fell in love with the fun and creativity involved in weaving stories about history and the natural world to get kids excited about nature.
After graduating high school, Kaleena attended and received a B.Sc. in Biology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. During college she researched the symbiotic relationship between a bacterium and a social amoeba to investigate the possibility of using bacteriophages (viruses) to cure the bacterial infections of amoebas. This research contributed to the search for alternatives to antibiotics for treating bacterial infections. Kaleena also acted as president for the SIUE Honeybee Association where she organized and participated in beekeeping and outreach events to educate the local community about pollinator conservation and beekeeping practices.
Growing up, Kaleena also spent a lot of time on the water, both in lakes and the ocean. After her family moved to Florida, she spent a lot of time surfing and kayaking through estuaries. The new house was situated on the intercoastal waterway and has provided numerous opportunities to enjoy passing wildlife such as dolphin, manatees, and sea turtles. In the summer of 2021, Kaleena was accepted to an REU with Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience located close to her home. Here she studied the regeneration of a marine invertebrates and grew an even deeper appreciation for conservation and restoration, especially that of marine ecosystems.
Throughout her science career, Kaleena noticed a struggle to communicate science in a way that is both understandable and engaging. Inspired by visual storytellers and writers such as Cristina Mittermier and Paul Nicklen of Sea Legacy or Carlton Ward of Wild Path, she began seeking alternative methods to not only bring attention to important issues and scientific discoveries, but inspire others to appreciate and care for our planet.
At 21, she got her first DSLR camera, and since then has been using it to bring attention to the natural world, share the stories of others, and give recognition to individuals and organizations that are doing good for our planet.