The technical and research staff of the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) is once again participating in the celebration of February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, with active involvement from its staff.

Vanessa Céspedes and Martina Ferraguti have been involved in coordinating the 11 February initiative for several years. This initiative celebrates its tenth year working alongside the scientific and educational community to encourage scientific vocations and address the gender gap in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), where women remain underrepresented.

For this tenth edition, more than 300 events have been organized across Spain throughout February, with approximately 75% taking place in educational centers. Programs such as #EnClase11F highlight the importance of the classroom as a key space for bringing female science role models closer to students and promoting more equal education from an early age. These efforts are complemented by #Centros11F, centers that organize internal activities around this celebration, contributing approximately 50 events in total. In addition to schools, more than 50 non-educational institutions are participating this year with special efforts, organizing #Actividades11F such as scavenger hunts, exhibitions, talks, workshops, or documentary screenings, open to diverse audiences.

Beyond coordination, several researchers and technicians from the Doñana Biological Station will take part in outreach activities aimed at the educational community. Gaia Mora, Julia González, and María José Navarro will give talks next week at various schools, sharing their professional experiences and bringing scientific research closer to students at different educational stages, fostering female role models in STEM.

Inés Sánchez-Donoso will also be one of the protagonists in the “Ask a Scientist” activity, organized by the Casa de la Ciencia in Seville. This initiative seeks to promote the visibility of women in research and provide female role models for younger generations. During the event, four researchers will show how science helps us understand the world, highlighting the discoveries they have contributed to and the research they are currently developing. Children aged 8 to 10 will have the chance to learn firsthand about their work and daily routines.

Another activity, “Ecosystems at Play: The Complex Balance of the Ocean,” organized by researchers Letizia Campioni, Isabel Afán, Catarina Lopes, and Manuela G. Forero, will help students understand how seabirds live, what their main threats are, and how researchers study them through various interactive games.