Scientists should not fly in and collect samples, then leave. Instead, they should treat local scientists as partners and be fair when it comes to authorship.The sacred Indigenous site Ubirr, located in Kakadu National Park (Australia). Credit: Education Images/Universal Images Group/GettyCharles Darwin, a British citizen, set sail for South America almost 200 years ago. He arrived in Brazil, then traveled through Argentina, Chile and Peru. His research led to the publication of 1859s On the Origin of Species, a book that is considered the foundation of modern biological sciences. It is not known what Darwin learned from people whose ancestors lived in the Americas for more than 2,500 years. They are not mentioned in the Origin of Species, except for a few instances where Darwin refers to Tierra del Fuego's Indigenous people as savages and barbarians.Neo-colonial, parachute or helicopter research is the practice of scientists from rich countries visiting low-income countries to collect samples and publish the results. This practice provides no benefit to the local community. This type of science wasn't just for Darwin. In the nineteenth century, Alexander von Humboldt, a German explorer, visited Venezuela, Colombia and Cuba, as well as Alfred Russel Wallace (a British naturalist who collected biological specimens from southeast Asia), did the same. Helicopter research is still a common method of science today.Born in Mexico, my first postdoctoral job was at Cinvestav, Yucatan, which is part of the National Polytechnic Institute. I have been reading papers for many years on the Yucatan rainforest, freshwater sinkholes, mangroves, and Maya ruins. Many of these papers don't include Mexican agencies or authors, and often do not acknowledge the Maya people living in the area. I was amazed to see foreign scientists arrive at our laboratory with high-tech equipment that we did not have. We took them to the field and showed them the unique ecology of mangroves. They sometimes used our laboratory to store and analyse their samples. The papers were never published. I was not asked to be a part of them.Boone Kauffman, Oregon State University Corvallis, invited me to join an international project in August 2011. He taught me how to measure carbon storage in coastal vegetation during our week-long work in mangroves. I was able to share my knowledge about the Mexican Caribbean mangroves. For example, how the rivers flow underground in this region and why 100-year-old mangroves are not taller than my knee. Kauffman requested me to be the main author of the paper because of the data that I had collected. It was an honor and a great honour. This paper2 remains my most cited and is one of the reasons that I am considered an expert in the field, almost ten years later.Low-income countries can benefit from meaningful international collaborations rather than helicopter research. Not only can they give young scientists the chance to take on global research projects, but they also have the potential to help create meaningful research that has real-world impacts. This is something I've learned throughout my career.My paper with Kauffman was published. I then worked on a project that focused on the mangroves in La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve, which is located on the border between Guatemala and Mexico. This project was a collaboration with Mexican Nature Conservation Trust, the government agency, and the reserve rangers of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas.Leonardo Castro was a local ranger who I met during the field trip. He was born and raised in the area. He was a great guide and helped me decide which sites to sample. He also explained why certain sites had taller trees and how some trees were being killed by upland erosion. I called him after I was done to share my results. He showed me how a fire that had occurred in the reserve years back could have explained my data. He was integral to the study's design and interpretation, and is a well-deserved coauthor of the paper. We are still in touch years later and continue to help one another in our conservation of mangroves in Mexico.I currently live in Australia and work for Geosciences Australia. We fly drones above wetlands to fix satellite-imagery errors. This work required me to travel to Quandamooka, Queensland, the Gwydir Wetlands, New South Wales, and Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory. Each of these locations offered me the opportunity to be accompanied by a Traditional Owner or First Nations person who shared their knowledge and helped me navigate the terrain. They explained the seasonal and decadal changes they, and their ancestors, saw in these wetlands. They also showed me the spiritual and cultural value of these wetlands. This project is currently being written. A Traditional Owner and elder from Quandamooka are included. Bininj/Mungguy women hail from Kakadu, and a Gamilaraay Traditional owner of Gwydir marshes is also included.These experiences have taught me how to create meaningful collaborations and avoid doing helicopter research.1. It is important to take the time and learn about the people who live or work at the new site before you begin a project. This could be an Indigenous group, scientist from another university or government agency, or a non-governmental organization. Before you begin your project, contact them and invite them to a meeting.2. Take the time to get to know as many people in the field as possible, even if it's just for coffee. Find out what you share in common. They might have long-term data that they would like to share, or they could offer advice on choosing the right field site.3. Offer to co-author and exchange information.4. Participate in the entire process. As soon as possible, share your data and get feedback. Do not wait for the project's completion or publication. Even if it is just a graph with some photos, send a report.5. Recognize the contributions they have made if they are willing to work together. You might not have noticed that they could have helped improve your sampling design (by choosing your field sites), or data collection (by taking your to a location, or helping to arrange entry to a farm, or protected area). Their local knowledge will prove invaluable in interpreting the results.Recognizing that knowledge can come in many forms and diversity improves research is an immediate way to end helicopter research. My knowledge of the natural environment is limited by my field work, which has taken me to many places around the globe.My conclusions may be wrong or misinformed if I don't have access to the traditional culture of local people. This knowledge can stretch back thousands of years. Working with local people isn't about charity. It's about respecting their knowledge and not following colonial science rules. It is important to ensure that research has an impact on the areas we study and is useful.
