In scientific circles, the name Mary Seely is synonymous with Gobabeb and the Namib Desert, where she led the Desert Ecological Research Unit (DERU) from 1970 to 1990 in characterising the Namib and bringing international attention to its uniqueness and remarkable biodiversity. As well as her original focus on ecology and physiology, her name can be found in papers on aspects of the Namib’s climate, geomorphology, geology, archaeology, water and more, covering the broad scope of natural resources that support our place in Namibia and on Earth. This formed the background to DERU’s metamorphosis after Namibia's independence in 1990 into the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN), with a shift in focus to connecting science with community action, and finding applications from the Namib in addressing issues such as land degradation, water resource management and renewable energy.