Kumbirai Karen Chiro grew up in Nyanga, a small, resort town in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. The eastern highland is characterised by rolling hills and towering mountains endowed with various endemic species of flora and fauna. It was this environment that instilled a sense of adventure in Kumbirai. Growing up, her activities involved hiking and walking in the bush, looking for wild berries and fruits. Kumbirai knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue a career that involved interacting with nature.

After completing high school, Kumbirai obtained a BSc in Ecology at the University of Zimbabwe during which she encountered and fell in love with ornithology. This passion was cemented when she interned at Birdlife Zimbabwe during her third year, and it led to her completing a thesis titled, "Bird species composition and diversity in wetland areas with different characteristics and disturbance levels.”

Kumbirai is very passionate about research and was a part of the prominent Tropical Biology Association field course where she was taught current concepts and techniques in ecology, conservation biology, experimental design, and sampling methods. After completion of the training, she used the knowledge and skills she had garnered to spearhead research into Black Storks, funded by the African Bird Club. Working together with the community in a Ramsar site, her work involved estimating the population size and distribution of the Secretarybird. Kumbirai has also carried out research on Wattled and Grey Crowned Cranes and has been involved in various field surveys and community engagement activities to raise awareness of the importance of birds to the ecosystem.

The desire to become one of the first female ornithologists in Zimbabwe inspired Kumbirai to take up the MSc in Conservation Biology. She hopes to inspire young girls in Zimbabwe to consider ornithology as a career option and to help towards conserving bird species in Zimbabwe.