Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Joins The Nature Conservancy for Nature Talks
Where Science, Storytelling and the Future of Our Oceans Meet
Nature Talks is The Nature Conservancy in CT’s signature event. We host externally recognized leaders along with TNC leadership on a topic relevant to our work.
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson joined The Nature Conservancy for “Nature Talks: The Ocean’s Future is Our Future,” a public conversation with Sally McGee of TNC’s Global Aquaculture Program. Held on September 25 at the historic Branford House on UConn’s Avery Point campus in Groton, the event was moderated by NBC Connecticut meteorologist Rachael Jay.
About the Speakers
A scientist, policy expert, writer and teacher, Dr. Johnson co-founded and leads the non-profit Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities. She is the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College, and her latest book, “What If We Get it Right?: Visions of Climate Futures,” was released on September 17.
As she works to help create the best possible climate future, Johnson also co-edited the bestselling anthology All We Can Save, co-created and co-hosted the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet and co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. She has also been interviewed about this topic by The New York Times and Science Friday. Johnson serves on the board of directors for Patagonia and GreenWave and on the advisory board of Environmental Voter Project. Above all, she is in love with climate solutions.
McGee’s areas of work include the Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition, Sustaining Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR) and seaweed aquaculture in Chile. Previously, she served as TNC’s Northeast Marine Program director and held a 100-ton U.S. Coast Guard license that she used in the North Atlantic, Caribbean and North and South Pacific oceans. She also developed, owned and operated an oyster farm, Sixpenny Oysters, in Noank and worked in the U.S. House of Representatives on natural resource, climate and agriculture issues.
Moderator
Meteorologist Rachael Jay wears many hats. She is a scientist, content creator, communicator and STEM advocate. She was a meteorologist with NBC Connecticut and a broadcast meteorologist for most of the last decade. A graduate of Penn State University’s meteorology program, she also volunteers with the American Meteorological Society (AMS) as a member of the Board for Early Career Professionals. Her work in the digital and social media space led her to be hand-picked by the AMS to join the Board for Digital Meteorologists. Jay hopes that her work on-air and online will help to make science more accessible and enjoyable to those who may come across it—and spark or even reignite an interest in science for a wider audience.
About the Event
Along the beautiful and poignant backdrop of the Connecticut coastline, Johnson, McGee and event participants explored our relationship with the ocean. People have an enormous impact on our oceans. However, oceans affect people as well, often much more than we realize. Connecticut’s own coastline bears witness to this day in and day out, especially in under-resourced communities, far beyond video footage of flooding that flows through our newsfeeds.
Throughout the evening, the discussion centered on some of the most pressing questions facing coastal regions today: How can environmental justice efforts better support communities living beside a changing ocean? In what ways are local economies tied to ocean health? And how do we navigate climate exhaustion when the challenges can feel overwhelming? The program encouraged attendees to imagine a different future—one where oceans and people can thrive together—and to consider what it will take to bring that future into focus.
The setting itself underscored the themes of the night. The University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus is rich with maritime history, and the Branford House—its 19th‑century, mansion‑inspired landmark—sits on a broad lawn overlooking the water and the Avery Point lighthouse. It offered a fitting backdrop for a conversation about the forces that shape our coasts, our communities, and our shared future with the ocean.
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