LOVE FOR NATURE: Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

 

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson fell in love with the ocean when she was just five years old. On a family trip to Key West, she peered through the glass bottom of a boat and saw a coral reef for the first time. Later, she held a sea urchin in her hands  and that small moment of wonder grew into a lifelong passion for the sea.

That passion carried her through years of study. She earned a degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard, then went on to complete a Ph.D. in Marine Biology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Today, she shares her knowledge and vision as the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College.

But Dr. Johnson is more than a scientist. She is also a builder of solutions. She co-founded Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank creating fair climate policies for coastal cities. She helped lead the Blue Halo Initiative in Barbuda, which became the first island-wide ocean zoning project in the Caribbean, setting a model for marine conservation. She also co-authored the Blue New Deal, a plan that places ocean health at the heart of climate action.

She tells stories, too. Dr. Johnson co-edited All We Can Save, a powerful anthology that uplifts women’s voices in the climate movement. She wrote What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures, a hopeful collection of essays, poetry, and ideas about the world we can build. And through the podcast How to Save a Planet, she invited people everywhere into honest and inspiring conversations about real climate solutions.

What makes her work stand out is her humanity. She believes climate action must include everyone’s voices and experiences. She reminds us that each of us has unique skills to bring to the table, whether through creativity, community, or care. At the core of her message is biophilia, the love of nature. For Dr. Johnson, caring for the Earth is not just about saving the planet, it’s also about protecting what makes us fully human: our wonder, our joy, and our connection to life.

✨ At Ecofem Tales, we celebrate leaders like Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson because they show us that climate action can be practical, creative, and deeply hopeful. Her story is a reminder that big change often begins with small moments of wonder and that each of us has a role to play in writing a better future. 🌊💚

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