Annette Olson
Washington DC
Bio: I am the lucky Founder and Administrator of the Climate Steps website/blog/community/soon-to-be-nonprofit , and recently also had the pleasure of becoming a Founding Member of the Board for the upcoming climate action app, Earth Hero (www.earthhero.org). As an environmental scientist for the US. Federal government and for nonprofits for over 22 years, I am about to make a major life change and become a full-time climate activist - a little risky, but necessary. I need to bring my scientific background and communication experience to climate action. This process started 20 years ago, when I got Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Miami, FL, the pursuit of which allowed me to study the behavioral ecology of a species of mongoose in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Seeing the massive deforestation occurring in that country is what led me to work with Washington DC federal agencies and organizations, so I could focus on applying science for environmental research and action. To support that goal, I further earned an Associates in Project Management from the George Washington University School of Business. However, it became apparent that climate change is a climate crisis, and I intend to devote all my scientific and communication efforts to fighting it. I created Climate Steps in December 2016, and I love the community discussion aspects especially, as well as the research needed to provide information to help people take action. Feedback on what you would like to see within Climate Steps (website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram) is very welcome.