Aubrey Anthony (he/him)

How are you using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities? Tell us about your EE work and impact.

I regularly attend all sorts of community events from council meetings to festivals and even farmers markets to be accessible to communities and learn about the flooding folks are seeing. While out in communities, I discuss how to best utilize the SeaRise Project—a completely free, open-source platform that turns flooding photos into publicly accessible data—to create hyper local data that they can use to have solutions-based conversations. One unique way I've been able to build community is through organizing a handful of "SeaRise Strolls," which are just guided walks through flood prone areas during flooding events such as king tides—think a bird walk, but flooding. We've been able to really build community through outreach like this, and to date, generate over 1,000 flooding observations submitted by community members! Additionally, I've worked with a variety of partners to install several art installations as a part of Blue Line Project, an effort to contextualize the relationship between sea-level rise and storm surge that has been seen by over 1,000 individuals. These installations have gone up at schools, municipal buildings, and even breweries to meet people where they are and bring climate conversations to them.

Tell us about your journey to where you are today. What inspired you? What has your path been like? 

It's pretty serendipitous honestly. I've been very fortunate to have gotten to channel my passion for the environment and talking about it since my very first job, which was at the SC Aquarium (SCA)!

My first job was as one of 10 high school interns with the education department at the SCA in the summer of 2017, during which I learned the basics of animal husbandry and environmental interpretation. When I returned to the program as a mentor to the next cohort of interns, my work with them helped me realize how I could utilize my passions for storytelling and education to build a career—leading me to get undergraduate degrees in Biology and Anthropology, as well as Linguistics and Environmental Science minors complimented by a Cultural Sustainability certificate.

Immediately after college, I worked for the South Carolina Audubon Society as a seasonal banding and outreach technician, then the SC Department of Natural Resources as their shorebird outreach coordinator. From there I found myself in my current role as the first resilience coordinator at the SC Aquarium.

How can people learn more about or support your work?

Folks can download the South Carolina Aquarium Citizen Science App and become a part of the SeaRise Project! SeaRise works anywhere in the globe and is for documenting all types of flooding. Anyone, anywhere, can turn their flooding photos into flooding data and help contribute to a more resilient future. Folks can also go to the South Carolina Aquarium website and find more information about my climate resiliency work on the Conservation page housed underneath the "Conserve" tab. There, they can find more information about my work on the Blue Line Project, a STEAM project that focuses on the relationship between sea-level rise and storm surge, as well information on the rest of the resiliency work going on at the SCA. 

A Little More About Me

What is your superpower?

I'd say my superpower is my love for storytelling. I've learned so much about the people and the world around me through stories, and a good story has proved time and time again to be one of the greatest tools I have available to me.

When are you most at peace?

I'm most at peace when I'm near a salt marsh! There's a stillness that's so full of life that leaves me in awe yet gives me the space to reflect and recharge.

Who (or what) do you look up to as inspiration?

The one person I truly admire is my partner, Caroline. She's uplifting on the tough days and honest with me when I'm not achieving my best. While it may sound a bit corny, it's a simple fact that she, more than any one I know, exemplifies what it means to truly support someone as they chase their dreams and pursue their passions.