Elizabeth "Liz" Ahearn (MA, 2015)

Liz Ahearn, an Albany area native, joined the Sierra Club as a conservationist in 2019 and continues to enjoy her time with the Atlantic Chapter team. Her background in Environmental Science from SUNY Oneonta and the Marine Conservation and Policy program at Stony Brook University has led her to be a skilled scientist. While living on Long Island, she worked with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County's Marine Program. In this role, she organized stewardship volunteer events, hosted public outreach programs, conducted coastal habitat restoration field work in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, aided in eelgrass restoration, and more. During graduate school, Liz traveled to Belize, where she conducted surveys both within and outside the boundaries of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) to examine the effects of MPA management on fish populations. She also participated in a shark mark-recapture study, which involved tagging sharks in the Reserve to examine their movements and population size.

In her current role with the Sierra Club, Liz uses her background in science and policy to advocate for the Chapter’s legislative priorities. She is especially passionate about issues dealing with biodiversity, land conservation, wildlife protection, strengthening protections for waterways, preventing deforestation, and getting toxic contaminants out of our air and water. In 2022, Liz became involved with the Chapter’s Military Outdoors Program, which aims to improve the lives of military veterans and their families through connections with the outdoors. In addition to her policy work, Liz has a knack for design. She uses her graphic design skills to create social media posts and outreach materials for the chapter, and serves as layout designer for the Sierra Atlantic newsletter. Today, Liz lives in Troy, NY and enjoys hiking, baking, and scuba diving.