Youth Representative: Ainsley Morrison

Ainsley Morrison describes herself as a connector. “What I bring to the table is my ability to connect people in the climate movement and bridge the gaps between environmental science, policy, and the people affected by climate change.”  

Morrison’s upbringing in Orono and Kennebunk laid the foundation for how she approaches her work today. “Orono is a small town, and I learned there how essential community building is.” Moving to Kennebunk and seeing how town members rallied for local natural resource protection, she knew that strong communities must be at the forefront of action. 

Morrison dove deeper into environmental science through a Gulf of Maine field studies class in high school, where she was connected with The Climate Initiative – a Maine-based non-profit that engages youth in climate action on a local and global scale. Now, Morrison studies environmental studies and psychology at Bowdoin College and serves as a Youth Representative for the Community Resilience Working Group of the Maine Climate Council. 

In this role, Morrison advocates for members of the public to be more involved with policymaking. “Policy should serve the people it is made for, which is why we need to involve voices from the public; those who may not work on climate issues professionally but have their own stories to contribute.” She believes in the importance of inclusivity when addressing the climate crisis, especially from older and younger generations. 

“For youth: you don’t have to be the smartest person in the room to be included in the conversation, you just have to be willing to share your experience. As for the older generations, we need your wisdom and knowledge about the way the world used to be. Action has to come from the ones who have experienced the most change, not just the ones who are inheriting the future.”  

What gives Morrison hope? She believes that one of Maine’s strongest assets in this fight is that so many people are already deeply connected to nature. As more people get involved in climate issues, Morrison hopes to see community networks growing stronger, making them more resilient, and better able to rise to the challenge of mitigating climate change.