Dr. Maren Leyla Cooke

My blogs

Gender	Female
Industry	Education
Occupation	Independent environmental educator, urban microfarmer
Location	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Introduction	Maren Cooke is a planetary scientist by training, but now concentrates on environmental education and activism on climate, air quality, plastics, food, and justice. She serves on the board of GASP, 350 Pittsburgh, PASUP, and ReImagine Food Systems, and works closely with other organizations including CCL, Climate Reality Leadership Corps, Sierra Club, Grow Pgh, Transition Pgh, CMU’s Institute for Green Science, and the City of Pittsburgh. She volunteers as an Urban Ecosteward, a Tree Tender, and a Master Gardener, and co-founded a nature education program and a school garden at a local K-8. She has helped create science curricula and train teachers, and has taught physics, astronomy, environmental science, and permaculture to people of all ages. She has operated an urban microfarm, supplying organic produce to a local restaurant and a food pantry and garden plants to the surrounding community, and has been rebuilding her family’s home as a demonstration site for green building and green living. Maren also organizes and hosts Sustainability Salons, a monthly environmental education forum and community gathering now eleven years running.