Melanie Gárate

Melanie Gárate is a Senior Associate at the Consensus Building Institute since May 2023, previously serving as the Director of Climate Engagement at Stone Living Lab from August 2022 to April 2023. Gárate has held multiple roles at the Mystic River Watershed Association, including Climate Resiliency Manager and Climate Resiliency Project Manager from October 2019 to July 2022. Earlier experience includes serving as the Coastal Waterbird Education Specialist at Mass Audubon and Visitor Education Specialist at the New England Aquarium in 2017. Gárate was also an NSF Graduate Research Fellow with the National Science Foundation from 2014 to 2016, focusing on greenhouse gas emissions in tropical mangroves in Puerto Rico. Additional research experience includes roles at Harvard University and UMass Boston. Gárate holds a Master of Science in Biological Sciences with a focus on Marine Ecology and Climate Change from the University of Rhode Island and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences from UMass Boston.