September 2, 2026

One thing I’ve learned at the Museum of Life and Science is that curiosity has a funny way of leading you somewhere you never expected.

Some of you may have seen me at the Durham Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays, engaging in life and science fun with all age groups; for others, this may be your first interaction with me.

Either way, hi, nice to meet you! I’m Imani — an educator, public health student, and member of the Museum’s Education & Engagement team, where my work focuses on climate research and engagement.

Since joining the Museum almost five years ago, my own curiosity has taken me in quite a few directions. My admiration for spiders grew after my first few programs with Rosalinda the Chilean rose tarantula back in 2022, and now the Climate Research + Engagement team works alongside researchers at the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network studying the impacts of air pollution through funnel weaver spiders. Our team’s work with the Carolinas Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program has taken me all over the Carolinas, from Ocracoke to Cherokee, supporting researchers on topics such as flooding, extreme heat, and other environmental hazards. Recently, I worked with research teams and community partners in Kingstree, SC, to conduct focus groups and interviews to better understand community experiences around food security and environmental issues.

These experiences have expanded the way I think about climate work: it isn’t only about understanding what is happening to our environment, it’s also about understanding how those changes affect people, our communities, and how we feel.

This past year, that curiosity led me to the Climate Mental Health Network Gen Z cohort, where I joined a group of women navigating conversations around climate mental health. As part of my work with the cohort, I helped develop educational resources for navigating climate and mental health and had the unique opportunity to interview environmental justice leader Vernice Miller-Travis as part of the Climate Mental Health Network’s “Intergenerational Conversations” series. It was so refreshing to have a space for open, honest discussions about eco-anxiety, uncertainty, and how we can support one another through change.

Now, I have the pleasure of bringing that experience to the Museum by facilitating a Climate Café on September 10, 2026. A Climate Café offers space to talk openly about our thoughts and feelings around our changing climate. You don’t need to be a climate expert or have all the right words — come curious, come open, or simply come ready to listen.