Staff Spotlight: Meet Garrett

Garrett Johnson

Hello! I am having so much fun with the team here at the Nature Center and have enjoyed getting to know the community surrounding this special place. My family just moved here in June for my wife’s work, and I couldn’t imagine a better place to work after spending 3 years as a stay-at-home parent.

My excitement for science education began during my college years at the University of Wisconsin – Madison where I worked for 6 years at the UW Geology Museum as a tour guide, administrator, and scientist. I loved sharing my passion for paleontology and geology with school groups, and it also provided me with an opportunity to discover a new dinosaur during a field expedition!

During this time, I finished my degrees in Evolutionary Biology and earned my Master’s in Public Affairs. I then moved to Chicago to join the John G. Shedd Aquarium where I continued my work engaging students with science; this time focusing on invasive species, landscape ecology, and plastic pollution. I managed the Conservation program and utilized my degree in Public Affairs to get the Aquarium involved with political advocacy and policy development. I love having conversations, and the Shedd Aquarium provided me with a wonderful opportunity to talk with, and learn from, diverse people and groups on a wide variety of topics.

I am so incredibly excited to continue our work at the Johnson Nature Center. This forest is a special place, and you can see it on the children’s faces as they walk down the trails. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to explore the natural world with them and, if I’m lucky, spark an interest in something new.

If you see me, come say hi and let’s have a conversation!