Maura Monagan

Growing up in Los Angeles, Maura developed a deep appreciation for local waterways through bike rides along Ballona Creek and beach cleanups at Ocean Park – a connection that now comes full circle in her work to safeguard and reimagine the region’s water systems. At LA Waterkeeper, she works to advance equitable and sustainable local water supply for Southern California by strengthening community engagement in public processes and building partnerships with agencies such as the Metropolitan Water District. Her approach is guided by environmental justice, climate storytelling, and community-driven climate resilience.  

She holds an MPhil in Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge, where she researched sociocultural considerations of managed retreat and just transitions for climate displaced Indigenous communities. Her work also extended into science communication as copyeditor for Climate Policy Journal, an interdisciplinary peer-reviewed publication in the UK. Earlier experience in climate and development with the School for Field Studies in Cambodia, and in place-based advocacy with NRDC’s Healthy Communities program in New York City, further grounded her in this space. She also conducted field research in Costa Rica and interned on Capitol Hill during her undergraduate studies at Boston University, where she double majored in Environmental Analysis & Policy and Music. 

Out of the office, you can find Maura with an instrument or two in hand, snapping nature photos, or solving a jigsaw puzzle.